Three recent developments across our region make clear that the work IAHR does is more urgent than ever.

In Maryland, new data shows that the number of inmates whose death was classified as a homicide while in a Maryland state prison reached 14 in 2025, the highest within the last decade. Researchers and advocates are pointing to a staffing crisis as a contributing factor. The number of allocated correctional officer positions across Maryland's 13 state correctional prisons has decreased by 18 percent between July 2019 and July 2025, and a union report found that all institutions operated with a ratio of more than 100 inmates to 1 officer. When staff are stretched that thin, incarcerated people bear the consequences, and those already in isolation are among the most vulnerable. The Daily Record

In Virginia, IAHR continues to push for Mandela Rules-aligned legislation after the governor vetoed identical reform bills in 2024. The recently established ombuds office represents real progress, but advocates know that new oversight bodies need resources and political will to be effective. That fight is ongoing.

In DC, the situation at the Central Detention Facility remains critical. 7News reported this week that there are over 2,000 people inside the DC Jail right now, more than the total population in past years, and a 2025 audit by the DC Auditor and the Center for Court Excellence documented dangerous and deteriorating conditions at the DC Jail, including rising deaths, structural decay, staff shortages, and inadequate medical and behavioral health care. Meanwhile, approximately 4,500 to 4,700 DC residents remain housed in federal prisons across the country, far from home and from the people who love them.

This is the landscape IAHR works in every day. Your support helps us stay present in it.