Incarceration serves to remove offenders from a community, but also creates hardships on families, including the loss of an income or a caregiver, in addition to long-term effects on mental health for all involved. After incarceration, people often encounter challenges in obtaining meaningful employment, leading to reductions in long-term productivity, recidivism and widespread effects on a community's social, health and educational systems.

In 2017, 13.7 of every 10,000 residents in our region was incarcerated in local jails, similar to the state (excluding NYC) rate of 13.6. The regional incarceration rate decreased 4% from 2008 to 2017, while the state (excluding NYC) rate decreased by 7%. Monroe County's rate of 12.4 of every 10,000 residents was a decrease of 10% from 2008, lower than the surrounding counties rate of 15.7. Of the surrounding counties, only Wayne and Wyoming counties had lower incarceration rates than Monroe. Genesee, Livingston, and Seneca counties all had increases of over 30% in the same 2008 to 2017 time period.

New York City started reporting jail population data through Jails Daily Population Reporting System (JDPRS) starting in 2016. Comparable national data is not available.