U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin Prisoners in 1996 June 1997, NCJ-164619 This report is one in a series. More recent editions may be available. To view a list of all in the series go to http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pubalp2.htm#Prisoners The full text of this report is available through: * the BJS Clearinghouse, 1-800-732-3277 * on the Internet at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ * on the BJS gopher: gopher://www.ojp.usdoj.gov:70/11/bjs/ * on the National Criminal Justice Reference Service Electronic Bulletin Board (set at 8-N-1, call 301-738-8895, select BJS). *************** Highlights *************** Sentenced prisoners Population housed as per 100,000 resident a percent of highest Number of inmates population capacity ----------------- -------------------- ------------------- Year Federal State Federal State Federal State ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1985 40,223 462,284 14 187 123% 105% 1990 65,526 708,393 20 272 151 115 1991 71,608 753,951 22 287 146 116 1992 80,259 802,241 26 305 137 118 1993 89,587 880,857 29 330 136 118 1994 95,034 959668 30 356 125 117 1995 100250 1026043 32 379 126 114 1996 105544 1076625 33 394 125 116 *During 1996 the number of female prisoners rose by 9.1%, nearly double the increase of male prisoners (4.7%). At yearend 74,730 women were in State or Federal prison--6.3% of inmates. *On December 31,1996, State prisons were operating at between 16% and 24% above capacity, while Federal prisons were operating at 25% over capacity. *California (147,712), Texas (132,383), and the Federal system (105,544) together held 1 in every 3 prisoners in the Nation. Fifteen States, each holding fewer than 5,000 inmates, together held only 3% of the Nation's prisoners. *The prison population of 12 States grew by at least 10% in 1996, led by North Dakota (18.8%) and New Mexico (15.8%). Vermont (down 12.0%), the District of Columbia (-4.3%), and Florida (-0.2%) recorded declines. * Factors underlying the growth in State prison population between 1985 and 1995 include-- --a 12.2% average annual increase in the number of Hispanic inmates, higher than among blacks (9.4%) and whites (7.6%). --a 91% rise in the number of admissions from 1985 to 1990 and a 13% rise from 1990 to 1995. --a decline in annual release rates of prisoners from 37% in 1990 to 31% in 1995. --a sharp rise in violent offenders among white inmates (accounting for 42% of the 10-year increase in white prisoners) and in drug offenders among black inmates (42% of their increase). --an overall increase in the percent held for drug offenses offset by declines in violent and property percentages. ***************** Prisoners in 1996 ***************** By Christopher J. Mumola and Allen J. Beck, Ph.D. BJS Statisticians The total number of prisoners under the jurisdiction of Federal or State adult correctional authorities was 1,182,169 at yearend 1996. During the year the States and the District of Columbia added 50,582 prisoners, and the Federal prison system added 5,294 prisoners. Overall, the Nation's prison population grew by 5.0%, which was less than the average annual growth rate of 7.3% recorded since 1990. The 1996 increase was the equivalent of 1,075 more inmates per week. At midyear 1996 (the latest available data), more than 1.6 million U.S residents were incarcerated. State and Federal prisons housed about two-thirds of the incarcerated population (1,112,448). Jails, which are locally operated and typically hold persons awaiting trial and those with sentences of a year or less, held the other third (518,492). Relative to the number of U.S. residents, the rate of incarceration in prisons at yearend 1996 totaled 427 sentenced inmates per 100,000 residents--up from 292 in 1990. On December 31, 1996, 1 in every 118 men and 1 in every 1,818 women were under the jurisdiction of State or Federal correctional authorities. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 1. Number of persons held in State or Federal prisons or in local jails, 1985, 1990-96 Number of State and Federal Inmates prisoners held Total on December 31 in local Incar- inmates ----------------------- jails ceration Year in custody Jurisdiction/a Custody on June 3 rate/b --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1985 744208 502,507 487,593 256615 313 1990 1148702 773,919 743,382 405320 461 1991 1219014 825,559 792,535 426479 483 1992 1295150 882,500 850,566 444584 508 1993 970,444 970,444 909,381 459804 531 1994 1476621 1054702 990147 486474 567 1995 1585589 1,126,293 1,078,545 507044 601 1996 June 30 1,630,940 1,164,356 1,112,448 518492 615 December 31 -- 1,182,169 -- -- -- Annual average increase, 12/31/85- 6/30/96 7.8% 8.3% 8.2% 6.9% 12/31/90- 6/30/96 6.6% 7.7% 7.6% 4.6% ******************************************************************* Note: Jail counts are for midyear (June 30). Counts for 1994-96 exclude persons who were supervised outside of a jail facility. State and Federal prisoner counts for 1985 and 1990-95 are for December 31. -- Not available. a/Includes prisoners in custody, prisoners in local jails because of prison crowding,and prisoners supervised elsewhere, such as treatment centers. b/Total of persons in custody of State, Federal, or local jurisdictions per 100,000 U.S. residents. ______________________________________________________________________ *On average, the Nation's incarcerated population grew by 7.8% each year since 1985. During this period, the State and Federal prison population grew by 8.2% annually, while the local jail population increased by 6.9% each year. *At yearend 1985, 1 in every 319 U.S. residents were incarcerated; by midyear 1996, that rate grew to 1 in every 163. *Since 1990 correctional authorities have had to find beds for an additional 482,238 inmates, or about 1,700 new inmates each week. *Since 1985 the Nation's prisons have added space for 428,240 inmates (highest capacity) and local jails have added space for 289,190. By 1996 State prisons were at 17% above their highest capacity and jails at 8% below their rated capacity. ************************************* The population of State and Federal prisons rose 5.0% during 1996 ************************************ The 1996 growth rate of 5.0% was smaller than the percentage increase recorded during 1995 (6.8%) and below the average annual growth rate since 1985 (8.1%). In absolute numbers, the total prison population increase of 55,876 prison inmates was the second lowest of the 1990's, after the 1991 increase of 51,640). In contrast, the prison population grew by 71,591 inmates during 1995. ------------------------------------------------------------- Table 2. Changes in the State and Federal prison populations, 1985-96 -------------------------------------------------------------- Annual increase -------------------- Number Percent Year of inmates Number change ------------------------------------------- 1985 502,507 40,505 8.8% 1986 544,972 42,465 8.5 1987 585,084 40,112 7.4 1988 627,600 42,516 7.3 1989 712,364 84,764 13.5 1990 773,919 61,555 8.6 1991 825,559 51,640 6.7 1992 882,500 56,941 6.9 1993* 970,444 4,992 7.4 1994 1,054,702 84,258 8.7 1995 1,126,293 71,591 6.8 1996 1,182,169 55,876 5.0 Average 1985-96 58,101 8.1% annual 1990-96 63,836 7.3 increase ******************************************************************* Note: All counts are for December 31 of each year and may reflect revisions of previously reported numbers. --Not applicable. *Includes the jurisdiction populations of Massachusetts and Texas for the first time. The final 1993 count (947,492), which excludes the noncustody population in Texas and Massachusetts, may be used for comparisons. _____________________________________________________________________ Prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year ("sentenced prisoners") accounted for 96% of the total prison population at yearend, growing by 4.9% during 1996 ). The remaining prisoners had sentences of a year or less, or were currently unsentenced (that is, awaiting trial in States with combined prison-jail systems). **************************************************************** Table 3. Prisoners under the jurisdiction of State or Federal correctional authorities, by region and jurisdiction, yearend 1995 and 1996 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Total Sentenced to more than 1 year ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Percent Percent Incar- Region and Advance change Advance change ceration jurisdiction 1996 1995 1995-96 1996 1995 1995-96 rate/b ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. total 1,182,169 1,126,293 5.0% 1,138,187 1,085,369 4.9% 427 Federal 105,544 100,250 5.3% 18,815 83,663 6.2% 33 State 1,076,625 1,026,043 4.9 1,049,372 1,001,706 4.8 394 Northeast 166,476 162,050 2.7% 159,243 154,959 2.8% 308 Connecticut/b 15,007 14,801 1.4 10,301 10,418 -1.1 314 Maine 1,476 1,396 5.7 1,401 1,326 5.7 112 Massachusetts/c,d 11,790 11,687 .9 10,903 10,355 5.3 302 New Hampshire 2,071 2,014 2.8 2,071 2,014 2.8 177 New Jersey 27,490 27,066 1.6 27,490 27,066 1.6 343 New York 69,709 68,489 1.8 69,709 68,489 1.8 383 Pennsylvania 34,537 32,416 6.5 34,531 32,410 6.5 286 Rhode Island/b 3,271 2,902 12.7 2,030 1,833 10.7 205 Vermont/b,f 1,125 1,279 -12.0 807 1,048 -23.0 137 Midwest 204,509 193,220 5.8% 203,285 192,147 5.8% 326 Illinois/f 38,852 37,658 3.2 38,852 37,658 3.2 327 Indiana 16,960 16,125 5.2 16,801 16,046 4.7 287 Iowaf 6,342 5,906 7.4 6,342 5,906 7.4 222 Kansas 7,756 7,054 10.0 7,756 7,054 10.0 301 Michiganf 42,349 41,112 3.0 42,349 41,112 3.0 440 Minnesota 5,158 4,846 6.4 5,158 4,846 6.4 110 Missouri 22,003 19,134 15.0 21,999 19,134 15.0 409 Nebraska 3,275 3,074 6.5 3,212 3,006 6.9 194 North Dakota 722 608 18.8 650 544 19.5 101 Ohio/e 46,174 44,663 3.4 46,174 44,663 3.4 413 South Dakota 2,064 1,841 12.1 2,064 1,841 12.1 281 Wisconsin 12,854 11,199 14.8 11,928 10,337 15.4 230 South 469,744 454,182 3.4% 459,294 446,958 2.8% 490 Alabama 21,760 20,718 5.0 21,108 20,130 4.9 492 Arkansas 9,407 9,411 -- 8,992 9,021 -.3 357 Delawareb 5,110 4,802 6.4 3,119 2,980 4.7 428 District of Col./b 9,376 9,800 -4.3 8,659 9,042 -4.2 1609 Florida/f 63,763 63,879 - .2 63,746 63,866 -.2 439 Georgia/f 35,139 34,266 2.5 34,328 34,168 .5 462 Kentucky 12,910 12,060 7.0 12,910 12,060 7.0 331 Louisiana 26,779 25,195 6.3 26,779 25,195 6.3 615 Maryland 22,050 21,453 2.8 20,980 20,450 2.6 412 Mississippi 14,292 12,684 12.7 13,576 12,251 10.8 498 North Carolina 30,701 29,253 4.9 27,945 27,914 .1 379 Oklahoma/e 19,593 18,151 7.9 19,593 18,151 7.9 591 South Carolina 20,446 19,611 4.3 19,758 19,015 3.9 532 Tennessee/e 15,626 15,206 2.8 15,626 15,206 2.8 292 Texas/e 132,383 127,766 3.6 132,383 127,766 3.6 686 Virginia 27,655 27,415 .9 27,062 27,260 -.7 404 West Virginia 2,754 2,512 9.6 2,730 2,483 9.9 150 West 235,896 216,591 8.9% 227,550 207,642 9.6% 386 Alaskab 3,706 3,522 5.2 2,311 2,042 13.2 379 Arizon/a,f 22,573 21,341 5.8 21,603 20,291 6.5 481 California 147,712 135,646 8.9 144,386 131,745 9.6 451 Colorado/e 12,438 11,063 12.4 12,438 11,063 12.4 322 Hawaii/b,f 4,011 3,560 12.7 2,954 2,590 14.1 249 Idaho 3,834 3,328 15.2 3,834 3,328 15.2 319 Montana 2,073 1,999 3.7 2,073 1,999 3.7 235 Nevadae 8,215 7,713 6.5 8,215 7,713 6.5 502 +New Mexico 4,724 4,078 15.8 4,506 3,925 14.8 261 Oregon 8,661 7,886 9.8 7,316 6,515 12.3 226 Utah 3,939 3,452 14.1 3,913 3,428 14.1 194 Washington 12,527 11,608 7.9 12,518 11,608 7.8 224 Wyoming 1,483 1,395 6.3 1,483 1,395 6.3 307 ***************************************************************************************************************** Note: The advance count of prisoners is conducted in January and may be revised. Prisoner counts for 1995 may differ from those reported in previous publications. --Less than 0.05%. a/The number of prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year per 100,000 U.S. residents. b/Prisons and jails form one integrated system. NPS data include jail and prison populations. c/Reference date is not December 31. See NPS jurisdiction notes. d/Incarceration rate includes an estimated 7,500 inmates sentenced to more than 1 year, but held in county facilities. e/Data for inmates sentenced to more than a year may include some inmates sentenced to a year or less. f/Population figures are based on custody counts. ----------------------------------------------------------------- The sentenced State prison population experienced slower growth during the year than the Federal prison population (4.8% compared to 6.2%). The rate of growth for sentenced State prisoners was down from the 1995 rate of 6.9%, and also below the 7.2% average annual growth rate since 1990. In absolute numbers, sentenced State prisoners increased by 47,666 during 1996, compared to the 1995 increase of 64,442. During 1996 the total prison population rose by at least 10% in 12 States. North Dakota experienced the largest increase (18.8%), followed by New Mexico (15.8%), Idaho (15.2%), Missouri (15.0%), and Wisconsin (14.8%). Two States and the District of Columbia experienced a decline in prison population. Vermont had the largest decline (down 12.0%), followed by the District of Columbia (-4.3%), and Florida (-0.2%). During 1996, 48% of the increase in total prison population was accounted for by California (up 12,066), the Federal system (5,294), Texas (4,617), Missouri (2,869), and Pennsylvania (2,121). These five jurisdictions incarcerated over a third of the Nation's prison population. ********************************** Rates of prison incarceration rise ********************************** On December 31, 1996, the number of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents was 427. Of the 13 States with rates greater than that for the Nation, 9 were in the South, 3 in the West, and 1 in the Midwest. Four States--North Dakota (101), Minnesota (110), Maine (112), and Vermont (137)--had rates that were less than a third of the national rate. The District of Columbia, a wholly urban jurisdiction, held 1,609 prisoners per 100,000 residents at yearend 1996. Since 1985 the number of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 residents has risen from 200 to 427. During this period, prison incarceration rates rose most in the South (from 236 to 490) and West (from 176 to 386). The rate in the Midwest rose from 161 to 326, and the rate in the Northeast grew from 145 to 308. The number of sentenced Federal prisoners per 100,000 residents increased from 14 to 33. ************************************ Western States recorded the fastest growth in prison populations *********************************** During 1996 the number of sentenced State and Federal prisoners grew by an additional 1,016 inmates per week. The 1996 average weekly increase was 298 inmates fewer than the weekly increase in 1995, and 615 fewer than in 1994. The Western States had the highest percentage increase in the number of sentenced prisoners, with a gain of 9.6% during 1996. The Midwest experienced a rise of 5.8% in the number of sentenced prisoners, while the South and the Northeast both recorded increases of 2.8%. Twenty States recorded higher growth rates of sentenced prisoners in 1996 than in 1995. Of these, 14 recorded growth rates over 10% in 1996, led by North Dakota (19.5%), Wisconsin (15.4%), and Idaho (15.2%). New York, New Jersey, Georgia, and North Carolina reported increases of less than 2% in the number of sentenced prisoners during 1996. Among the six jurisdictions which reported declines, only Vermont (down 23.0%), the District of Columbia (-4.2%), and Connecticut (-1.1%) recorded a drop of greater than 1%. Since 1991 the sentenced inmate population in State prisons has grown by 43.2%. During this period eight States reported increases of at least 50%, led by Texas (up 156.2%) and Hawaii (67.3%). Maine was the only State to report a decline (down 10.1%). During this time the Federal system reported an increase of 56.7%--32,119 additional inmates with sentences of more than 1 year. ************************************************************* Table 4. Changes in the number of sentenced prisoners under the jurisdiction of State or Federal correctional authorities, 1991-96 and 1986-96. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1991-96 1986-96 -------------------- ---------------------- Region and Population Percent Population Percent jurisdiction difference Change difference Change ------------------------------------------------------------------------ U.S. total 348,577 44.1% 616,103 118.0% Federal 32,119 56.7% 52,284 143.1% State 316,458 43.2 563,819 116.1 Northeast Connecticut 1,716 20.0% 5,975 138.1% Maine (157) -10.1 159 12.8 Massachusetts -- -- -- -- New Hampshire 538 35.1 1,289 164.8 New Jersey 4,007 17.1 -- -- New York 11,847 20.5 31,260 81.3 Pennsylvania 11,145 47.7 19,366 127.7 Rhode Island 281 16.1 1,023 101.6 Vermont -- -- -- -- Midwest Illinois 9,737 33.4% 19,396 99.7% Indiana 3,225 23.8 6,838 68.6 Iowa 2,197 53.0 3,565 128.4 Kansas 1,853 31.4 2,411 45.1 Michigan 5,926 16.3 21,607 104.2 Minnesota 1,686 48.6 2,696 109.5 Missouri 6,102 38.4 11,690 113.4 Nebraska 806 33.5 1,258 64.4 North Dakota 209 47.4 289 80.1 Ohio 10,430 29.2 23,711 105.6 South Dakota 690 50.2 1,014 96.6 Wisconsin 4,153 53.4 6,211 108.6 South Alabama 4,708 28.7% 9,6048 3.5% Arkansas 1,270 16.4 4,291 91.3 Delaware 646 26.1 1,163 59.5 District of Col. 1,553 21.9 3,872 80.9 Florida 17,215 37.0 31,518 97.8 Georgia 11,319 49.2 18,478 116.6 Kentucky 3,111 31.7 7,622 144.1 Louisiana 6,776 33.9 12,479 87.3 Maryland 3,156 17.7 8,421 67.1 Mississippi 4,894 56.4 7,015 106.9 North Carolina 9,673 52.9 11,572 70.7 Oklahoma 6,253 46.9 9,885 101.8 South Carolina 2,550 14.8 8,736 79.3 Tennessee 4,152 36.2 8,035 105.8 Texas 80,706 156.2 93,849 243.5 Virginia 7,402 37.7 14,517 115.7 West Virginia -- -- -- -- West Alaska -- -- -- -- Arizona 6,760 45.5% 12,565 139.0% California -- -- -- -- Colorado 4,046 48.2 8,634 22.7 Hawaii 1,188 67.3 1,433 94.2 Idaho -- -- -- -- Montana 595 40.3 962 86.6 Nevada 2,392 41.1 3,664 80.5 New Mexico 1,490 49.4 2,200 95.4 Oregon 1,741 31.2 2,546 53.4 Utah 1,308 50.2 2,168 124.2 Washington 3,362 36.7 5,915 89.6 Wyoming 384 34.9 622 72.2 ********************************************************************* Note: Totals include data for States otherwise excluded because of reporting changes. ( )Indicates a decline in the number of sentenced prisoners. --Not available because of reporting changes. See NPS jurisdiction notes. --------------------------------------------------------------------- In 1996 the 10 States with the largest prison populations held 61% of the Nation's total prison population, with California, Texas, and the Federal System accounting for 33%. Texas had the highest prison incarceration rate (686 sentenced inmates per 100,000 residents), followed by Louisiana (615), Oklahoma (591), and South Carolina (532). Eight States had prison incarceration rates below 200, led by North Dakota (101), Minnesota (110), and Maine (112). *************************************************************************************************************************************** Table 5. The prison situation on December 31, 1996 ------------------------------------------------------ Sentenced Percentage changes in the prison population prisoners per ---------------------------------------------------------- Prison Number of Incarceration 100,000 State 1-year growth, Percent 5-year growth Percent population prisoners rates, 12/31/96 residents* 1995-96 change 1991-96 change ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Highest: California 147,712 Texas 686 North Dakota 18.8% Texas 156.2% Texas 132,383 Louisiana 615 New Mexico 15.8 Mississippi 60.5 Federal 105,544 Oklahoma 591 Idaho 15.2 Iowa 53.0 New York 69,709 South Carolina 532 Missouri 15.0 New Mexico 51.5 Florida 63,763 Nevada 502 Wisconsin 14.8 South Dakota 50.2 Ohio 46,174 Mississippi 498 Utah 14.1 Utah 14.1 Michigan 42,349 Alabama 492 Rhode Island 12.7 Rhode Island 12.7 Illinois 38,852 Arizona 481 Mississippi 12.7 Utah 50.1 Georgia 35,139 Georgia 462 Hawaii 12.7 Hawaii 48.6 Pennsylvania 34,537 California 451 Colorado 12.4 Minnesota 48.6 10 Lowest: North Dakota 722 North Dakota 101 Vermont -12.0% District of Col.-10.3% Vermont 1,125 Minnesota 110 District of Col. -4.3 Maine -6.5 Maine 1,476 Maine 112 Florida -.2 Maryland 14.3 Wyoming 1,483 Vermont 137 Arkansas 0 Michigan 16.3 South Dakota 2,064 West Virginia 150 Massachusetts .9 New Jersey 17.1 New Hampshire 2,071 New Hampshire 177 Virginia .9 Rhode Island 18.0 Montana 2,073 Nebraska 194 Connecticut 1.4 New York 20.5 West Virginia 2,754 Utah 194 New Jersey 1.6 Arkansas 21.1 Rhode Island 3,271 Rhode Island 205 New York 1.8 Oregon 28.7 ****************************************************************************************************************************************** *Prisoners with a sentence of more than a year. The Federal Bureau of Prisons and the District of Columbia are excluded. ---------------------------------------------------------- The 15 States with the smallest prison populations each held less than 5,000 inmates. Collectively, these States held only 3.4% of the Nation's total prison population. Over the last 5 years, 18 States had prison population increases of more than 40%, led by Texas (156.2%), Wisconsin (63.7%), North Carolina (62.4%), and Mississippi (60.5%). Among State with increased prison populations since 1991, only South Carolina (11.9%), Maryland (14.3%), Michigan (16.3%), New Jersey (17.1%), and Rhode Island (18.0%) had growth of less than 20%. Maine (down 6.5%) and the District of Columbia (-10.3%) experienced a decline in the number of inmates. ************************************* Female prison population growth rate was nearly twice that of males ************************************* During 1996 the number of women under the jurisdiction of State or Federal prison authorities increased from 68,494 to 74,730, an increase of 9.1%. The number of men grew from 1,057,799 to 1,107,439, an increase of 4.7%. ******************************************************************* Table 6. Prisoners under the jurisdiction of State or Federal correctional authorities, by sex of inmate, yearend 1995 and 1996 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Men Women Total Advance 1996 1,107,439 74,730 1995 1,057,799 68,494 Percent change, 1995-96 4.7% 9.1% Sentenced to more than 1 year Advance 1996 1,068,573 69,614 1995 1,021,452 63,917 Percent change, 1995-96 4.6% 8.9% Incarceration rate, 1996* 819 51 *********************************************************** *The number of prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year per 100,000 residents on December 31, 1996. ----------------------------------------------------------- Since 1985 the annual rate of growth of female inmates has averaged 11.2%, higher than the 7.9% average increase in male inmates. By 1996 women accounted for 6.3% of all prisoners nationwide, up from 4.6% in 1985. Relative to their number in the U.S. resident population, men were 16 times more likely than women to be incarcerated in a State or Federal prison. At yearend 1996, there were 51 sentenced female inmates per 100,000 women in the United States, compared to 819 sentenced male inmates per 100,000 men. Oklahoma (with 115 sentenced female inmates per 100,000 female State residents ) and Texas (with 102) had the highest female incarceration rates in 1996. Maine (with 5 sentenced female prisoners per 100,000 female residents), Vermont (with 7) and Minnesota (with 10) had the lowest incarceration rates. ************************************************************ Table 7. Women under the jurisdiction of State or Federal correctional authorities, yearend 1996 -------------------------------------------------------------- Percent change Number Percent in female inmate Incar- Region and of female of all population, ceration jurisdiction inmates inmates 1995-96 rate, 1996* -------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. total 74,730 6.3% 9.1% 51 Federal 7,700 7.3% 4.1% 4 State 67,030 6.2 9.7 47 Northeast 8,771 5.3% 4.7% 29 Connecticut 1,133 7.5 16.2 36 Maine 39 2.6 8.3 5 Massachusetts 747 6.3 13.9 15 New Hampshire 106 5.1 -.9 18 New Jersey 1,281 4.7 -2.0 31 New York 3,728 5.3 3.1 40 Pennsylvania 1,476 4.3 -1.7 24 Rhode Island 229 7.0 45.9 14 Vermont 32 2.8 -27.3 7 Midwest 11,704 5.7% 7.8% 37 Illinois 2,249 5.8 2.4 37 Indiana 1,008 5.9 13.0 33 Iowa 470 7.4 10.6 32 Kansas 476 6.1 6.0 36 Michigan 1,920 4.5 4.2 39 Minnesota 234 4.5 7.8 10 Missouri 1,464 6.7 24.7 53 Nebraska 228 7.0 8.1 26 North Dakota 45 6.2 55.2 12 Ohio 2,805 6.1 .4 49 South Dakota 142 6.9 7.6 38 Wisconsin 663 5.2 32.1 24 South 30,103 6.4% 9.8% 60 Alabama 1,357 6.2 4.8 58 Arkansas 548 5.8 -1.1 41 Delaware 379 7.4 6.2 44 District of Col. 432 4.6 -12.6 119 Florida 3,302 5.2 -9.8 44 Georgia 2,239 6.4 10.0 56 Kentucky 820 6.4 11.7 41 Louisiana 1,562 5.8 9.7 69 Maryland 1,055 4.8 -2.2 37 Mississippi 941 6.6 19.0 60 North Carolina 1,870 6.1 6.7 39 Oklahoma 1,940 9.9 6.9 115 South Carolina 1,202 5.9 15.0 57 Tennessee 688 4.4 5.2 25 Texas 9,933 7.5 25.2 102 Virginia 1,687 6.1 1.7 47 West Virginia 148 5.4 14.7 15 West 16,452 7.0% 13.9% 51 Alaska 269 7.3 10.7 46 Arizona 1,519 6.7 6.1 63 California 10,248 6.9 12.8 60 Colorado 845 6.8 18.5 43 Hawaii 385 9.6 23.4 52 Idaho 273 7.1 28.8 46 Montana 117 5.6 4.5 26 Nevada 607 7.4 14.5 76 New Mexico 378 8.0 36.0 39 Oregon 571 6.6 22.8 22 Utah 210 5.3 30.4 21 Washington 920 7.3 16.0 33 Wyoming 110 7.4 3.8 46 ************************************************************** *The number of female prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year per 100,000 female residents on December 31, 1996. ------------------------------------------------------------- At yearend 1996, 21 States and the Federal system had more than 1,000 female inmates. In 7 States the number of female inmates increased by at least 10% during the year. Texas led the Nation with a 25.2% increase (from 7,935 female inmates in 1995 to 9,933 in 1996). Three States held fewer than 100 female inmates at yearend 1996. Women were fewer than 3% of all prisoners in Maine and Vermont. Oklahoma had the highest percentage of female prisoners (9.9%), followed by Hawaii (9.6%), and New Mexico (8.0%). Four States--California, Texas, New York, and Florida--and the Federal system held nearly half of the Nation's female prisoners. Nineteen States and the District of Columbia each had fewer than 500 female inmates in 1996, and together these 20 jurisdictions held only 6% of all female prisoners. *************************************** Local jails held over 31,000 prisoners because of State prison crowding *************************************** At the end of 1996, 27 States reported a total of 31,508 State prisoners held in local jails or other facilities because of crowding in State facilities. Louisiana accounted for 29% of all prisoners sentenced to prison but housed locally. Seven States--Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Arkansas, North Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia--held more than 10% of their prison population in local jails. Overall, 2.9% of all State prisoners were confined in local jails due to State prison crowding, up slightly from 2.7% in 1995. ************************************************************ Table 8. State prisoners held in local jails because of prison crowding, by State, yearend 1995 and 1996 ------------------------------------------------------- State prisoners held in local jails ------------------------------------ As a percent States housing Number of State inmates prisoners in -------------- ---------------- local jails 1996 1995 1996 1995 ----------------------------------------------------------- U.S. total 31,508 27,858 2.9% 2.7% Louisiana 9,148 8671 34.2 34.4 New Jersey 4,367 4258 15.9 15.7 Mississippi 3,242 2,357 22.7 18.6 Virginia 2,506 2,979 9.1 10.9 Tennessee 1,958 2,057 12.5 13.5 Alabama 1,529 800 7.0 3.9 Arkansas 1,201 675 12.8 7.2 Indiana 1,194 1,139 7.0 7.1 Colorado 1,163 549 9.4 5.0 Kentucky 778 559 6.0% 4.6% Massachusetts/a,b 617 662 5.0 5.4 North Carolina 500 396 1.6 1.4 South Carolina 413 399 2.0 2.0 Wisconsin 341 354 2.7 3.2 Michigan b 330 393 .8 .9 New Mexico 309 369 6.5 9.0 Utah 307 279 7.8 8.1 Idaho 301 0 7.9 -- West Virginia 286 134 10.4% 5.3% Oklahoma/b 285 291 1.4 1.6 Minnesot/a 208 63 4.0 1.3 Montana 138 133 6.7 6.7 Arizona/b 124 322 .5 1.5 Oregon 91 19 1.1 .2 North Dakota 91 0 12.6 -- New Hampshire 65 0 3.1 -- Wyoming 16 0 1.1 -- ********************************************************************************* -- Not calculated. a/The reference date is not December 31. See NPS jurisdiction notes. b/For States not including jail backups in their yearend counts, the percent of the jurisdiction population was calculated based on the total number of State inmates in jail and prison. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In addition to housing inmates in local jails, 14 States and the District of Columbia eased prison crowding by placing inmates in other States or in Federal facilities. On December 31, 1996, 7,101 prisoners nationwide were held under such arrangements --representing less than 1% of all State prisoners. North Carolina placed the most inmates in Federal and out-of-State facilities (1,381), followed by Oregon (1,026) and Colorado (973). At yearend 1996 Oregon (11.8%) and Montana (11.6%) had more than 10% of their total prison population in other State or Federal facilities. Prisoners held in other states or Federal facilities ------------------------------ States housing prisoners in As a percent other States or of all State Federal facilities Number prisoners ---------------------------------------------------- U.S. total 7,101 .7% North Carolina 1,381 4.5% Oregon 1,026 11.8 Colorado 973 7.8 Missouri 901 4.1 Virginia 596 2.2 District of Col. 557 5.9 Hawaii 297 7.4 Massachusetts 269 2.3 Montana 241 11.6 Alaska 202 5.5 Idaho 198 5.2 New Mexico 162 3.4 Wisconsin 126 1.0 Alabama 97 .4 New Hampshire 75 3.6 ---------------------------------------------------- ******************************* Prison capacity measures vary ******************************* The extent of prison crowding is difficult to determine because of the absence of uniform measures for defining capacity. The 52 reporting jurisdictions apply a wide variety of capacity measures to reflect both the available space to house inmates and the ability to staff and operate an institution. To estimate the capacity of their prisons, jurisdictions were asked to supply three measures for yearend 1996: rated, operational, and design capacities. These measures were defined as follows: Rated capacity is the number of beds or inmates assigned by a rating official to institutions within the jurisdiction. Operational capacity is the number of inmates that can be accommodated based on a facility's staff, existing programs, and services. Design capacity is the number of inmates that planners or architects intended for the facility. Of the 52 reporting jurisdictions, 33 supplied a rated capacity, 43 provided an operational capacity, and 37 submitted a design capacity. ****************************************************************** Table 9. Reported Federal and State prison capacities, yearend 1996 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Population housed as a percent of capacity --------------------- Region and Rated Operational Design Highest Lowest jurisdiction capacity capacity capacity capacity capacity ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Federal 76,897 ... ... 125% 125% Northeast Connecticut/a ... ... ... ... ... Maine 1,490 1,490 1,490 99% 99% Massachusetts ... ... 7,838 150 150 New Hampshire/b 1,886 1,786 1,716 102 113 New Jersey/b ... ... 13,869 167 167 New York 68,996 65,700 53,366 101 131 Pennsylvania ... 21,740 22,170 156 159 Rhode Island 3,441 3,441 3,441 95 95 Vermont 1,160 1,160 1,023 97 110 Midwest Illinois 28,200 28,200 24,538 138% 158% Indiana/b 13,611 15,730 ... 100 116 Iowa 4,201 4,201 4,201 151 151 Kansas 7,883 ... ... 98 98 Michigan ... 42,959 ... 99 99 Minnesota/b 5,014 5,014 5,014 99 99 Missouri ... 20,611 ... 102 102 Nebraska ... 2,517 2,013 130 163 North Dakota/b 623 623 623 101 101 Ohio 34,337 ... ... 134 134 South Dakota ... 1,832 ... 113 113 Wisconsin/b 9,538 9,538 9,538 130 130 South Alabama/b 19,927 19,927 19,927 99% 99% Arkansas/b 8,160 8,160 8,160 101 101 Delaware ... 4,206 3,192 121 160 District of Col. 7,251 9,866 9,419 89 122 Florida 71,449 68,582 62,065 89 103 Georgia ... 32,889 ... 107 107 Kentucky/b 9,232 9,003 7,104 131 171 Louisiana/b 17,631 17,664 ... 100 100 Maryland ... 22,885 ... 96 96 Mississippi/b 12,440 12,440 12,440 89 89 North Carolina/b 24,175 ... 24,175 119 119 Oklahoma 11,369 14,388 ... 136 172 South Carolina/b 18,614 18,614 15,189 108 132 Tennessee/b ... 13,811 14,095 97 99 Texas 136,195 136,195 138,849 95 97 Virginia/b 16,166 16,166 16,166 152 152 West Virginia b 2,640 2,730 2,580 90 96 West Alaska 2,603 ... ... 135% 135% Arizona ... 20,270 ... 111 111 California ... ... 72,621 203 203 Colorado/b ... 8,605 7,104 118 143 Hawaii ... 2,650 1,754 151 229 Idaho/b 2,447 3,301 2,447 101 136 Montana/b ... 1,417 896 120 189 Nevada 7,667 7,326 5,842 107 141 New Mexico/b 4,515 4,515 4,515 94 94 Oregon/b ... 7,202 ... 105 105 Utah/b ... 4,048 4,230 86 90 Washington 7,371 10,057 10,057 125 170 Wyoming/b 981 1,244 1,035 118 150 ************************************************************************************* ...Data not available. a/Connecticut no longer reports capacity due to a law passed in 1995. See NPS jurisdiction notes. b/Population housed as a percent of capacity was calculated excluding jail backups from yearend counts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twenty-six jurisdictions provided only one measure or the same figure for each measure they reported. As a result, estimates of total capacity and measures of the relationship to population are based on the highest and lowest capacity figures provided. ************************************ Most jurisdictions were operating above capacity ************************************ Prisons generally require reserve capacity to operate efficiently. Dormitories and cells need to be maintained and repaired periodically, special housing is needed for protective custody and disciplinary cases, and space may be needed to cope with emergencies. At the end of 1996, 14 States and the District of Columbia reported that they were operating at or below 99% of their highest capacity. Thirty-six States, the District of Columbia and the Federal prison system reported operating at 100% or more of their lowest capacity. Mississippi, which was operating at 89% of their lowest capacity, had the least crowded prison system. California was operating at over twice their highest capacity, making their prison system the most crowded. By yearend 1996, the Federal prison system was estimated to be operating at 37% over capacity, compared to 26% over capacity in 1995. State prisons were estimated to be operating at 117% of their highest capacity, which is a slight increase from the figure of 115% reported last year. However, State prisons were also operating at 125% of their lowest capacity, which continued a decline from the figure of 131% reported in 1991. ******************************************************************** Table 10. Population as a percent of reported capacity for State prisons, 1996 ---------------------------------------------- State prisons/a ----------------------------------------------- Highest capacity 893,752 Lowest capacity 836,272 Net change in capacity, 1995-96 Highest 24,081 Lowest 42,028 Population as a percent of capacity/b Highest 1991 116% 1992 118 1993 118 1994 117 1995 114 1996 116 Lowest 1991 131% 1992 131 1993 129 1994 129 1995 125 1996 124 *********************************************************** Note: States were asked to report their rated, operational, and design capacities. Tabulations reflect the highest and lowest of the three capacities for 1991 to 1996. a/Data include estimated capacity figures for Connecticut at yearend 1995 and 1996. b/Excludes inmates sentenced to State prison but held in local jails because of crowding. ------------------------------------------------------------------ ***************************************************************************************** Prisoners in custody of correctional authorities in the U.S. territories, yearend 1995 and 1996 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Sentenced to more than 1 year ---------------------------- -------------------------------------- Percent Percent Incar- Territory/ Advance Final change Advance Final change ceration commonwealth 1996 1995 1995-96 1996 1995 1995-96 rate,1996/a ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 13,116 12,891 1.7% 9,576 9,371 2.2% 231 American Samoa 90 79 13.9 70 43 62.8 118 Guam 416 379 9.8 323 286 12.9 206 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 59 70 -15.7 50 65 -23.1 96 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico/b 11,993 11,810 1.5 8,776 8,660 1.3 232 U.S. Virgin Islands 558 553 .9 357 317 12.6 368 a/The number of prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year per 100,000 persons in the resident population. Midyear population estimates were provided by the U.S.Bureau of the Census, International Data Base. b/The number of prisoners sentenced to more than 1 year were estimated using prisoner counts from 1994 and 1995. ***************************** U.S. territories held over 13,000 inmates in 1996 ***************************** The U.S. territories and commonwealths--American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands--reported 13,116 inmates in custody of their prison systems at yearend 1996--an increase of 1.7% since 1995. Prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year totaled 9,576 (or nearly three-quarters of the total terrritorial prison population). Relative to the resident populations in the territories, the rate of incarceration was 231 prisoners per 100,000 residents--about half the combined rate of the 50 States and the District of Columbia. Of the 5 territories, the Northern Mariana Islands had the lowest prison incarceration rate--96 inmates per 100,000 residents, followed by American Samoa with 118. The U.S. Virgin Islands (with 368 prisoners per 100,000 residents) and Puerto Rico (with 232) had the highest incarceration rates. Puerto Rico, the largest of the territories, had the most sentenced prisoners (8,776 at yearend 1996), up from 8,660 in 1995. In 1996, 21 States and the District of Columbia had fewer sentenced inmates than Puerto Rico; 13 States had lower incarceration rates. ************************************ An increasing percentage of the Nation's prisoners are black or Hispanic ************************************ Between 1985 and 1995, the number of prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year rose by over 600,000. The number of white males increased by 103%, the number of black males by 143%, the number of white females by 194%, and the number of black females by 204%. *********************************************************************** Table 11. Number of sentenced prisoners under State or Federal jurisdiction, by sex and race, 1985-95 Number of sentenced prisoners --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Male Female ------------------------------ ----------------------------- Year Total All/a White/b Black/b All/a White/b Black/b ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1985 480,568 459,223 242,700 210,500 21,345 10,800 10,200 1986 522,084 497,540 258,900 232,000 24,544 12,400 11,800 1987 560,812 533,990 277,200 249,700 26,822 13,700 12,600 1988 603,732 573,587 292,200 274,300 30,145 15,500 14,200 1989 680,907 643,643 322,100 313,700 37,264 18,400 18,300 1990 739,980 699,416 346,700 344,300 40,564 20,000 20,100 1991 789,610 745,808 363,600 372,200 43,802 20,900 22,200 1992 846,277 799,776 388,000 401,700 46,501 22,100 23,800 1993 932,074 878,037 418,900 445,400 54,037 25,200 27,900 1994c 1,016,691 956,566 452,700 489,200 60,125 28,300 30,700 1995 1,085,363 1,021,463 493,700 510,900 63,900 31,700 31,000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: Sentenced prisoners are those with a sentence of more than 1 year. a/Includes Asians, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and other racial groups. b/The numbers for sex and race were estimated and rounded to the nearest 100. For men and women, the total number of sentenced prisoners was multiplied by the proportion of black or white of the total population in each group. The reported racial distribution was used to estimate unreported data. For 1995, Hispanics were identified among unknown sentenced prisoners; then, race was estimated for those Hispanics based on the Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities. Finally, estimation of sex and race was done, following the procedure used for previous year. c/The numbers of sentenced prisoners on December 31, 1994, have been updated and will differ from numbers reported in prior years. ********************************************************************************************************* At yearend 1995 (the latest available data), there were more black males in State or Federal prisons (510,900) than white males (493,700). On December 31, 1995, an estimated 3.2% of all black males were in prison, compared with less than half of 1 percent of all white males. While the incarceration rates of both white and black males have risen since 1985, the rate for black males has grown more rapidly. In 1985 black males were about 6.3 times more likely than white males to be in prison; by 1995 they were 7.0 times more likely than white males to be in prison. Hispanics, who may be of any race, represent the fastest growing minority group being imprisoned, increasing from 10.9% of all State and Federal inmates in 1985 to 15.5% in 1995. ***************************************************************************** Table 12. Number of Hispanic prisoners under State or Federal jurisdiction, by sex, 1985, 1990-95 Sentenced Hispanic prisoners per Hispanic prisoners 100,000 residents of Hispanic origin/a ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Year Number Percent Total/b Male Female 1985 54672 10.9% 285 542 22 1990 103065 13.3 437 817 43 1991 112520 13.7 461 863 44 1992 125018 14.1 493 928 45 1993 138699 14.6 529 994 50 1994 156908 14.9 580 1092 53 1995 174292 15.5 622 1174 57 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: Data are based on incomplete counts. Each year, some States were unable to report data on Hispanic origin, others reported estimates only, and others reported incomplete counts. a/Rates are based on estimates of the U.S. resident Hispanic population on July 1 of each year. b/Sentenced prisoners are those with a sentence of more than 1 year. The number of Hispanics with a sentence of more than a year was estimated by multiplying the total number of sentenced prisoners by the proportion of Hispanics among all prisoners under State or Federal jurisdiction. Estimates were rounded to the nearest 100. ********************************************************************************** During this period the number of Hispanics in prison rose by 219%, with anaverage 12.3% increase each year. ------------------------------------------------------ Estimated number of sentenced male prisoners per 100,000 male residents --------------------------------- Year White Black 1985 246 1,559 1990 339 2,376 1995 461 3,250 Based on the U.S. resident male population on July 1 of each year. ----------------------------------------------- At yearend 1995 at least 174,000 Hispanics were under the jurisdiction of State or Federal prison authorities. Because some States are only able to report partial counts, the total number of Hispanic inmates may be somewhat larger. (Based on inmate self-identification obtained in the 1991 surveys of State and Federal inmates and projected to 1995, the Hispanic population may be as large as 200,000.) ************************************* Growth linked to increasing number of inmates in prison for violent and drug offense ************************************ The distribution of the four major offense categories--violent, property, drug, and public-order offenses--changed dramatically in the Nation's prison population between 1985 and 1995. As a percent of all State prisoners, violent offenders fell from 54% in 1985 to 46% in 1995, property offenders fell from 31% to 24%, drug offenders rose from 9% to 23%, and public-order offenders rose from 5% to 7%. **************************************************************************************************************************************************** Table 13. Estimated number of sentenced State prisoners, by the most serious offense, 1985, 1990, 1995 Total Percent White Percent Black Percent -------------------------------- change, ---------------------------- change, ------------------------------- change, Most serious offense 1985 1990 1995 1985-95 1985 1990 1995 1985-95 1985 1990 1995 1985-95 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 451,812 684,544 989,007 119% 224,900 338,600 471,100 109% 211,100 321,700 490,100 132% Violent offenses 246,200 313,600 457,600 86% 111,900 151,200 214,800 92% 124,800 150,800 228,600 83% Murder/a 50,600 72,000 103,200 104 24,100 36,300 48,400 101 24,600 33,100 51,600 110 Manslaughter 14,500 13,200 16,100 11 6,500 6,900 7,900 22 7,400 5,900 7,800 5 Rape 19,400 24,500 36,200 87 8,400 13,300 21,300 154 10,100 10,200 13,700 36 Other sexual assault 20,300 39,100 59,000 191 14,600 28,900 44,200 203 4,700 9,000 13,200 181 Robbery 94,000 99,200 134,800 43 35,100 34,800 43,400 24 55,900 61,600 87,900 57 Assault 36,100 53,300 88,400 145 17,000 24,100 38,500 126 17,700 26,200 46,200 161 Other violent/b 11,300 12,400 19,800 75 6,200 7,000 11,100 79 4,400 4,900 8,000 82 Property offenses 140,100 173,700 237,400 69% 75,100 95,200 130,700 7% 60,600 72,400 100,200 65% Burglary 74,500 87,200 111,700 50 40,700 49,800 62,300 53 31,200 34,600 46,400 49 Larceny 27,100 34,800 50,300 86 11,800 17,300 25,600 117 14,200 16,700 23,800 68 Motor vehicle theft 6,300 14,400 22,400 256 3,800 7,900 12,700 234 2,400 5,900 8,900 271 Fraud 17,200 20,200 27,000 57 10,300 10,900 14,700 43 6,700 8,400 11,400 70 Other property/c 14,900 17,100 26,000 74 8,500 9,300 15,300 80 6,000 6,900 9,700 62 Drug offenses 38,900 148,600 224,900 478% 21,200 61,000 86,100 306% 16,600 83,400 134,000 707% Public-order offenses/d 23,000 45,500 66,100 187% 14,900 29,800 39,000 162% 7,600 13,700 25,000 229% Other/unspecifiede 3,200 3,100 3,000 6% 1,800 1,600 500 72% 1,400 1,500 2,300 64% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: Offense distributions for yearend 1985 and 1990 are based on data from the Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities, conducted in, March 1986 and August 1991. The offense distributions for yearend 1995 were estimated using stock-flow methods procedures that combine the estimates for yearend 1990 by offense and race with estimates of admissions and releases obtained in the National Corrections Reporting Program, 1991-95. See Methodology for further details on these procedures. a/Includes nonnegligent manslaughter. b/Includes extortion, intimidation, criminal endangerment, and other violent offenses. c/Includes possession and selling of stolen property, destruction of property, trespassing, vandalism, criminal tampering, and other property offenses. d/Includes weapons, drunk driving, escape, court offenses, obstruction, commercialized vice, morals and decency charges, liquor law violations, and other public-order offenses. e/Includes juvenile offenses and unspecified felonies. ********************************************************************************************************************************************************* The number of drug offenders in State prisons rose sharply during this 10-year period. By 1995 nearly 6 times as many inmates were serving time in State prisons for drug offenses (224,900) as in 1985 (38,900). In absolute numbers, however, the largest growth in State inmates was among violent offenders. Between 1985 and 1995 the number of violent offenders grew by 211,400, while the number of drug offenders grew by 186,000. As a percentage of the total growth in sentenced State inmates during the period, violent offenders accounted for 39% of the total growth, drug offenders 35%, property offenders 18%, and public-order offenders 8%. Since 1990 the patterns of growth in the four major offense categories have shifted among State inmates. Between 1990 and 1995, the annual increase in drug offenders averaged 8.6%, down from 30.7% recorded in the previous 5 years. The average annual increase in public-order offenders also declined--from 14.6% per year to 7.8%. Offsetting this slower increase of drug and public-order offenders, there has been a rise in the growth rates for violent offenders (from 5.0% per year to 7.9%) and property offenders (from 4.4% per year to 6.4%). Average annual percent increase in State prisoners* ------------------------------ 1985-90 1990-95 Total 8.7% 7.6% Violent 5.0 7.9 Property 4.4 6.4 Drug 30.7 8.6 Public-order 14.6 7.8 **************************************** *Based on the estimated number of State inmates with sentences of more than 1 year in custody at yearend. -------------------------------------------- *********************************** Sources of growth differ for white and black State inmates *********************************** Detailed estimates of the offense distributions of State inmates at yearend 1985, 1990, and 1995 reveal differences in the sources of growth among white and black inmates. During the 10-year period, the number of black inmates serving time for drug offenses rose by an estimated 117,400, while the number of white inmates in for drug offenses rose by 64,900. Overall, the increasing number of drug offenders accounted for 42% of the total growth among black inmates and 26% of the growth among white inmates. In contrast, violent offenders accounted for the largest source of growth among white inmates--up 102,900 in 10 years--totaling 42% of the overall increase among white inmates. The number of black inmates serving time for violent offenses rose by about the same amount (103,800) but accounted for only 37% of the total increase in black inmates. *********************************** Changing Federal prison population related to drug and weapons violations *********************************** Prisoners sentenced for drug offenses constituted the single largest group of Federal inmates (60%) in 1995, up from 34% in 1985. The increase of more than 42,000 drug offenders accounted for more than 80% of the total growth in Federal inmates. ************************************************************************************ Table 14. Number and percent of sentenced inmates in Federal prisons, by offense, 1985 and 1995 Number of inmates/a Percent of inmates --------------------- ------------------------- Most serious offense 1985 1995 1985 1995 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 31,364 88,101 100% 100% Violent offenses 7,768 11,321 28.1% 13.1% Homicide 993 966 3.6 1.1 Assault 546 2,633 2.0 3.0 Robbery 5,417 6,341 19.6 7.3 Other violent 812 1,381 2.9 1.6 Property offenses 5,289 7,524 19.2% 8.7% Burglary 292 164 1.1 0.2 Fraud 2,805 5,629 10.2 6.5 Other property 2,192 1,731 7.9 2.0 Drug offenses 9,482 51,737 34.3% 59.9% Public-order offenses 2,514 15,762 9.1% 18.3% Immigration 865 3,612 3.1 4.2 Weapons 926 7,519 3.4 8.7 Escape/court 215 367 .8 .4 Other public-order 508 4,264 1.8 4.9 Other/b 2,554 0 9.3% 0 Unknown 3,757 1,757 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: Data for September 30, 1985, are from table A-9 of Statistical Report, Federal Bureau of Prisons. Data for December 31, 1995, are from the Federal justice database. a/Includes prisoners of any sentence length. b/Includes offenses not classifiable or not a violation of the United States Code. *********************************************************************************** Between 1985 and 1995 the percentage of violent Federal inmates declined sharply, from 28% to 13%. As a percentage of all Federal inmates, robbers showed the largest decline, from 19.6% in 1985 to 7.3% in 1995. Since 1985 the number of Federal inmates serving time for weapons offenses has soared, from 926 inmates in 1985 to 7,519 in 1995. By yearend 1995 weapons offenders constituted the second largest group of Federal inmates. ******************************************************************** Recent rise in State prison populations may be the result of increasing time served ********************************************************************* Data on prison admissions and releases collected annually in the National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP) reveal that growth in the State prison population has not been the result of longer sentences. Between 1985 and 1995 the average (mean) maximum sentence of prisoners actually declined from 78 months to 66 months. The median sentence length (the 50th percentile) of prisoners admitted from court remained constant at 48 months. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 15. State prison admissions and releases: Trends in sentencing and time served, 1985, 1990, and 1995 Preliminary New court commitmentsb 1985 1990 1995/a --------------------------------------------------------------------- Most serious offense (percent) Violent 35.1% 27.2% 29.5% Drug 13.2 32.0 30.9 Maximum sentence/c Mean 78 mo 70 mo 66 mo Median 48 48 48 10 years or more (percent) 19.7% 17.9% 17.1% Minimum time to be servedd Mean 31 mo 38 mo 43 mo Median 18 24 24 First releasese Most serious offense (percent) Violent 31.9% 25.3% 26.6% Drug 12.4 27.5 32.1 Maximum sentence Mean 65 mo 65 mo 58 mo Median 36 48 37 Time served in prison/f Mean 20 mo 22 mo 24 mo Median 14 13 15 10 years or more (percent) 0.6% 1.4% 1.4% ------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: Data were obtained from the National Corrections Reporting Program, 1985, 1990, and 1995. a/Preliminary data based on 30 States with admissions records and 29 States and the District of Columbia with release records. b/Persons entering prison directly from a sentence by a court. c/The maximum sentence length for the most serious offense. dThe estimated shortest time that each admitted prisoner is expected to serve before becoming eligible for first release. e/Excludes persons who had previously been conditionally released from prison and then were returned to prison for the same offense. f/Excludes time spent in jail and credited to the current sentence. **************************************************************************************************** Moreover, despite the increasing use of mandatory minimums and sentencing enhancements during the period, the percentage of inmates who received a maximum sentence of 10 years or longer actually declined (from 19.7% in 1985 to 17.1% in 1995). The NCRP data also suggest that time served by State prisoners may be increasing. Preliminary data for 1995 show that State prisoners released for the first time on their current offense (that is, first releases) served on average 24 months in prison and 5 months in jail. The amount of time served in prison was 4 months shorter in 1985 (20 months) and 2 months shorter in 1990 (22 months). These data reflect the time served by prisoners actually released. Some prisoners will never be released but will die in prison, and some with very long sentences will not show up among released prisoners for many years. As result, these measures of time served tend to understate the actual time served by persons entering prison. Data on the projected average minimum time to be served by persons entering prison also suggest that time served may be increasing. In 1995, taking into account parole eligibility requirements, good-time credits, and other early release allowances, persons entering State prison were expected to served an average of 43 months in prison, up from 38 months in 1990 and 31 months in 1985. ******************************************************** State prison admission and release rates have dropped ******************************************************** Underlying the steady growth in the State prison population since 1990 has been a drop in the rates of prison admission and release. Between 1985 and 1990 admissions to State prison rose sharply--at an average rate of nearly 14% per year. Since 1990, however, these increases have slowed considerably, averaging only 2.5% per year. Relative to the number of inmates in prison, the number of admissions dropped from 76 per 100 State prisoners in 1989 to 56 per 100 in 1995. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 16. Trends in State prison admissions and releases, 1985-95 Admissions to State prison Releases from State prison Percent Percent of all releases Admission new court Release Parole Mandatory Year Number rate/a commitments Number rate/b board release -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1985 240,598 57.9% 76.1% 206,988 31.5% 42.5% 30.4% 1986 273,402 61.0 74.4 233,706 32.4 42.6 30.7 1987 307,519 61.4 73.4 274,178 34.6 40.1 30.8 1988 347,028 66.6 70.7 305,031 35.1 39.8 30.3 1989 423,897 75.6 70.3 350,804 35.6 38.4 30.3 1990 460,739 72.7 70.1 405,374 37.0 39.4 28.8 1991 466,285 67.6 68 421,687 36.5 39.7 29.9 1992 480,676 65.6 69.5 430,198 35.5 39.5 29.5 1993 475,100 60.9 66.9 417,838 33.3 38.8 31.6 1994/c 498,919 58.0 64.5 418,372 30.8 35.0 35.6 1995 521,970 55.7 64.7 455,139 31.2 32.3 39.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: Releases exclude escapees, AWOL's, and transfers. All data are limited to prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year. a/The number of admissions per 100 State prisoners at the beginning of each year. b/The number of releases per 100 State prisoners at the beginningof each year plus the number admitted during the year. c/Releases in Alaska, by type, were estimated for 1994. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The rate of release from State prisons rose steadily from 1985 to 1990 and then declined. The number of persons released each year relative to the number of persons in prison during the year (that is, the number of inmates at the beginning of the year plus those admitted during the year) was highest in 1990 (37 per 100) and lowest in 1994 and 1995 (31 per 100). The rates of release have dropped for all types of offenders. In general, for major offense categories, the percent discharged of all persons in prison during the year declined between 1991 and 1995. Release rates for violent offenders dropped from 23% to 20%; for property offenders from 47% to 38%; for drug offenders from 42% to 38%; and for public-order offenders from 44% to 39%. These rates are further evidence that time served in prison may be increasing for all types of offenders in State prison. *************************************************************************************************** Table 17. Estimated rate of release from State prison, by the most serious offense, 1991-95 Percent of prisoners released ---------------------------------------- Most Preliminary serious offense 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total 36.5% 35.5% 33.3% 30.8% 31.2% Violent offenses 23.0% 22.3% 20.9% 19.1% 20.0% Murder* 8.8 7.4 6.6 5.7 b5.8 Manslaughter 21.4 24.4 21.2 20.0 19.1 Rape 20.7 20.3 18.0 16.5 16.6 Other sexual assault 19.1 18.7 18.0 16.6 18.1 Robbery 29.6 28.2 26.6 24.3 25.8 Assault 29.4 29.1 27.7 25.4 26.2 Other violent 21.8 22.7 21.7 21.2 23.6 Property offenses 46.6% 45.3% 41.6% 39.1% 37.7% Burglary 44.7 42.3 39.8 37.1 36.1 Larceny 54.7 54.7 48.1 45.0 43.4 Motor vehicle theft 41.0 37.4 37.5 37.1 39.5 Fraud 46.6 46.4 41.0 39.2 34.1 Other property 41.5 43.3 40.0 36.6 33.8 Drug offenses 42.4% 41.3% 40.8% 36.9% 38.5% Public-order offenses 43.8% 43.1% 40.1% 39.6% 38.8% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Note: All data are estimated based on prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year under State jurisdiction. For each offense and year, the percent released is the number of inmates released during the year divided by the number at beginning of the year plus the number admitted during the year. All offense distributions were estimated using stock-flow methods that combine data from NPS and NCRP. See Methodology for a description of these methods. *Includes nonnegligent manslaughter. ******************************** Methodology ******************** ------------------------------------ National Prisoners Statistics (NPS) ------------------------------------ The Bureau of Justice Statistics, with the U.S. Bureau of the Census as its collection agent, obtains yearend and midyear counts of prisoners from departments of correction in each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In an effort to collect comparable data from all jurisdictions, NPS distinguishes between prisoners in custody from those under jurisdiction. To have custody of a prisoner, a State must hold that person in one of its facilities. To have jurisdiction, a State has legal authority over the prisoner. Prisoners under a State's jurisdiction may be in the custody of a local jail, another State's prison, or other correctional facility. Some States are unable to provide both custody and jurisdiction counts. (See NPS jurisdiction notes.) Excluded from NPS counts are persons confined in locally administered confinement facilities who are under the jurisdiction of local authorities. NPS counts include all inmates in State-operated facilities in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont, which have combined jail-prison systems. ---------------------------------- Estimating offense distributions ---------------------------------- The offense distributions of State prisoners at yearend are estimated for 1985, 1990, and 1995. Inmate surveys, conducted in March 1986 and August 1991, provide estimates for the custody populations at yearend 1985 and 1991. When combined with counts by offense of annual admissions and releases, these surveys provide the basis for estimating the offense distributions of the other years. The offense distributions were estimated using the following forward and backward stock-flow procedures: 1. To obtain a base population for each survey year, survey estimates were applied to counts of the total sentenced jurisdictional populations for the survey year. The 1986 survey provided estimates for yearend 1985, and the 1991 survey for yearend 1991. 2. To obtain flow populations for each year, the offense distributions of admissions and releases(in percents) were drawn from annual reports of the National Corrections Reporting Program (1985-95). These percents were then multiplied by the total number of admissions and releases of sentenced prisoners to obtain an estimate of the number of admissions and releases by type of offense for each year. 3. Forward estimates of the number of inmates at yearend in non-survey years were estimated iteratively by adding admissions and subtracting releases from the base populations. The estimated end of year distribution was then used as the base population for the next year. The process was then repeated until the subsequent survey year was reached. Data from the 1986 survey were used for forward estimates for 1986-90, and data from the 1991 survey, for 1992-95. 4. Backward estimates were obtained iteratively by adding releases and subtracting admissions from the yearend base population. The estimated distribution was then used as the base population for the preceding year. This process was repeated until the previous survey year was reached. Data from the 1991 survey were used to estimate data for 1990 back to 1986. 5. Final estimates were obtained by calculating a weighted sum of the forward and backward estimates. The forward and backward estimates were weighted inversely to the elapsed number of years from the base population and then summed. Forward weights were reduced by one-sixth for each year after the base survey year, and backward weights were reduced by one-sixth for each year preceding the base survey year. The final estimates were then converted to proportions. 6. Because the 1986 and 1991 survey estimates were based on custody counts, the final estimates (which were based on the sentenced jurisdictional counts) were then converted to custody counts. To estimate the number of inmates by offense, the total number of inmates in physical custody was multiplied by the proportion of inmates in each offense category. These procedures were extended to provide detailed estimates for white and black inmates. Estimates by race from the 1986 and 1991 were applied to yearend totals for 1985, 1990 and 1991. Flow populations by race for each year from 1992 through 1995 were drawn from the NCRP. In each year the percents by race were multiplied by the offense distributions of all admissions and releases to obtain estimates of the total flows by race. Estimates of the number of inmates by race at yearend for 1992 were then calculated by adding admissions and subtracting releases from the base populations. The estimated end of year distribution was then used as the base for the next year. The process was repeated for each year through 1995. ------------------------------------- Estimating release rates by offense ------------------------------------- The estimated offense distributions of all sentenced inmates for admissions and releases were also used to calculate annual release rates for 1991 through 1995. For each offense and year,the percent released was calculated by dividing the number of inmates released during the year by the number in prison at the beginning of the year plus the number admitted during the year. The rate of release represents the percent released of all persons in prison at some time during the year. ************************** NPS jurisdiction notes ************************** Alabama--Population counts also include 444 inmates in community programs, but the capacity ofthese community programs is excluded from the capacity figures. Alaska--Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include both jail and prison populations . Arizona--Population counts are based on custody data. Arkansas--Population counts for "Inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less" include 335 male inmates incarcerated in the county jail awaiting transfer to the Department of Correction, for whom sentence length is unknown. California--Population counts for "Inmates with over 1 year maximum sentence" include felons who are temporarily absent, such as in court, jail, or hospital. These inmates were not included in counts for December 31, 1995. Population counts for "Unsentenced inmates" include civil addicts who are temporarily absent. These inmates were not included counts for the December 31, 1995 . Colorado--Population counts for "Inmates with over 1 year maximum sentence" include an undetermined number of "Inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less." Connecticut--Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include both jail and prison populations. Legislation in July 1995 abolished the capacity law so prisons no longer have a rated and operational capacity. Design capacity is recorded separately in each facility. Delaware--Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include both jail and prison populations. Capacity counts include DOC halfway houses. District of Columbia--Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include both jail and prison populations. Federal--The rated capacity of Federal facilities excludes contract bed spaces. Florida--Population counts are based on custody data. Population counts for "Inmates with a sentence 1 year or less" include persons with a sentence of 365 days. Georgia--Population counts are based on custody data. Population counts exclude an undetermined number of inmates housed in local jails awaiting transfer to prison. Hawai--Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include both jail and prison populations. Illinois--Population counts are based on custody data. Population counts for "Inmates with over 1 year maximum sentence" include an undetermined number of inmates with a sentence of 1 year. Population counts and capacity figures include 651 male inmates and 122 female inmates on electronic detention. Iowa--Population counts are based on custody data. Population counts for "Inmates with over 1 year maximum sentence(s)" include an undetermined number of "Inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less" and "Unsentenced inmates." Kansas--Population counts for "Inmates with over 1 year maximum sentence(s)" include a small undetermined number of inmates with incarceration sentences of less than 1 year as a result of sentencing under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines Act of 1993. Kentucky--Capacity decreased in 1996 because private contract prisons were excluded. Louisiana--Operational capacity is no longer defined as court ordered capacity, instead it is based on day-to-day operation. Rated and operational capacities include contractual work release facilities. Maryland--While population totals are actual counts, the breakdowns by sentence length are estimates based on actual sentence length breakdowns extracted from the automated data system and then applied to the manual data. Massachusetts--Population counts are as of January 5, 1997, and crowding counts are as of January 6, 1997. Population counts include 596 male inmates and 21 female inmates housed in local jails and 269 male inmates housed out of state as of January 6, 1997, due to crowding in State prison facilities. Population totals are actual counts, however, when sex or sentencing information is missing, the counts are estimated. Michigan--Population counts are based on custody data and include adult prisoners housed in Michigan's institutions, camps, community correctional centers, and on electronic monitoring. Nevada--Under a new law, an inmate serves an indeterminate sentence containing a minimum sentence to be served before parole eligibility. The shortest minimum sentence is 1 year, but that only advances an inmate to parole eligibility. Therefore, since an inmate cannot discharge his or her sentence in 1 year or less, "Inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less" is now reported "Not Applicable." Nevada reports their emergency capacity as rated capacity. Capacity levels increase in size from design to operational and finally to emergency capacity. New Hampshire--The rated capacity is 1,886, but due to a legislative cap, 125 beds are unusable,which makes the actual capacity 1,761. New Jersey--Population counts for "Inmates with over 1 year maximum sentence" include inmates with sentences of 1 year. North Carolina--While population totals are actual counts, the breakdowns by sentence length are estimates believed to be accurate within 1% of the actual counts. Rated and design capacities during 1996 because several small prisons built in the 1930's were closed. Ohio--Population counts for "Inmates with over 1 year maximum sentence" include an undetermined number of inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less. Oklahoma--Population counts for "Inmates with over 1 year maximum sentence" may include a small undetermined number of inmates with a sentence of 1 year. Population counts exclude 227 male inmates and 58 female inmates housed in local jails as of December 31, 1996, due to crowding of State prison facilities because these inmates had not been received by the Department of Corrections. Oregon--Population counts for "Inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less" include an undetermined number of inmates for whom sentence length is unknown because complete sentencing orders may not have arrived for some recently-admitted inmates. Pennsylvania--Reported capacities are single cell capacities. Rhode Island--Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include both jail and prison populations. Population counts for "Inmates with over 1 year maximum sentence" include inmates with partially suspended sentences only if the prison portion of the sentence exceeds one year. As a result, the "Inmates with over 1 year maximum sentence" population is understated, and the "Inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less" population is overstated. South Carolina--Population counts for "Unsentenced inmates" include inmates on Youthful Offender Act observation status. Tennessee--Population counts for "Inmates with over 1 year maximum sentence" include an undetermined number of inmates with a sentence of 1 year. Population counts exclude an undetermined number of felons sentenced to serve their time in local jails. The State pays to house these felons, but the local court maintains jurisdiction. Texas--Population counts for "Inmates with over 1 year maximum sentence" include an undetermined number of "Inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less." Vermont--Prisons and jails form one integrated system. NPS data include both jail and prison populations. Population counts are based on custody data. Population counts and capacity measures exclude 660 inmates on furlough or intermediate sanctions. Virginia--Population counts for "Inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less" increased because of a new law that went into effect on January 1, 1995, that made the State responsible for felons with a sentence of 6 months or more. Virginia uses a base capacity method to determine the rated, operational, and design capacity figures. Under this method of determining capacity, only the bunks that touch the floor are counted; top bunks are not counted. Washington--Reported capacities exclude State work release and pre-release facilities which housed 765 male inmates and 269 female inmates on December 31, 1996. ********************************* The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. ********************************* Jan M. Chaiken, Ph.D., is director. BJS Bulletins present the first release of findings from permanent data collection programs such as the National Prisoner Statistics Program. State and Federal corrections officials have cooperated in reporting the data presented. Allen J. Beck, Ph.D., and Christopher J. Mumola wrote this report. Deborah A. Dworanczyk and Darrell K. Gilliard provided statistical review. Tom Hester edited the report. Marilyn Marbrook, assisted by Yvonne Boston and Jayne Robinson, administered final production. Data collection and processing for the NPS program were carried out by Elizabeth K. Griffin under the supervision of Gertrude Odom and Kathleen Creighton, Demographic Surveys Division, U.S. Bureau of the Census. June 1997, NCJ-164619 --------------------------- *********************************************** The report and NPS data are available on the Internet: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ ********************************************** END OF FILE