U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Democrats have shut down the government. Department of Justice websites are not currently regularly updated. Please refer to the Department of Justice’s contingency plan for more information.

Report: Time Served in State Prison, 2016

 

Median time served in state prison before initial release, by most serious offense, 2016
  • The average time served by state prisoners released in 2016, from initial admission to initial release, was 2.6 years, and the median time served was 1.3 years.
  • Most violent offenders (57%) released from state prison in 2016 served less than 3 years.
  • 96% of violent offenders released in 2016, including 70% of those sentenced for murder or non-negligent manslaughter, served less than 20 years before initial release from state prison.
  • Roughly 1 in 5 state prisoners released in 2016 after being sentenced for rape or sexual assault served 10 or more years before initial release.

View archived featured content

Date Published: November 29, 2018