Every week, I get an email or some inquiry from someone who wants confirmation about a particular “fact” related to mass incarceration. I thought that I would tackle two “facts” that are in fact urban legends.

1. Myth: Prisons use third grade test scores to determine future number of prison beds needed. Fact: Not True.

This urban legend will not die mainly because there is in fact a correlation between educational attainment and incarceration… Reporter Bill Graves tried to get to the bottom of the mythhere.

In the Atlantic, John Hudson offers provocative take: “So while the idea that prison planners are reading your children’s test scores is false, maybe it shouldn’t be.”

2. Myth: There are more black men in prison than in college. Fact: Not True.

I have no idea where this myth came from but it is and has been persistent & is pernicious. It is simply FALSE. Below is a useful chart that illustrates the fallacy.

Here’s another illustration based on point in time data:

Read more about this myth here

So now that you know, please help us to bury these talking points.