The report projects those costs will continue to grow over the next decade. The women’s prison population is projected to increase 27% by 2035, while the jail population is expected to grow 20%, according to the report. The report says the increase reflects both projected population growth and rising correctional costs. Researchers noted that women’s prison populations declined during the COVID-19 pandemic but have been growing again since 2021, in some places rebounding faster than men’s populations. The reports were prepared for the Council on Criminal Justice’s Women’s Justice Commission, which studies women’s involvement in the criminal justice system and related policy issues.