Did you know that 1 in 4 persons imprisoned worldwide are incarcerated in the US, yet the US accounts for only 5% of the world's population?

Did you know that 1 in 31 U.S. adults are behind bars, on parole or on probation?

Did you know that more than 3 times as many Blacks and Latinos are in jail than are in college?

Did you know that Blacks are 13% of drug users and roughly half of all drug-related prisoners?

Did you know that American Blacks are imprisoned at nearly 6 times the rate as South African Blacks were during Apartheid?

Did you know that Massachusetts ranked 5th in the nation for adults in prison, probation or parole in a recent Pew Center on the States report?

Did you know that Boston police are among the highest paid in the nation?

Did you know that the Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information or “CORI” system holds 3 million records, for a state with an adult population of about 5 million people?

Did you know that Blacks represent 31% of prisoners in Massachusetts yet make up only 6.9% of the state population? (6.9% represents all Black people, not just those “eligible” to be incarcerated.)

Did you know that Massachusetts Correctional Officers' salaries are among the highest 10 percentile nationwide, and are the 3rd highest behind California and New Jersey respectively? (Bureau of Labor Statistics website states the highest 10% made $58,580 in 2006. MA Correctoins Officers' starting salary is $52K).

Did you know that Massachusetts is either laying off teachers (Boston is laying off 500 staff, 200 are teachers; beginning teacher pay in MA is $35K, average is $54K, min bachelor’s required) or threatening the union to “make concessions,” but the DOC hired 314 “corrections professionals” last August and December at starting salaries of $52K (HS diploma or GED only) and above, some making $100K + in overtime? According to the Undersecretary of Public Safety, there will be no layoffs within the DOC.

END THE ODDS COALITION is working to break the cycle and “end the odds” that a person released from prison will recidivate based on what did and did not take place in prison, in an effort to change these shameful statistics. If you would like to get involved, volunteer, or become an advocate, join our mailing list and/or contact us and tell us how you'd like to participate.