Americans are consuming ultra-processed foods at staggering levels, and a newly released report warns the products are fueling rising rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression and other chronic illnesses across the country, including in the District of Columbia. 

The report, “Ultraprocessed Foods in the U.S.: Recommended Definitions and Policies,” was released by Healthy Eating Research and developed by a 14-member panel of nutrition, food science, epidemiology, food law and public policy experts.

Researchers found that ultra-processed foods account for between 53% and 58% of calories consumed by U.S. adults and 62% of calories consumed by children and teenagers.

Separate findings have noted that District residents have continued to confront major disparities in obesity, diabetes, heart disease and food access, particularly in Black communities and lower-income neighborhoods.

A Healthy Eating Research study centered on the Washington metropolitan area found that local leaders and stakeholders identified aggressive sugary drink marketing, unequal access to safe and appealing drinking water, and inconsistent public health investment as major forces influencing unhealthy beverage consumption throughout the region.

“UPFs have become a large portion of the American diet largely because they are widely available, heavily marketed, inexpensive, convenient and highly appealing,” the report stated.

The new report defines ultra-processed foods, commonly known as UPFs, as industrially manufactured products containing few or no whole-food ingredients and produced through intense physical and chemical processing methods designed to maximize shelf life.

Convenience and taste appeal. Examples listed by researchers include sweetened and diet beverages, packaged chips, candy, flavored dairy products, processed meats, breakfast cereals, commercial breads, baked goods and ready-to-eat meals.

Researchers said evidence linking ultra-processed foods to serious health problems continues to grow. The report cited studies connecting heavy UPF consumption to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, anxiety, depression, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, poor sleep and increased mortality. 

The panel also pointed to randomized controlled trials showing that people consuming diets dominated by ultra-processed foods consumed more calories and experienced worse weight outcomes than those eating minimally processed diets, even when meals contained similar amounts of sugar, sodium, fiber and calories.

The panel of experts argued that the health dangers tied to ultra-processed foods extend beyond fat, sodium, and sugar content alone. Researchers described several possible mechanisms contributing to harm, including what they called hyperpalatability, addictive characteristics, food matrix degradation, and exposure to additives and industrial contaminants.

“A subset of foods, most of which are classified as UPFs, meet the most recent scientific criteria commonly used to characterize addictive products, such as tobacco,” the report stated.

How UPFs are getting into the body

The report documented and some U.S. citizens have expressed concern, about the rapidly growing political push to regulate ultra-processed foods nationwide. 

“Processed foods are made to keep you spending all your money on eating junk food,” one social media user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I was addicted to chips, [and it] took me forever to stop eating them.

The whole goal of any and all processed foods is to keep you addicted to them.” Researchers found that 80% of identified U.S. policy proposals targeting UPFs were introduced during the first half of 2025.

Many of those proposals focused narrowly on food dyes or select additives, though the panel warned such approaches fail to capture most ultra-processed products currently sold in stores.

Modeling conducted by researchers found that narrow additive-based proposals identified only 13% to 17% of products classified as ultra-processed under the Nova system.

Instead, the panel recommended using the Nova Category 4 framework as the scientific basis for federal policy. The Nova system classifies foods according to industrial processing methods and the use of cosmetic additives and industrial ingredients not typically used in home kitchens.

The report further noted that Americans with lower incomes and lower educational attainment tend to consume higher levels of ultra-processed foods than wealthier populations.

In the D.C.-area beverage study, stakeholders identified increased public health spending, investments in water infrastructure, restrictions on sugary drink marketing and wider access to water filters among possible solutions to reduce unhealthy beverage consumption.

“Taken together, the current evidence suggests that the mechanisms through which UPFs impact health are multifactorial, operating simultaneously and likely in synergy,” the report concluded. “As a result, efforts focusing on single mechanisms are unlikely to fully mitigate the harms posed by UPFs.”

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The analysis, conducted by economists Akcan S. Balkir, Emmanuel Saez, Danny Yagan, and Gabriel Zucman, used administrative data from 2010 through 2020, matching Forbes’ list of the 400 richest Americans with individual, business, estate, and gift tax returns.

It found that the top 0.0002 percent of households—roughly the “Forbes 400”—paid an average total effective tax rate of 24 percent from 2018 to 2020. That compares with 30 percent for the overall U.S. population and 45 percent for top labor income earners.

The authors define the effective rate as all taxes paid relative to “economic income,” which includes labor income, business profits, and capital gains. The report concludes that billionaires “appear less taxed than the average American” when all sources of wealth are considered.

Why the wealthiest pay less

The findings point to structural features of the U.S. tax code. C-corporations owned by billionaires distribute relatively little in dividends, which minimizes individual income tax unless the stock is sold. Passthrough businesses—such as partnerships and S corporations—often report negative taxable income despite high profits, further limiting tax bills.

The researchers found that between 2010 and 2017, billionaires’ effective tax rates averaged about 30 percent, but that fell to 24 percent in the years after Donald Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

The law slashed the federal corporate rate from 35 percent to 21 percent and expanded provisions like full expensing of investment, allowing companies to reduce taxable income even with high book profits.

Estate and gift taxes also make little difference. Decedents in the Forbes 400 paid just 0.8 percent of their wealth in estate tax when married and 7 percent when single. Annual charitable giving by the group equaled 0.6 percent of wealth and 11 percent of economic income in 2018–2020.

The corporate tax’s outsized role

Corporate taxes remain a major source of government revenue from billionaires. About 9 percentage points of the top 400’s 23.8 percent effective rate comes from corporate tax. By contrast, their individual income taxes amounted to just 11 percent of economic income.

When measured against wealth instead of income, the richest Americans paid only 1.3 percent of their holdings in taxes annually in 2018–2020—down from 2.7 percent in 2010–2013.

International comparisons

The United States is not alone in seeing ultra-rich households taxed at lower rates. Similar studies show billionaires in the Netherlands pay less than 20 percent of economic income, while in France, the top 0.0002 percent paid 26 percent in 2016.

Still, U.S. billionaires’ individual income tax rates—about 11 percent of economic income—are higher than those in parts of Europe, where personal holding companies allow greater avoidance.

The researchers caution that the effective rate at the very top is heavily dependent on how economic income is defined, but across multiple approaches, the results remain consistent:

The richest households are taxed at lower rates than most Americans. “Ultra-high-net-worth individuals appear less taxed than the average American,” the authors wrote.

Stacy M. Brown is Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent. This article was distributed by NNPA Newswire.

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The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) allowed two officers convicted in the death of 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown to return to the force with back pay, despite overwhelming evidence of misconduct, a 172-page internal investigation recommending their termination, and a federal jury’s unanimous verdict.

According to a report released by the D.C. Auditor, MPD Chief Pamela A. Smith overruled her own Disciplinary Review Division and declined to fire Officer Terence Sutton and Lieutenant Andrew Zabavsky. Sutton was suspended for just 25 days. Zabavsky paid a $2,500 fine and retired. Both were awarded full benefits retroactive to 2021.

The decision came after President Donald Trump issued full pardons to the officers on January 22, 2025—his second day in office. Sutton and Zabavsky had been convicted in December 2023 of second-degree murder, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to obstruct following a nine-week federal trial. 

Prosecutors presented video footage and testimony showing the officers engaged in a prohibited pursuit that ended with Hylton-Brown’s death and then falsified reports to cover it up.

D.C. Auditor Kathy Patterson called the discipline “grossly inadequate” and noted that Chief Smith also rejected all 11 policy reforms proposed by investigators. 

“This failure to engage constructively on proposals to improve use of force investigations is a marked departure from the Metropolitan Police Department’s approach over the last 25 years,” the report, co-authored by Patterson and former DOJ monitor Michael R. Bromwich, stated.  “The buck stops with her. In this case, the buck was dropped.”

D.C. Council questions Smith’s decisions

The internal investigation confirmed that the officers violated MPD’s pursuit policy, provided false statements, and failed to notify commanding officers following the 2020 crash that killed Hylton-Brown. But when pressed by the D.C. Council, Smith defended the reinstatements, claiming the department disagreed with the jury’s findings.

Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4) questioned how the officers could return to the force despite a federal conviction.

“The pardons are there,” she said, “but I guess the pardons do not change the facts of what occurred on October 23, 2020.”

Smith responded, explaining why the officers were allowed to return to the force.

“They have been reinstated,” she said. “When the incident occurred, they were suspended pending the outcome of their criminal case. As you know that after their pardons and convictions were vacated and dismissed, we completed our administrative review.”

After questioning, the MPD chief also explained why officers weren’t disciplined for obstruction of justice. “It’s my understanding that there was no cover-up and there was no obstruction of justice,”

she said, citing body-worn camera footage and internal reports—despite findings to the contrary from MPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau and Disciplinary Review Division.

During a June 2025 oversight hearing, Councilmember Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) asked Smith to explain the status of the internal investigation. Smith admitted, “I still have not yet met with the team to obtain what the actual findings are with regards to the internal affairs investigation.”

The auditors reported that Smith never reviewed the department’s own 172-page investigative file. Instead, she relied entirely on MPD lawyers. 

“I rely on the lawyers whom I pay to do this job to provide me with the facts of the case,” Smith said. “I’m trying to run a police department. That’s why the lawyers are here.”

‘This case was a test of whether MPD would hold its officers accountable’

The report noted that MPD not only reversed its internal findings but also abandoned a long-standing record of reform. For more than two decades, MPD had collaborated with the Department of Justice and the D.C. Council to develop transparent and accountable use-of-force practices. That cooperation has now eroded.

Among the recommendations Smith rejected were reforms to prohibit obstruction during internal investigations, improve pursuit policies, expand body-worn camera audio recordings, and require the chief to provide written explanations when overriding disciplinary decisions.

“This case was a test of whether MPD would hold its officers accountable,” the report stated. “It failed.”

A composite video of the pursuit—compiled from CCTV and officer body-worn camera footage—shows the officers chasing Hylton-Brown through alleys and streets. The video ends just before he is struck by an oncoming vehicle. He died hours later from severe head trauma.

“The District has invested decades into building a system of accountability and reform,” the report concluded. “To abandon it now is unconscionable.”

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The NNPA is the trade association of the more than 200 African American-owned newspapers and media companies that comprise the 198-year-old Black Press of America. “He was a freedom-fighting member of the Congressional Black Caucus and a staunch supporter of the Black Press of America,” said Dr. Chavis.

Clay made history in 1968 when he became Missouri’s first Black congressman, representing St. Louis in the U.S. House of Representatives. His election marked a turning point for Black political representation in Missouri and nationally, as he joined the House alongside former Reps.

Shirley Chisholm (D-N.Y.) and Louis Stokes (D-Ohio) laid the groundwork for the Congressional Black Caucus, which was formally established in 1971.

“Congressman Clay helped build the CBC into a force for equity and accountability in American Democracy,” CBC Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) said July 15. “As a member of Congress, he was a fierce defender of labor rights, education, and social justice.”

Clay served for 32 years in the House, where he spent his entire tenure on the Education and Labor Committee. He pushed landmark legislation, including reforming the Hatch Act, which restricts political activities of federal employees, and helped usher in the Family and Medical Leave Act, which President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1993.

In his final term, Clay was also a cosponsor of H.R. 40, the federal bill that calls for a commission to study reparations for slavery and racial discrimination. After his retirement in 2001, his son, William Lacy Clay Jr., succeeded him and continued representing Missouri’s 1st District until 2021.

“William Lacy Clay Sr. was a giant—not just for St. Louis, not just for Missouri, but for the entirety of our country,” said Missouri Rep. Wesley Bell. “I counted Mr. Clay as a grand mentor, as a trailblazer, and as a dear friend.

But more than that, I carry his example with me every time I walk onto the House Floor. My heart is with his family, with Lacy, and with every person whose life was better because Bill Clay chose to serve.”

Roy Temple, a former chair of the Missouri Democratic Party, recalled working closely with Clay during Mel Carnahan’s 1992 campaign. “He was probably one of the three most influential people in Mel’s primary win,” Temple said.

“Learned a ton in every single interaction. He was an icon.” “His work laid the foundation for future generations of Black leadership in public service,” Clarke wrote. “May he rest in power and everlasting peace.”

Stacy Brown Jr. is the Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent. This article was distributed by NNPA Newswire

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Amid rising rates of opioid addiction and deaths in D.C. and nationwide, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb has announced that attorneys general from all eligible states and U.S. territories have agreed to a $7.4 billion national settlement with Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family. 

Officials said the Sacklers have indicated they intend to move forward with the settlement, which they expect to resolve nationwide litigation related to Purdue’s and the Sacklers’ roles in the opioid crisis. 

The District is expected to receive more than $21 million over the next two years as part of the agreement.

“This settlement holds Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family financially accountable for the damage they caused,” Schwalb said in a news release. “Their conduct caused extensive harm to communities in the District and across the country.”

Under the Sacklers’ ownership, Purdue Pharma manufactured and marketed opioid medications for decades. Officials said the company promoted its opioid products as safe and suitable for long-term, high-dosage use, which public officials allege contributed to widespread addiction and overdose deaths. The settlement will permanently end the Sackler family’s involvement in Purdue and prevent them from selling opioids in the U.S.

The $7.4 billion agreement is the largest settlement to date involving companies and individuals connected to the opioid epidemic. Most of the funds will be distributed in the first three years. The Sacklers are set to pay $1.5 billion, and Purdue about $900 million initially. Subsequent payments will include $500 million after one year, another $500 million after two years, and $400 million after three years. 

The District will receive its full share of $19.58 million in the first payment, with approximately $1.5 million in attorney fees expected to be paid the following year.

As with previous opioid settlements, final approval and distribution of the funds will be subject to a bankruptcy court decision. A hearing is scheduled later this month.

Including this latest agreement, the Office of the Attorney General said it has secured nearly $104 million for the District from settlements with companies connected to the opioid crisis. Officials stated that the funds will be allocated for prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery efforts.

Between 2021 and 2024, 1,740 opioid-related deaths occurred in Washington, D.C., and it was affecting Black Washingtonians the most. 

“Opioid deaths in the District fall most heavily among Black men and residents of Wards 5, 7, and 8, underscoring that this public health crisis raises health equity and systemic concerns,” according to a 2023 release from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office.

After five consecutive years of increases, the number of fatal opioid overdoses in the District fell to 344 in 2024, down from 516 in 2023. 

In the first two months of 2025, there were 41 opioid-related fatalities, a 27% decrease compared to the same period in the previous year.

According to a news release, the District’s Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, established in 2022, continues to provide recommendations on how to effectively utilize settlement funds to address the crisis locally.

“Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family knew full well how addictive and dangerous their opioid drugs were yet falsely marketed those drugs as safe,” Schwalb remarked. “Their deceptive conduct, while generating billions of dollars of corporate profits and shareholder distributions, exacted a massive human toll on communities across the District and country.”

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The commission will examine Maryland’s long history of slavery, the economic and social systems that benefited from it, and the lingering impacts of those institutions. Its work will include recommendations on financial compensation, housing and business support, tuition waivers, and other forms of restitution.

“This commission is not only about acknowledging our past—it’s about using that understanding to pave the way for a more equitable and fair future,” said Del. Jheanelle Wilkins, chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, which made reparations a top priority for the first time of this legislative session.

From its founding in 1634 until the abolition of slavery in 1864, Maryland was a society built on slave labor. Tobacco, the colony’s staple crop, fueled economic growth and political dominance for the state’s elite. By the mid-18th century, nearly one-third of Maryland’s population was enslaved.

Skilled and unskilled laborers like Frederick Douglass, who caulked ships in Baltimore, contributed to the state’s prosperity under brutal conditions. The legacy of that bondage continued to echo across generations.

Del. Aletheia McCaskill, the lead sponsor of the House version of the bill, said the measure lays the groundwork  for redress. “I am overjoyed at the passage of this monumental legislation,” McCaskill said.

“This commission will gather historical evidence, examine present-day disparities, and provide a data-driven framework to acknowledge past harms. By recommending policies and developing solutions to repair the damage done, we can take meaningful steps toward true equity in our state.”

Sen. C. Anthony Muse, sponsor of the Senate version, called the passage historic. “We took a historic step towards justice and healing for our communities,” Sen. Muse remarked. “The passage of Maryland Senate Bill 587 marks a significant commitment to addressing the long-lasting effects of slavery and systemic inequities.”

The commission’s membership will include lawmakers, historians, HBCU scholars, civil rights experts, representatives from the NAACP and the Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce, and members of the public. It will examine reparations programs in other states and recommend procedures for verifying eligibility and the feasibility of funding and distributing reparations.

Maryland’s history makes it a powerful setting for this initiative. The state witnessed the forced transport of nearly 100,000 Africans during the 18th century. The rise of tobacco plantations led to a devastating regime marked by family separation, disease, forced labor, and systemic brutality.

Enslaved individuals in Maryland built canals, smelted iron, and helped fuel the economic engine of the state while living under constant threat of sale or violence.

The stories of individuals like Hillery Kane at Sotterley Plantation and Lucy Jackson at Hampton Mansion reveal not only the cruelty of slavery but also the resilience and resistance of the enslaved.

By the 19th century, Maryland became a central player in the domestic slave trade, with an estimated 20,000 people sold to cotton plantations in the Deep South between 1830 and 1860. Even after emancipation in 1864, freed Black Marylanders faced decades of disenfranchisement, segregation, and economic exclusion.

“This is about more than history,” Wilkins said. “It’s about how that history has shaped the realities of today.” The commission will submit a preliminary report by January 1, 2027, and a final report by November 1, 2027. It will explore possible sources of funding, such as businesses and institutions that benefited from slavery and discriminatory government practices.

Opposition to the bill has centered mainly on its cost, but the fiscal note details only a modest increase of $54,500 in 2026 to fund contractual staff. No reparations payments are authorized under the current bill.

Maryland is joining California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York in forming a reparations commission. The move comes as diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives face increasing national scrutiny and political attacks. Still, supporters of the commission insist the time for reckoning is now.

“We’re not just commemorating the past,” McCaskill said. “We are charting a course toward justice, informed by our truth and grounded in our responsibility to future generations.”

Stacy M. Brown is the senior national correspondent for NNPA (National Newspaper Publishers Association), the Black Press of America.

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The report found that nearly 60% of recruit deaths involved Black trainees, despite Black officers comprising just 12% of local police forces. Many of the deceased recruits carried sickle cell trait, a genetic condition that, under extreme exertion, increases the risk of severe injury or death.

Up to three million Black citizens in the U.S. have sickle cell trait, yet many adults with the genetic condition don’t know their status, researchers say. Unlike people with sickle cell disease, they carry only one gene for sickle cell and one normal gene.

The condition, diagnosed through a blood test, doesn’t usually affect their daily lives. However, it can cause decreased blood flow and muscle breakdown after intense exertion, dehydration, or high body temperatures. In very rare cases, that can result in collapse and death.

Despite evidence that strenuous police training can trigger fatal collapses, the Associated Press found that few police academies screen recruits for the condition or implement sufficient safety measures to prevent deaths.

Among the recruits who lost their lives was Ronald Donat, a Haitian immigrant who had long aspired to join law enforcement. Donat, a fit soccer player with no known heart issues, collapsed during his first day of training at Georgia’s Gwinnett County Police Department Academy.

Instructors ordered an intense workout, pushing recruits through grueling drills. When Donat struggled with air squats, an instructor shouted, “You are dead!” before he collapsed.

Donat’s wife, Sharline Volcy, had initially discouraged him from pursuing law enforcement, fearing for his safety. After he was declared dead at a hospital, the county ruled that he died of natural causes, citing an enlarged heart. The autopsy report did not mention sickle cell trait, but Volcy believes her husband had it, as their daughters carry the trait.

The investigation documented cases in which Black recruits in distress were denied breaks or hydration, exacerbating their risk of fatal collapse. One Texas recruit, caught on video, begged for water but was denied by an instructor who stated, “You can’t get water in a fight.”

He collapsed minutes later. In Arkansas, a cadet died after being forced to run in long pants under the scorching midday sun. In North Carolina, a recruit’s body temperature reached 106 degrees by the time he died, following an hourlong obstacle course with no water breaks.

Dr. Randy Eichner, a retired professor at the University of Oklahoma, has long warned of a “troubling spate of exertional collapse and death” among police trainees.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association and the U.S. military have taken steps to screen for sickle cell trait and implement protective measures, significantly reducing the number of deaths in physically demanding settings. However, the report found that most police academies have not followed suit.

Bill Alexander, CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, acknowledged that some deaths could be prevented but insisted that fatalities will always be a risk in policing.

Critics argue that such an acceptance of risk ignores systemic failures in academy training, particularly the resistance to implementing basic safeguards such as hydration breaks, heat monitoring, and immediate medical intervention.

Because most of the recruits in the investigation hadn’t been sworn in as officers before they died, their names don’t appear on the national memorial for deceased officers or some state memorials. And many of their families can’t qualify for death benefits.

Aware of those stakes last year, the police chief in Knoxville, Tennessee, summoned a judge to the hospital room of unconscious recruit Wisbens Antoine.

On that February night, a fellow recruit took the oath on behalf of Antoine, who’d collapsed during training a week before graduation.

Hours later, Officer Antoine, 32, died, leaving behind a wife and two daughters.

Following Donat’s death, Gwinnett County now requires an ambulance on-site during first-day workouts. However, it has not implemented screening for sickle cell trait. An internal investigation by the department concluded that no policy violations occurred and no disciplinary actions were taken.

The AP’s report concluded that, despite the preventable nature of these tragedies, there has been little accountability. The researchers reported that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) did not investigate Donat’s case because local government agencies are not under its jurisdiction, a common limitation that leaves police recruits with fewer workplace safety protections.

“This sad tragedy is preventable,” Dr. Eichner insisted. “But [it] will not become so until our police chiefs begin to heed the message.” Stacey M. Brown is the senior national correspondent for the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)/ Black Press USA. This article was distributed by NNPA Newswire.

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The significant increase in estimated risk means that roughly 514,000 Americans could develop dementia this year alone, with projections rising to approximately 1 million new cases annually by 2060.

Dementia, characterized by progressive declines in memory, concentration, and judgment, is becoming more prevalent due to the aging U.S. population, the study concluded. Factors such as genetics, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, poor diet, lack of exercise, and mental health challenges also contribute to the rising dementia rates.

According to the study, earlier underestimations of dementia risk were likely due to unreliable recording in health records and death certificates, insufficient monitoring of early-stage cases, and underreporting of cases among racial minorities, who are especially vulnerable.

Conducted by a team from NYU Langone Health with contributions from Johns Hopkins University and other institutions, the research utilized data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS).

Since 1987, this study has monitored the vascular health and cognitive function of nearly 16,000 participants, making it the longest-followed cohort of Black Americans studying cognition and heart health.

The study, published in Nature Medicine, indicates that women and Black adults, along with individuals carrying the APOE4 gene variant, face higher risks of developing dementia, with lifetime risks ranging from 45 percent to 60 percent in these groups.

Dr. Josef Coresh, the study’s senior investigator from NYU Langone, noted the expected increase in dementia cases due to longer life expectancies and the high number of Americans now over age 65. He underlined the importance of early intervention strategies that target heart health to potentially slow cognitive decline and reduce the onset of dementia.

The study also links hearing loss among older adults to increased dementia risk, recommending enhanced testing and government support for hearing aids to promote healthy hearing.

“The pending population boom in dementia cases poses significant challenges for health policymakers, who must refocus their efforts on strategies to minimize the severity of dementia cases, as well as plans to provide more healthcare services for those with dementia,” Dr. Coresh stated.

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The report provides a detailed analysis of life sentences, revealing that nearly 200,000 people—one in six individuals in U.S. prisons—are serving life terms. The United States accounts for 40 percent of the world’s life-sentenced population but represents only four percent of the global population.

Life without parole, often referred to as “death by incarceration,” has reached record levels in the United States. The report found 56,245 individuals serving life without parole in 2024, a 68 percent increase since 2003.

Another 41,398 individuals are serving virtual life sentences, which require at least 50 years in prison before release eligibility. Researchers noted that overall crime rates have reached near historic lows, yet incarceration rates persist.

The findings also highlight the racial inequities embedded in life sentencing practices. Nearly half of those serving life sentences and more than half of those sentenced to life without parole are Black. In seven states, including Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia, more than one in four Black individuals in prison is serving a life sentence.

The disparities are particularly stark among younger populations, with 70,000 individuals currently serving life sentences for offenses committed before the age of 25. Among those sentenced to life without parole for crimes committed before the age of 25, 62 percent are Black.

The report also draws attention to the growing number of elderly individuals serving life sentences. Nearly 40 percent of the life-sentenced population is aged 55 or older, many of whom entered prison decades ago.

The Sentencing Project’s researchers claimed that the aging process in jails, together with the lack of access to healthcare, makes this demographic even more vulnerable. They said the fact that more than half of those serving life sentences in Michigan are older than 55 highlights the structural issues with aging confinement.

Research cited in the report challenges the idea that extreme sentences serve as a deterrent. The authors assert that the severity of punishment has little impact on reducing crime, noting that most individuals serving life sentences have “aged out” of criminal behavior long before their sentences end.

The report argues that resources currently spent on imprisoning elderly and rehabilitated individuals would be better used addressing the root causes of crime, such as poverty and lack of access to education and healthcare.

The Sentencing Project provides several recommendations to address the systemic issues surrounding life sentences, including abolishing life without parole, implementing sentence reviews after 10 years of incarceration, capping sentences at 20 years for adults and 15 years for youth, and reforming parole systems to ensure fair evaluations.

The report’s authors concluded that reducing excessive sentences would promote fairness and redirect public funds toward effective community safety measures.

“Communities will not be safer unless we build stronger public health, education, and services for vulnerable people,” said Kara Gotsch, executive director of The Sentencing Project. “The release of elderly and rehabilitated people from prison will not impact crime rates but will reserve public dollars for more effective safety solutions.”

The report also critiques the United States’ approach to life imprisonment compared to international standards. Life sentences are rare in most countries and typically capped at shorter durations. The study calls on U.S. policymakers to adopt reforms that reflect a more humane and practical approach to justice.

—Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire

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The report, part of a series examining police interactions with U.S. residents since 1996, reveals that racial disparities in these encounters persist. The Prison Policy Initiative responded to the report by noting a need to address inequities and rethink public safety strategies.

The BJS data show that Black drivers are more than twice as likely as drivers of other racial groups to be searched or arrested during a traffic stop. Black individuals are also over three times as likely as White individuals to experience the use of force in their most recent encounter with law enforcement.

Although Black people accounted for only 12 percent of those whose most recent contact was initiated by police or related to a traffic accident, they represented one-third of those who reported being threatened or experiencing nonfatal use of force.

Alarming trends for older adults and women

The report also laid bare troubling trends regarding the use of force against older adults and women. In 2022, people aged 65 or older made up five percent of those who experienced the threat or use of force. While the figure may seem small, it represents a more than tenfold increase since 2015. The rise suggests that even older populations are not spared from escalating police aggression.

Women also face an increasing risk of police force. In 1999, women comprised only 13 percent of those subjected to police force. By 2022, that figure had doubled to 28 percent. Among those who experienced force, women were more likely than men to perceive it as excessive, with 51 percent of women reporting excessive force compared to 44 percent of men.

Persistent disparities across age groups

Young adults aged 18-24 were the most likely age group to experience police contact, with 25 percent reporting interactions in 2022. They were also the most likely to experience police-initiated contact (15 percent) and traffic accident-related contact (four percent).

Alarmingly, more than one in five individuals who reported the threat or use of force in their most recent police encounter were between 16 and 24 years old.

The Prison Policy Initiative noted that these kinds of interactions can have life-threatening consequences, as over 70 percent of police killings in 2023 began with non-violent incidents or situations where no crime had been reported.

Systemic issues and data gaps

Officials at the Prison Policy Initiative published a “wish list” of 22 critical gaps in criminal legal system data. The list includes data on arrests for technical violations, the quality of healthcare in correctional facilities, and the outcomes of pretrial supervision. Officials said the absence of such data hampers efforts to understand and address the criminal legal system’s impact fully.

The case for alternatives to policing

Further, the available data suggests that many police encounters could be handled more effectively by alternative community resources. In 2022, nearly 30 million people initiated contact with police, but only half of those interactions involved reporting possible crimes.

Many sought help for non-crime emergencies, such as medical issues, car accidents, or quality-of-life concerns. A 2022 analysis of 911 calls in major cities found that only four percent involved violent crimes. Officials said this indicates a need for investments in community-based services to reduce the risks associated with police intervention.

The path forward

Some officials noted that the decline in police contact does reduce opportunities for abuse. However, they said, the deep-seated racial disparities in policing remain unresolved.

“Just because the sheer number of police interactions was lower than it has been in decades does not mean the problems with our nation’s fraught system of policing are solved,” the Prison Policy Initiative stated in its release. “Racial disparities in police interactions, misconduct, and use of force remain pervasive and demand immediate attention.”

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