U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin August 1998, NCJ 170014 Prisoners in 1997 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 By Darrell K. Gilliard and Allen J. Beck, Ph.D. BJS Statisticians ___________________________________________________ Highlights Number of inmates Sentenced prisoners per Population housed as a 100,000 resident population percent of highest capicity Decem- ------------------------ --------------------- --------------------------- ber 31 Federal State Federal State Federal State -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 95,034 959,668 30 356 125 117 1995 100,250 1,025,624 32 379 126 114 1996 105,544 1,077,824 33 394 125 116 1997 112,973 1,131,581 35 410 119 115 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * During 1997 the number of female prisoners rose by 6.2%, slightly greater than the increase in male prisoners (5.2%). At year-end 1997 79,624 women were in State or Federal prisons -- 6.4% of all prison inmates. * On December 31, 1997, State prisons were operating at between 15% and 24% above capacity, while Federal prisons were operating at 19% above capacity. * California (157,547), Texas (140,729), and the Federal system (112,973) together held 1 in every 3 prisoners in the Nation. Fifteen States, each holding fewer than 5,000 inmates, together held only 4% of the Nation's prisoners. * Nine jurisdictions had increases of at least 10% in 1997, led by Hawaii (23.4%) and West Virginia (15.4%). Four jurisdictions, led by Oregon (down 7.6%) and Montana (-2.2%), experienced decreases. * Analyses of imprisonment rates from 1990 to 1996, the year of the latest available data, reveal -- -- a 43% increase among males and a 65% increase among females in the number of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents. -- sharp increases in rates among persons age 35-39 (up 66%), 40-44 (up 75%), and 45-54 (up 71%). -- widespread disparities by race and Hispanic origin. In 1996 the rate among black males totaled 3,098 prisoners per 100,000 residents, compared to 1,278 among Hispanic males and 370 among white males. * Sources of population growth differed among State inmates: -- Violent offenders accounted for the largest source of growth among males (52%) and among whites (46%), blacks (50%), and Hispanics (54%). -- Drug offenders accounted for 30% of the growth among blacks, 23% among Hispanics, and 16% among whites. -- Only among females were drug offenders the largest source of growth (45% of the total increase). ___________________________________________________ The total number of prisoners under the jurisdiction of Federal or State adult correctional authorities was 1,244,554 at year-end 1997. During the year the States and the District of Columbia added 53,757 prisoners, and the Federal prison system added 7,429 prisoners. Overall, the Nation's prison population grew 5.2%, which was less than the average annual growth of 7.0% since 1990. In absolute numbers, prison growth during 1997 was equivalent to 1,177 more inmates per week, up from 1,106 per week in 1996. At midyear 1997 (the latest available data), more than 1.7 million U.S. residents were in either jail or prison. State and Federal prisons housed two-thirds of the incarcerated population (1,158,763). Jails, which are locally operated and typically hold persons awaiting trial and those with sentences of a year or less, held the other third (567,079). Relative to the number of U.S. residents, the rate of incarceration in prisons at year-end 1997 was 445 sentenced inmates per 100,000 residents up from 292 in 1990. On December 31, 1997, 1 in every 117 men and 1 in every 1,852 women were sentenced prisoners under the jurisdiction of State or Federal correctional authorities. ___________________________________________________ Table 1. Number of persons held in State or Federal prison or in local jails, 1990-97 Number of State and Federal prisoners on December 31 Inmates in Total inmates ------------------------------ local jails Incarcer- Year in custody Jurisdiction\a Custody on June 30 ation rate\b ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1990 1,148,702 773,919 743,382 405,320 461 1991 1,219,014 825,559 792,535 426,479 483 1992 1,295,150 882,500 850,566 444,584 508 1993 1,369,185 970,444 909,381 459,804 531 1994 1,476,621 1,054,702 990,147 486,474 567 1995 1,585,589 1,125,874 1,078,542 507,044 601 1996 1,646,030 1,183,368 1,127,528 518,492 618 1997 June 30 1,725,842 1,218,256 1,158,763 567,079 645 December 31 -- 1,244,554 -- -- -- Average annual increase 12/31/90-6/30 6.5% 7.2% 7.1% 5.3% ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Note: Jail counts for 1994-97 exclude persons supervised outside of a jail facility. --Not available. a\Includes prisoners held in local jails because of prison crowding. b\Number of prison and jail inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents at year-end. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ From year-end 1990 to midyear 1997 -- * The Nation's incarcerated population rose by more than 577,100 inmates, increasing at an average annual rate of 6.5%. * State, Federal, and local governments had to accommodate an additional 88,791 inmates per year (or the equivalent of 1,708 new inmates per week). * The rate of incarceration increased from 1 in every 217 U.S. residents to 1 in every 155. * The Nation's prison and local jail facilities added space for about 541,800 inmates. By 1997 State prisons were 15% above their highest capacity; Federal prisons 19% above their rated capacity; and local jails 3% below their rated capacity. ___________________________________________________ --------------------------------------------------- U.S. prison population rose 5.2% during 1997 --------------------------------------------------- The 1997 prison growth rate of 5.2% was slightly larger than the percentage increase recorded during 1996 (5.1%). The total prison population increased by 61,186 inmates during 1997 -- the largest increase since 1995 (table 2). Since 1990 the total prison population has grown an average of 63,955 per year, for an overall increase of 470,635 in 7 years. ___________________________________________________ Table 2. Change in the State and Federal prison populations, 1990-97 Annual increase -------------------------- Annual Number percent Year of inmates Number change --------------------------------------------------- 1990 773,919 1991 825,559 51,640 6.7% 1992 882,500 56,941 6.9 1993* 970,444 64,992 7.4 1994 1,054,702 84,258 8.7 1995 1,125,874 71,172 6.7 1996 1,183,368 57,494 5.1 1997 1,244,554 61,186 5.2 Average annual increase 1990-97 63,955 7.0% --------------------------------------------------- Note: All counts are for December 31 of each year and may reflect revisions of previously reported numbers. *Includes the jurisdiction populations in Massachusetts and Texas for the first time. The 1993 count (947,492), excluding the noncustody population in Texas and Massa- chusetts, may be used for comparisons. ___________________________________________________ Prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year ("sentenced prisoners") represented 96% of the total prison population at year-end 1997. During the 12-month period, the sentenced prison population grew 5.1% (table 3). 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, year-end 1996 and 1997 Total Sentenced to more than 1 year ----------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Incar- Region and Advance 1996 Percent Percent ceration jurisdiction 1997 change, Advance change, rate, 1996-97 1997 1996 1996-97 1997\a ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. total 1,244,554 1,183,368 5.2% 1,197,590 1,138,984 5.1% 445 Federal 112,973 105,544 7.0% 94,987 88,815 6.9% 35 State 1,131,581 1,077,824 5.0 1,102,603 1,050,169 5.0 410 Northeast 172,244 169,261 1.8% 163,836 161,324 1.6% 317 Connecticut\b,c 18,521 17,851 3.8 13,005 12,465 4.3 397 Maine 1,620 1,426 13.6 1,542 1,351 14.1 124 Massachusetts\d 11,947 11,796 1.3 10,847 10,880 -0.3 278 New Hampshire 2,164 2,062 4.9 2,164 2,062 4.9 184 New Jersey\e 28,361 27,490 3.2 28,361 27,490 3.2 351 New York 70,026 69,709 0.5 70,026 69,709 0.5 386 Pennsylvania 34,964 34,537 1.2 34,963 34,535 1.2 291 Rhode Island\b 3,371 3,271 3.1 2,100 2,031 3.4 213 Vermont\b,f 1,270 1,119 13.5 828 801 3.4 140 Midwest 216,757 204,657 5.9% 216,391 203,701 6.2% 346 Illinois\e,f 40,788 38,852 5.0 40,788 38,852 5.0 342 Indiana 17,903 16,960 5.6 17,730 16,791 5.6 301 Iowa\e,f 6,938 6,342 9.4 6,938 6,342 9.4 243 Kansas\e 7,911 7,756 2.0 7,911 7,756 2.0 304 Michigan\f 44,771 42,349 5.7 44,771 42,349 5.7 457 Minnesota 5,326 5,158 3.3 5,306 5,158 2.9 113 Missouri 23,998 22,003 9.1 23,980 22,003 9.0 442 Nebraska 3,402 3,287 3.5 3,329 3,223 3.3 200 North Dakota 797 722 10.4 715 650 10 112 Ohio\e 48,002 46,174 4.0 48,002 46,174 4.0 429 South Dakota 2,239 2,063 8.5 2,239 2,063 8.5 303 Wisconsin 14,682 12,991 13.0 14,682 12,340 19.0 283 South 491,956 469,252 4.8% 480,061 458,671 4.7% 506 Alabama 22,290 21,760 2.4 21,680 21,108 2.7 500 Arkansas 10,021 9,407 6.5 9,936 8,992 10.5 392 Delaware\b 5,435 5,110 6.4 3,264 3,119 4.6 443 District of Col.\b 9,353 9,376 -0.2 8,814 8,668 1.7 1,682 Florida\f 64,565 63,763 1.3 64,540 63,746 1.2 437 Georgia\f 36,450 35,139 3.7 35,722 34,328 4.1 472 Kentucky 14,600 12,910 13.1 14,600 12,910 13.1 372 Louisiana 29,265 26,779 9.3 29,265 26,779 9.3 672 Maryland 22,232 22,050 0.8 21,088 20,980 0.5 413 Mississippi 15,447 13,859 11.5 14,548 13,143 10.7 531 North Carolina 31,638 30,647 3.2 27,726 27,751 -0.1 370 Oklahoma\e 20,542 19,593 4.8 20,542 19,593 4.8 617 South Carolina 21,173 20,446 3.6 20,264 19,758 2.6 536 Tennessee\e 16,659 15,626 6.6 16,659 15,626 6.6 309 Texas\e 140,729 132,383 6.3 140,729 132,383 6.3 717 Virginia 28,385 27,655 2.6 27,524 27,062 1.7 407 West Virginia 3,172 2,749 15.4 3,160 2,725 16 174 West 250,624 234,654 6.8% 242,315 226,473 7.0% 405 Alaska\b 4,220 3,716 13.6 2,571 2,335 10.1 420 Arizona\e 23,484 22,493 4.4 22,353 21,523 3.9 484 California 157,547 146,049 7.9 154,368 142,865 8.1 475 Colorado 13,461 12,438 8.2 13,461 12,438 8.2 342 Hawaii\b 4,949 4,011 23.4 3,424 2,954 15.9 288 Idaho 3,946 3,832 3 3,946 3,832 3 323 Montana 2,242 2,293 -2.2 2,242 2,293 -2.2 255 Nevada 9,024 8,439 6.9 8,884 8,439 5.3 518 New Mexico 4,688 4,724 -0.8 4,450 4,506 -1.2 256 Oregon 7,999 8,661 -7.6 7,589 7,316 3.7 232 Utah 4,284 3,972 7.9 4,263 3,946 8 205 Washington 13,214 12,527 5.5 13,198 12,527 5.4 233 Wyoming 1,566 1,499 4.5 1,566 1,499 4.5 326 Note: The advance count of prisoners is conducted in January and may be revised. 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\Jurisdiction data are reported for the first time. Comparisons to past counts are inapplicable. d\Includes an estimated 6,200 inmates sentenced to more than 1 year but held in county facilities. e\Sentenced inmates 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 sentenced Federal prison population (5.0% compared to 6.9%). Both populations experienced faster growth in 1997 than in 1996 (4.7% State and 6.2% Federal). ___________________________________________________ Prisoners under military jurisdiction, by branch of service, year-end 1996 and 1997 Number Percent Percent ------------------ change, of prison- Branch of service 1996 1997 1996-97 ers, 1997 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- To which prisoners belonged Total 2,747 2,772 0.9% 100.0% Air Force* 487 575 18.1 20.7 Army 1,106 1,063 -3.9 38.3 Marine Corps 685 628 -8.3 22.7 Navy 455 490 7.7 17.7 Coast Guard 14 16 14.3 0.6 Holding prisoners Total 2,747 2,772 0.9% 100.0% Air Force* -- 103 -- 3.7 Army 1486 1494 0.5 53.9 Marine Corps 650 571 -12.2 20.6 Navy 611 604 -1.1 21.8 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding. *Data for 1996 exclude prisoners confined in Air Force facilities. --Not Available At year-end 1997 U.S. military authorities held 2,772 prisoners in 64 facilities About 89% of prisoners held by the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps were convicted inmates; 11% were unconvicted persons whose cases had not been tried. Two-thirds of the prisoners (1,856) had sentences of 1 year or more. At year-end 1997 the Army's Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and 6 other local or regional facilities held more than half (54%) of all inmates under military jurisdiction. The Navy's 12 facilities held 22% of all inmates; the Marine Corps' 7 facilities, 21% of all inmates; and the Air Force's 38 facilities held fewer than 4% of all inmates. The operational capacity of the 64 military confinement facilities totaled 4,483. At year-end 1997 these facilities were operating at 62% of their operational capacity. ___________________________________________________ On December 31, 1997, the number of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents was 445. Of the 11 States with rates greater than that for the Nation, 7 were in the South, 3 in the West, and 1 in the Midwest. Four States -- North Dakota (112), Minnesota (113), Maine (124), and Vermont (140) -- had rates that were less than a third of the national rate. The District of Columbia, a wholly urban jurisdiction, held 1,682 sentenced prisoners per 100,000 residents. Since 1990 the number of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 residents has risen from 292 to 445. During this period, incarceration rates rose most in the South (from 316 to 506) and West (from 277 to 405). The rate in the Midwest rose from 239 to 346, and the rate in the Northeast grew from 232 to 317. The number of sentenced Federal prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents increased from 20 to 35. --------------------------------------------------- Nine States reported increases of at least 10% during 1997 --------------------------------------------------- Between January 1 and December 31, Hawaii experienced the largest increase (up 23.4%), followed by West Virginia (15.4%), Alaska and Maine (13.6%), Vermont (13.5%), Kentucky (13.1%), and Wisconsin (13.0%). Three States and the District of Columbia experienced a decline in prison populations. Oregon had the largest decline (down 7.6%), followed by Montana (down 2.2%), New Mexico (down 0.8%), and the District of Columbia (down 0.2%). In absolute numbers of inmates, 5 jurisdictions grew by at least 2,000. California (up 11,498 inmates), experienced the largest growth, followed by Texas (up 8,346), the Federal system (up 7,429), Louisiana (up 2,486), and Michigan (up 2,422). These five jurisdictions, which incarcerated over 40% of all prisoners, accounted for 53% of the total growth during 1997. --------------------------------------------------- Western States recorded the fastest growth in prison populations --------------------------------------------------- During 1997 the number of sentenced State and Federal prisoners grew by an additional 1,127 inmates per week. The 1997 average weekly increase was 89 inmates greater than the weekly increase in 1996 and 187 fewer than in 1995. The Western States had the highest percentage increase in the number of sentenced prisoners, with a gain of 7.0% during 1997. The Midwest experienced a rise of 6.2% in the number of sentenced prisoners, followed by the South, 4.7%; and the Northeast, 1.6%. Twenty-three States recorded higher growth rates of sentenced prisoners in 1997 than in 1996. Of these, nine recorded growth rates over 10% in 1997, led by Wisconsin (19.0%), West Virginia (16.0%), and Hawaii (15.9%). The District of Columbia (1.7%), Virginia (1.7%), and Florida (1.2%) reported increases of less than 2% during 1997. Montana (-2.2%), New Mexico (-1.2%), Massachusetts (-0.3%), and North Carolina (-0.1%) experienced declines. Since 1992 the sentenced inmate population in State prisons has grown 41.5% (table 4). During this period nine States reported increases of at least 50%, led by West Virginia (up 88.8%) and Wisconsin (up 83.7%). Maine was the only State to report an increase of less than 10% (up 3.4%). During this time the Federal system reported an increase of 44.6% 29,281 additional inmates with sentences of more than 1 year. ___________________________________________________ Table 4. Change in the number of sentenced prisoners under the jurisdiction of State or Federal correctional authorities, 5-year and 10-year comparisons 1992-97 1987-97 ---------------------- ---------------------- Population Percent Population Percent difference change difference change -------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. total 351,313 41.5% 636,778 113.5% Federal 29,281 44.6% 55,464 140.3% State 322,032 41.3 581,314 111.5 Northeast 30,178 22.6% 76,569 87.7% Connecticut -- -- -- -- Maine 50 3.4 304 24.6 Massachusetts -- -- -- -- New Hampshire 387 21.8 1,297 149.6 New Jersey 5,708 25.2 12,392 77.6 New York 8,290 13.4 29,184 71.5 Pennsylvania 9,997 40.0 18,717 115.2 Rhode Island 390 22.8 1,109 111.9 Vermont -- -- -- -- Midwest 50,572 30.5% 105,651 95.4% Illinois 9,148 28.9 20,938 105.5 Indiana 3,939 28.6 -- -- Iowa 2,420 53.6 4,087 143.4 Kansas 1,883 31.2 2,130 36.8 Michigan 5,658 14.5 20,892 87.5 Minnesota 1,484 38.8 2,760 108.4 Missouri -- -- 12,623 111.1 Nebraska 894 36.7 1,366 69.6 North Dakota 287 67.1 335 88.2 Ohio 9,624 25.1 23,762 98.0 South Dakota 752 50.6 1,106 97.6 Wisconsin 6,690 83.7 8,556 139.7 South 165,399 52.6% 264,259 122.5% Alabama 4,742 28.0 9,078 72.0 Arkansas 1,741 21.2 4,495 82.6 Delaware 559 20.7 1,105 51.2 District of Col. 1,286 17.1 -- -- Florida 16,255 33.7 32,180 99.4 Georgia 10,874 43.8 17,998 101.5 Kentucky 4,236 40.9 8,163 126.8 Louisiana 8,369 40.1 13,890 90.3 Maryland 2,280 12.1 8,176 63.3 Mississippi 5,830 66.9 7,829 116.5 North Carolina 7,761 38.9 -- -- Oklahoma 5,721 38.6 10,903 113.1 South Carolina 2,652 15.1 8,402 70.8 Tennessee 4,810 40.6 9,020 118.1 Texas -- -- -- -- Virginia 6,535 31.1 14,593 112.9 West Virginia 1,486 88.8 -- -- West 75,883 45.6% 134,835 125.5% Alaska -- -- 804 45.5 Arizona 6,503 41.0 11,795 111.7 California -- -- -- -- Colorado 4,464 49.6 8,653 180.0 Hawaii 1,202 54.1 1,892 123.5 Idaho 1,690 74.9 2,511 175.0 Montana 694 44.8 1,035 85.7 Nevada 2,835 46.9 4,450 100.4 New Mexico 1,296 41.1 1,864 72.1 Oregon 2,353 44.9 2,132 39.1 Utah 1,576 58.7 2,426 132.1 Washington 3,239 32.5 7,067 115.3 Wyoming 503 47.3 -- -- Note: Totals include data for States otherwise excluded because of reporting changes. --Not applicable because of changes in reporting procedures. See NPS jurisdiction notes. ___________________________________________________ --------------------------------------------------- Among States, Texas had the highest incarceration rate; North Dakota, the lowest --------------------------------------------------- At year-end 1997 the 10 jurisdictions with the largest prison populations had under their jurisdiction 750,815 inmates or 60% of the Nation's total prison population (table 5). California (157,547), Texas (140,729), and the Federal system (112,973) accounted for a third of the population. The 10 States with the smallest prison populations each held fewer than 4,000 inmates. Collectively, these States held only 1.8% of the Nation's total prison population. ___________________________________________________ Table 5. The 10 highest and lowest jurisdictions for selected characteristics of the prison population, year-end 1997 Sentenced prisoners per Prison Number of Incarceration 100,000 State 1-year growth, Percent 5-year growth, Percent population inmates rates, 12/31/97 residents* 1996-97 change 1992-97 change -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 highest: California 157,547 Texas 717 Hawaii 23.4% West Virginia 89.5% Texas 140,729 Louisiana 672 West Virginia 15.4 Wisconsin 79.2 Federal 112,973 Oklahoma 617 Alaska 13.6 Texas 75.3 New York 70,026 South Carolina 536 Maine 13.6 Idaho 74.9 Florida 64,565 Mississippi 531 Vermont 13.5 Mississippi 73.5 Ohio 48,002 Nevada 518 Kentucky 13.1 Hawaii 69.1 Michigan 44,771 Alabama 500 Wisconsin 13.0 North Dakota 67.1 Illinois 40,788 Arizona 484 Mississippi 11.5 Utah 58.7 Georgia 36,450 California 475 North Dakota 10.4 North Carolina 54.7 Pennsylvania 34,964 Georgia 472 Iowa 9.4 Iowa 53.6 10 lowest: North Dakota 797 North Dakota 112 Oregon -7.6% District of Columbia -14.0% Vermont 1,270 Minnesota 113 Montana -2.2 Maine 6.6 Wyoming 1,566 Maine 124 New Mexico -0.8 Maryland 11.3 Maine 1,620 Vermont 140 District of Columbia -0.2 New York 13.4 New Hampshire 2,164 West Virginia 174 New York 0.5 South Carolina 13.6 South Dakota 2,239 New Hampshire 184 Maryland 0.8 Michigan 14.5 Montana 2,242 Nebraska 200 Pennsylvania 1.2 Arkansas 21.0 West Virginia 3,172 Utah 205 Florida 1.3 Oregon 21.5 Rhode Island 3,371 Rhode Island 213 Massachusetts 1.3 Rhode Island 21.5 Nebraska 3,402 Oregon 232 Kansas 2.0 New Hampshire 21.8 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Prisoners with a sentence of more than a year. The Federal Bureau of Prisons and the District of Columbia are excluded. ___________________________________________________ Texas had the highest prison incarceration rate (717 sentenced inmates per 100,000 residents), followed by Louisiana (672), Oklahoma (617), South Carolina (536), and Mississippi (531). Six States had prison incarceration rates below 200, led by North Dakota (112), Minnesota (113), and Maine (124). Since 1992, five States had prison population increases of more than 70%: West Virginia (89.5%), Wisconsin (79.2%), Texas (75.3%), Idaho (74.9%), and Mississippi (73.5%). Five States -- Michigan (14.5%), South Carolina (13.6%), New York (13.4%), Maryland (11.3%), and Maine (6.6%) -- had growth of less than 20%. The District of Columbia (down -14.0%) is the only jurisdiction to have experienced a decline in the number of inmates. --------------------------------------------------- Female prisoner population continues to grow at a fast pace --------------------------------------------------- During 1997 the number of women under the jurisdiction of State or Federal prison authorities increased 6.2%, from 74,970 to 79,624, out pacing the rise in the number of men for the second consecutive year (table 6). The number of men grew from 1,108,398 to 1,164,930, an increase of 5.2%. During 1996 the number of females grew at nearly double the rate of males (9.5% compared to 4.8%) ___________________________________________________ Table 6. Prisoners under the jurisdiction of State or Federal correctional authorities, by sex of inmate, year-end 1996 and 1997 Men Women ------------------------------------------------------ Total Advance 1997 1,164,930 79,624 Final 1996 1,108,398 74,970 Percent change, 1996-97 5.2 % 6.2 % Sentenced to more than 1 year Advance 1997 1,123,478 74,112 Final 1996 1,069,257 69,727 Percent change, 1996-97 5.1 % 6.3 % Incarceration rate, 1997* 853 54 *The number of prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year per 100,000 residents on December 31, 1997. ___________________________________________________ Since 1990 the annual rate of growth of the female inmate population has averaged 8.8%, higher than the 6.9% average increase in the number of male inmates. By year-end 1997 women accounted for 6.4% of all prisoners nationwide, up from 5.7% in 1990. 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 year-end 1997 there were 54 sentenced female inmates per 100,000 women in the United States, compared to 853 sentenced male inmates per 100,000 men. Over a third of all female prisoners were held in the three largest jurisdictions: California (11,076), Texas (10,549), and the Federal system (8,306). ___________________________________________________ Table 7. Women under the jurisdiction of State or Federal correctional authorities, year-end 1997 Female inmates -------------------------------------------------------------------- Percent Percent of change, Incarceration Number all inmates 1996-97 rate, 1997\a ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. total 79,624 6.4% 6.2% 54 Federal 8,306 7.4% 7.9% 5 State 71,318 6.3 6.0 49 Northeast 9,122 5.3% -0.6% 30 Connecticut 1,550 8.4 1.7 54 Maine 62 3.8 29.2 9 Massachusetts\b 733 6.1 -2.3 14 New Hampshire 109 5.0 3.8 18 New Jersey 1,404 5.0 9.6 34 New York 3,584 5.1 -3.9 38 Pennsylvania 1,414 4.0 -4.3 23 Rhode Island 213 6.3 -7.0 15 Vermont\c 53 4.2 65.6 11 Midwest 12,572 5.8% 7.6% 39 Illinois\c 2,430 6.0 8.0 40 Indiana 1,071 6.0 6.3 35 Iowa\c 528 7.6 12.3 36 Kansas 476 6.0 0 36 Michigan\c 2,056 4.6 7.1 41 Minnesota 258 4.8 10.3 11 Missouri 1,693 7.1 15.6 61 Nebraska 225 6.6 0 25 North Dakota 62 7.8 37.8 17 Ohio 2,843 5.9 1.4 49 South Dakota 169 7.5 19.9 45 Wisconsin 761 5.2 18 29 South 32,048 6.5% 6.5% 63 Alabama 1,360 6.1 0.2 58 Arkansas 611 6.1 11.5 46 Delaware 383 7.0 1.1 42 District of Col. 407 4.4 -11.7 116 Florida\c 3,404 5.3 3.1 45 Georgia\c 2,258 6.2 0.8 56 Kentucky 1,052 7.2 28.3 52 Louisiana 1,868 6.4 19.7 83 Maryland 1,108 5.0 5.0 38 Mississippi 1,131 7.3 26.9 70 North Carolina 1,864 5.9 -0.2 36 Oklahoma 2,053 10.0 5.8 121 South Carolina 1,302 6.1 8.3 60 Tennessee 798 4.8 16.0 29 Texas 10,549 7.5 6.2 106 Virginia 1,710 6.0 1.4 46 West Virginia 190 6.0 27.5 20 West 17,576 7.0% 7.6% 55 Alaska 304 7.2 12.6 54 Arizona\c 1,560 6.6 3.0 61 California 11,076 7.0 9.6 65 Colorado 949 7.1 12.3 48 Hawaii 505 10.2 31.2 60 Idaho 281 7.1 3.7 46 Montana 115 5.1 -23.8 26 Nevada 695 7.7 16.2 82 New Mexico 374 8.0 -1.1 36 Oregon 450 5.6 -21.2 24 Utah 212 4.9 0.5 20 Washington 924 7.0 0.4 32 Wyoming 131 8.4 17.0 55 Note: The January advance count of prisoners may be revised. a\The number of female prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year per 100,000 U.S. residents. b\The reference date is January 5, 1998. See NPS Jurisdiction notes. c\Population figures are based on custody counts. ___________________________________________________ Oklahoma (with 121 sentenced female inmates per 100,000 female State residents) and Texas (with 106) had the highest female incarceration rates. Maine (with 9 sentenced female prisoners per 100,000 female residents), Minnesota and Vermont (with 11), and Massachusetts (with 14) had the lowest incarceration rates. Hawaii (10.2%) and Oklahoma (10.0%) had the largest proportion of women among their inmates; Maine (3.8%) and Pennsylvania (4.0%) had the smallest. Twenty-eight jurisdictions held fewer than 1,000 female inmates, accounting for about 13.8% of all female prisoners --------------------------------------------------- Local jails held almost 34,000 State prisoners because of crowding --------------------------------------------------- At the end of 1997, 31 States reported a total of 33,736 State prisoners held in local jails or other facilities because of crowding in State facilities (table 8). These inmates held in local jails represent 3.0% of all State prisoners, up slightly from 2.9% in 1996. ___________________________________________________ Table 8. State prisoners held in local jails because of prison crowding, by State, year-end 1997 and 1996 State prisoners held in local jails ----------------------------------------------------- As a percent Number of State inmates ---------------------- ---------------------- 1997 1996 1997 1996 U.S. total 33,736 30,741 3 % 2.9 % ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Louisiana 10,795 9,147 36.9 % 34.2 % Virginia 3,753 2,506 13.2 9.1 New Jersey 2,864 4,367 10.1 15.9 Colorado 1,886 1,163 14 9.4 Alabama 1,824 1,168 8.2 5.4 Mississippi 1,463 3,242 9.5 23.4 Tennessee 1,428 1,958 8.6 12.5 Arkansas 1,376 1,201 13.7 12.8 Indiana 1,323 1,194 7.4 7 Kentucky 1,144 778 7.8 6 New York 918 0 1.3 % -- Oklahoma 802 285 3.9 1.5 West Virginia 775 286 24.4 10.4 New Mexico 557 307 11.9 6.5 Massachusetts 484 554 4.1 4.7 South Carolina 400 413 1.9 2 Utah 348 308 8.1 7.8 Wisconsin 284 338 1.9 2.6 North Carolina 282 516 0.9 1.7 Montana 217 85 9.7 3.7 Arizona\a 211 124 0.9 % 0.5 % Michigan\a 151 330 0.3 0.8 Oregon 72 91 0.9 1.1 North Dakota 68 91 8.5 12.6 New Hampshire 66 65 3 3.2 Missouri 55 0 0.2 -- Alaska 55 0 1.3 -- Minnesota\b 50 208 0.9 4 Idaho 31 0 0.8 -- Wyoming 29 16 1.9 1.1 Pennsylvania 25 0 0.1 -- --Not calculated. a\For States without jail backups in their counts, the percentage is based on the total of State inmates in jail and prison. b\Held in a private facility. ___________________________________________________ Louisiana and West Virginia had the largest percentage of their inmate population housed in local jails, 36.9% and 24.4% respectively. Four other States -- Arkansas (13.7%), Virginia (13.2%), New Mexico (11.9%), and New Jersey (10.1%) -- had at least 10% of their population housed in local jail facilities. In addition to housing inmates in local jails, 14 States eased prison crowding by placing inmates in other States or in Federal facilities. On December 31, 1997, 5,877 prisoners nationwide were held under such arrangements -- representing about half of one percent of all State prisoners. Colorado placed the most inmates (1,009), followed by Oklahoma (941), Wisconsin (819), and Idaho (608). Montana (17.0%), Idaho (15.4%), Hawaii (12.1%), and New Mexico (10.4%) had more than 10% of their prison population housed in facilities of other States or of the Federal system. 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 5,877 0.5% Colorado 1,009 7.5 Oklahoma 941 4.6 Wisconsin 819 5.6 Idaho 608 15.4 Hawaii 600 12.1 New Mexico 486 10.4 Montana 381 17.0 Alaska 332 7.9 Massachusetts 318 2.7 Alabama 104 0.5 Wyoming 99 6.3 New Hampshire 73 3.4 Indiana 69 0.4 Michigan 38 0.1 --------------------------------------------------- Prison capacity measures vary --------------------------------------------------- The extent of prison crowding is difficult to determine because of the absence of uniform measures for defining capacity. Jurisdictions apply a 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 year-end 1997: 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; 41, an operational capacity; and 37, a design capacity (table 9). Twenty-three jurisdictions provided only 1 measure or the same figure for each measure they reported. For the 29 jurisdictions with more than 1 reported type of capacity, estimates of population as a percent of capacity are based on the highest and lowest figures provided. ___________________________________________________ Prisoners in custody of correctional authorities in the U.S. Territories, year-end 1996 and 1997 Total Sentenced to more than 1 year --------------------------- ------------------------------------ Percent Percent Incar- Advance Final change, Advance Final change, ceration 1997 1996 1996-97 1997 1996 1996-97 rate,1997* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 15,762 14,093 11.8% 11790 10734 9.8% 277 American Samoa 102 90 13.3 92 70 31.4 152 Guam 464 416 11.5 301 323 -6.8 206 Commonwealth of the 63 59 6.8 63 50 26.0 99 Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth of 14,716 12,970 13.5 11,097 9,934 11.7 290 Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands 417 558 -25.3 237 357 -33.6 203 *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. ___________________________________________________ U.S. Territories held over 15,000 inmates in 1997 The U.S. Territories and Commonwealths -- American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands -- reported 15,762 inmates under the jurisdiction of their prison systems at year-end 1997 -- an increase of 11.8% since 1996. Prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year totaled 11,790 (or nearly three-quarters of the total territorial prison population). Relative to the resident populations in the Territories, the rate of incarceration was 277 prisoners per 100,000 residents -- nearly two-thirds of 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 -- 99 inmates per 100,000 residents, followed by American Samoa with 152. Puerto Rico with 290 prisoners per 100,000 residents and Guam (with 206) had the highest incarceration rates. Puerto Rico, the largest of the Territories, had the most sentenced prisoners (11,097 at year-end 1997), up from 9,934 in 1996. In 1997, 23 States and the District of Columbia had fewer sentenced inmates than Puerto Rico; 17 States had equal or lower incarceration rates. ___________________________________________________ Of the 52 reporting jurisdictions, 33 supplied a rated capacity; 41, an operational capacity; and 37, a design capacity (table 9). Twenty-three jurisdictions provided only 1 measure or the same figure for each measure they reported. For the 29 jurisdictions with more than 1 reported type of capacity, estimates of population as a percent of capacity are based on the highest and lowest figures provided. ___________________________________________________ Table 9. Reported Federal and State prison capacities, year-end 1997 Type of capacity measure Population as a percent of ----------------------------------- --------------------------- Region Opera- Highest Lowest and jurisdiction Rated tional Design capacity capacity ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Federal\a 85,387 . . . . . . 119 % 119 % Northeast Connecticut\b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maine 1,437 1,590 1,437 102 % 113 % Massachusetts\a,c . . . . . . 8,138 137 137 New Hampshire\c 1,841 1,644 1,744 110 123 New Jersey\a,c . . . . . . 15,906 160 160 New York 60,947 65,823 53,463 106 131 Pennsylvania \a,c . . . 22,875 23,156 151 153 Rhode Island 3,774 3,774 3,774 89 89 Vermont 1,140 1,140 1,023 111 124 Midwest Illinois 28,797 28,797 25,135 142 % 162 % Indiana\c 13,611 16,892 . . . 98 121 Iowa 4,951 4,951 4,951 140 140 Kansas 8,168 . . . . . . 97 97 Michigan\a . . . 45,146 . . . 99 99 Minnesota 5,327 5,327 5,327 98 98 Missouri\a,c . . . 22,317 . . . 107 107 Nebraska\a . . . 2,517 2,013 135 169 North Dakota\c 579 579 579 126 126 Ohio\a 34,706 . . . . . . 138 138 South Dakota\a . . . . . . 2,329 96 96 Wisconsin 10,288 10,288 10,288 129 129 South Alabama\c,d 20,412 20,412 20,412 100 % 100 % Arkansas\a,c 8,760 8,760 8,760 99 99 Delaware\a . . . 4,206 3,192 129 170 District of Col.\e 7,251 9,729 9,419 72 97 Florida\a 77,425 71,276 52,865 83 122 Georgia 36,610 . . . . . . 100 100 Kentucky\a,c 10,774 10,827 8,934 124 151 Louisiana\a,c 18,470 18,467 . . . 100 100 Maryland\a . . . 22,921 . . . 97 97 Mississippi\c . . . 14,428 15,187 92 97 North Carolina 26,887 . . . 26,887 117 117 Oklahoma 11,439 15,414 . . . 104 140 South Carolina\c . . . 22,474 21,731 92 96 Tennessee\a,c 16,150 15,808 . . . 94 96 Texas 143,928 143,928 146,779 96 98 Virginia\a,c 16,111 16,111 16,111 153 153 West Virginia\c 2,378 2,404 2,370 100 101 West Alaska\c 2,603 2,603 2,603 147 % 147 % Arizona\a . . . 24,137 21,370 97 110 California . . . . . . 76,352 206 206 Colorado\a,c . . . 9,046 7,643 115 137 Hawaii\a,c . . . 2,912 1,991 149 218 Idaho\a,c 2,483 3,437 2,483 96 133 Montana\c . . . 1,400 896 117 183 Nevada\a 8,851 . . . 6,557 102 138 New Mexico\c . . . 4,435 . . . 82 82 Oregon\a,c . . . 7,548 . . . 105 105 Utah 4,495 4,261 . . . 88 92 Washington\c 7,963 10,971 10,971 108 148 Wyoming\c 1,231 1,243 1,047 116 137 . . .Data not available. a\See NPS jurisdiction notes. b\Connecticut no longer reports capacity due to a law passed in 1995. See NPS jurisdictional notes. c\Population housed as a percent of capacity was calculated excluding jail backups and inmates held in another State from year-end counts. d\The capacity of community programs is not included. e\Population housed as a percent of capacity was calculated excluding inmates held in Federal facilities. ___________________________________________________ --------------------------------------------------- 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 year-end 1997, 16 States and the District of Columbia reported that they were operating at or below 99% of their highest capacity. Thirty-six States and the Federal prison system reported operating at 100% or more of their lowest capacity. New Mexico, which was operating at 82% of its lowest capacity, had the least crowded prison system. California, operating at over twice its highest reported capacity (206%), had the most crowded system. By year-end 1997 the Federal prison system was estimated to be operating at 19% over capacity, decreasing since year-end 1996 (25%). Overall, State prisons were estimated to be operating at 15% above their highest capacity, down slightly from the 16% for last year (table 10). Based on the lowest capacity figures, State prisons were operating at 24% over capacity at year-end 1997, continuing the steady decline from 31% in 1991. ___________________________________________________ Table 10. State prison population as a percent of capacity, year-end 1997 State prisons\a ----------------------------------------- Highest capacity 947,750 Lowest capacity 874,792 Net change in capacity, 1996-97 Highest 53,998 Lowest 38,520 Population as a percent of capacity\b Highest 1990 115 1991 116 1992 118 1993 118 1994 117 1995 114 1996 116 1997 115 Lowest 1990 127 1991 131 1992 131 1993 129 1994 129 1995 125 1996 124 1997 124 ----------------------------------------- Note: States were asked to report their rated, operational, and design capacities Data reflect the highest and lowest of the three capacities for 1990-97. a\Data include estimated capacity figures for Connecticut at year-end 1995-97. b\Excludes inmates sentenced to prison but held in local jails because of crowding. ___________________________________________________ An increasing percentage of prisoners are black or Hispanic Percent of prisoners under State or Federal jurisdiction* ------------------------------ 1990 1996 ----------- ----------- Total 100% 100% White 50.1 47.9 Black 48.6 49.4 American Indian/ Alaska Native 0.9 1.8 Asian /Pacific Islander 0.4 0.8 *Based on adjusted NPS counts. Between 1990 and 1996 the number of prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year rose by more than 396,800 -- or 54% (table 11). The number of white males increased by 46%, the number of black males by 55%, the number of white females by 67%, and the number of black females by 72%. At year-end 1996 (the latest available data), there were more black males in State or Federal prisons (528,200) than white males (510,900). ___________________________________________________ Table 11. Number of sentenced prisoners under State or Federal jurisdiction, by sex and race, 1990-96 Number of sentenced prisoners Male Female ----------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- Year Total All\a White\b Black\b All\a White\b Black\b 1990 739,980 699,416 350,700 340,300 40,564 20,200 19,700 1991 789,610 745,808 369,200 366,500 43,802 21,100 22,000 1992 846,277 799,776 394,500 393,700 46,501 22,200 23,600 1993 932,074 878,037 428,700 434,900 54,037 25,800 27,300 1994 1,016,691 956,566 465,300 474,800 60,125 28,800 30,200 1995 1,085,022 1,021,059 487,400 509,800 63,963 30,500 31,900 1996 1,138,984 1,069,257 510,900 528,200 69,727 33,800 33,900 Note: Previously published estimates by sex and race have been revised. 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. In each year Hispanics were identified among inmates of unknown racial origin. The race of these inmate was then estimated using inmate self-reported identification from the 1991 and 1997 State inmates surveys. For non-Hispanic inmates of unknown racial origin, race was estimated using the reported racial distribution in NPS. ___________________________________________________ Hispanic inmates, who may be of any race, totaled an estimated 200,400 at year-end 1996 -- increasing 54% from 1990 (table 12). The number of Hispanic males rose 53%, while the number of Hispanic females rose 71%. ___________________________________________________ Table 12. Number of sentenced Hispanic prisoners under State or Federal jurisdiction, by sex, 1990-96 Estimated from BJS surveys and inmate self-identification Reported ----------------------------------- Year in NPS Total Male Female ------------------------------------------------------------- 1990 98,500 130,000 123,500 6,500 1991 107,600 137,800 131,000 6,800 1992 119,900 148,500 141,600 6,900 1993 133,400 160,100 152,400 7,800 1994 151,300 175,600 167,400 8,200 1995 168,000 190,100 181,300 8,800 1996 179,800 200,400 189,300 11,100 Note: Sentenced prisoners are those with a sentence of more than 1 year. The total number of Hispanic inmates was estimated in each year by multiplying the percent identifying as Hispanic in the 1991 and 1997 surveys by the NPS sentenced inmate counts. Estimates have been rounded to the nearest 100. ___________________________________________________ Previously published numbers by race have been revised to take into account the racial identification of Hispanic inmates that some State prison authorities classified as persons of an unknown race. In some previous publications the reported racial distribution was used to estimate the race of inmates with unknown race. In recent years, as the number of Hispanic inmates with unknown race increased, this procedure has overestimated the number of black inmates. Revised estimates have been produced for 1990 through 1996 by combining data from the NPS series and data from State prison inmate surveys conducted in 1991 and 1997. Estimates were obtained by first summing the numbers of Hispanic inmates among States that reported Hispanics as having an unknown race. The racial distribution of these inmates was then calculated using the racial self-identifications provided by Hispanic inmates in the prisoner surveys. Reported racial identification of Hispanic State prisoners ------------------------------ 1991 1997* --------- --------- Total 100% 100% White 86.2 79.8 Black 11.3 8.6 Other 2.5 11.6 *Data for 1997 are preliminary. The racial distribution of the remaining non-Hispanic inmates (for whom race was unknown) was then calculated using the combined distribution of all inmates for whom data on race was reported. --------------------------------------------------- Middle-age inmates comprise a growing part of the Nation's prison populations --------------------------------------------------- Percent of inmates held State or Federal prison* ------------------------ 1991 1997 --------- --------- Total 100% 100% 17 or younger 0.6 0.4 18-19 2.9 2.7 20-24 17.4 15.8 25-29 23.6 18.7 30-34 21.3 19.2 35-39 14.4 17.5 40-44 9.1 12.1 45-54 7.2 10.3 55 or older 3.4 3.3 *Based on data from the 1991 and 1997 surveys of State and Federal prison inmates. The Nation's prison population is aging. Based on preliminary data from the 1997 surveys of State and Federal prison inmates, 30% were between the ages of 35 and 44, compared with 23% in 1991. This rise was offset by a decline in the percentage of inmates 18 to 35. The percentage of inmates age 55 or older did not change -- about 3% in both years. Nearly half of one percent were under age 18 in 1997, unchanged from 1991. --------------------------------------------------- Incarceration rates have risen sharply among older age groups, women, and minorities --------------------------------------------------- Relative to the number of U.S. residents, the rate of incarceration in State and Federal prison rose sharply between 1990 and 1996. At year-end 1996, there were 422 sentenced inmates per 100,000 residents -- up from 292 in 1990 (table 13). Overall, the prison incarceration rate rose 45% in 6 years. ___________________________________________________ Table 13. Number of sentenced prisoners under State or Federal jurisdiction per 100,000 U.S. residents, by sex, race, Hispanic origin, and age, 1990 and 1996 Number of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents in each population group\a -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Male Female White\b Black\b Hispanic ------------------ ------------------ ------------------ ------------------ ------------------ ------------------ Age 1990 1996 1990 1996 1990 1996 1990 1996 1990 1996 1990 1996 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 292 422 564 809 31 51 139 193 1,067 1,571 548 688 18-19 271 407 518 771 13 27 90 143 1,084 1,337 360 688 20-24 652 995 1,220 1,886 61 71 295 406 2,296 3,385 972 1,514 25-29 799 1,078 1,493 2,024 95 123 354 442 2,949 4,131 1,341 1,488 30-34 708 1,006 1,327 1,845 87 160 336 469 2,640 3,671 1,185 1,446 35-39 526 875 989 1,615 67 134 245 412 1,973 3,398 1,069 1,279 40-44 375 658 715 1,244 41 82 196 322 1,433 2,431 779 1,233 45-54 211 360 410 692 21 42 137 198 590 1,347 535 690 55 or old 49 69 109 151 3 5 32 44 168 218 142 188 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- a\Based on estimates of the U.S. resident population on July 1 of each year and adjusted for the Census undercount. See Methodology for further details. b\Excludes Hispanics. ___________________________________________________ Incarceration rates rose the sharpest among older age groups. Between 1990 and 1996, the number of prisoners per 100,000 residents increased 66% among persons age 35 to 39; 75% among persons 40 to 44; and 71% among persons 45 to 54. Relative to their number in the U.S. resident population, the number of men in prison grew more slowly than the number of women. During the 6-year period, the female prison incarceration rate rose 65% (from 31 per 100,000 to 51) while the male rate rose 43% (from 564 to 809). Among women age 35 to 54, these rates doubled. In 1990 and 1996 non-Hispanic blacks were about twice as likely as Hispanics and nearly 8 times more likely than non-Hispanic whites to be in State or Federal prison. At year-end 1996 there were 1,571 sentenced black inmates per 100,000 blacks in the United States, compared to 688 sentenced Hispanic inmates per 100,000 Hispanics and 193 white inmates per 100,000 whites. For some age groups, the racial and ethnic disparities were even larger: among persons age 25 to 29, an estimated 4.1% of blacks were in prison in 1996, compared to 1.5% of Hispanics and 0.4% of whites. --------------------------------------------------- An estimated 7% of black males in their twenties and thirties were in prison in 1996 --------------------------------------------------- When incarceration rates are estimated separately for men and women, black males in their twenties and thirties are found to have very high rates relative to other groups (table 14). Expressed in terms of percentages, 8.3% of black males age 25 to 29 were in prison in 1996, compared to 2.6% of Hispanic males and about 0.8% of white males in the same age group. Although incarceration rates drop with age, the percentage of black males age 45 to 54 in prison in 1996 was still nearly 2.8% -- equivalent to the highest rate among Hispanic males (age 20 to 24) and more than 3 times larger than the highest rate (0.9%) among white males (age 30 to 34). ___________________________________________________ Table 14. Number of sentenced prisoners under State or Federal jurisdiction per 100,000 residents, by sex, race, Hispanic origin, and age, 1996 Number of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 residents of each group --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Male Female ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ Age Total White Black Hispanic Total White Black Hispanic Total 809 370 3,098 1,278 51 23 188 78 18-19 771 263 2,615 1,303 27 17 74 32 20-24 1,886 762 6,740 2,774 71 35 203 115 25-29 2,024 829 8,319 2,609 123 54 415 186 30-34 1,845 862 7,052 2,547 160 73 597 200 35-39 1,615 759 6,601 2,278 134 61 518 193 40-44 1,244 606 4,824 2,308 82 38 326 126 45-54 692 380 2,768 1,313 42 20 161 93 55 or older 151 96 505 413 5 3 18 9 ___________________________________________________ Female incarceration rates, though substantially lower than male incarceration rates at every age, reveal similar racial and ethnic disparities. Black females (with an incarceration rate of 188 per 100,000) were more than twice as likely as Hispanic females (78 per 100,000) and 8 times more likely than white females (23 per 100,000) to be in prison in 1996. These differences among white, black, and Hispanic females were consistent across all age groups. --------------------------------------------------- Growth linked to increasing number of inmates in State prison for violent and drug offenses --------------------------------------------------- Between 1990 and 1996 the distribution of the four major offense categories -- violent, property, drug, and public-order offenses -- did not change among State prisoners. Percent of sentenced State inmates* --------------------- 1990 1996 --------- --------- Total 100% 100% Violent 46 47 Property 25 23 Drug 22 23 Public-order 7 7 *See Methodology for estimation for each year In absolute numbers, however, the largest growth in State inmates was among violent offenders. Between 1990 and 1996 the number of violent offenders grew 179,500, while the number of drug offenders grew 87,900 (table 15). As a percentage of the total growth, violent offenders accounted for 50% of the total growth, drug offenders 25%, property offenders 18%, and public-order offenders 7%. ___________________________________________________ Table 15. Estimated number of sentenced prisoners under State jurisdiction, by offense and sex, 1990 and 1996 All prisoners Male Female ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Offenses 1990 1996 1990 1996 1990 1996 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 689,600 1,048,000 652,800 984,600 36,700 63,400 Violent offenses 315,900 495,400 304,800 477,900 11,100 17,500 Murder\a 72,500 112,700 68,400 107,700 4,100 5,000 Manslaughter 13,300 16,900 12,000 15,400 1,300 1,600 Rape 24,700 39,200 24,600 38,800 100 300 Other sexual assault 39,400 63,200 39,000 62,600 400 600 Robbery 99,900 142,000 97,200 137,800 2,700 4,200 Assault 53,700 98,600 51,600 94,400 2,100 4,200 Other violent 12,500 22,700 11,900 21,400 600 1,400 Property offenses 175,000 240,000 163,300 222,600 11,700 17,500 Burglary 87,800 111,100 86,200 108,100 1,600 3,100 Larceny 35,100 49,800 31,000 43,700 4,100 6,200 Motor vehicle theft 14,500 21,600 14,300 20,800 200 800 Fraud 20,300 27,800 16,500 21,700 3,800 6,100 Other property 17,200 29,600 15,200 28,300 2,000 1,300 Drug offenses 149,700 237,600 137,900 213,900 11,800 23,700 Public-order offenses\b 45,800 71,300 43,900 67,000 1,900 4,400 Other/unspecified\c 3,100 3,700 2,900 3,400 200 300 Note: Offense distributions for year-end 1990 and 1996 were estimated using stock-flow method procedures that combine data from the 1991 and 1997 surveys of State prison inmates with estimates of admissions and releases obtained in the National Corrections Reporting Program, 1990-96. See Methodology for further details. a\Includes nonnegligent manslaughter. b\Includes weapons, drunk driving, court offenses, commercialized vice, morals and decency charges, liquor law violations and other public-order offenses. c\Includes juvenile offenses and unspeci fied felonies. ___________________________________________________ Detailed estimates of the State inmates at year-end 1990 and 1996 reveal differences in the sources of growth among male and female inmates. During the period the number of female inmates serving time for drug offenses doubled, while the number of male inmates in for drug offenses rose 55%. The number serving time for violent offenses, however, rose at about the same pace (up 57% for men and 58% for women). Percent change in number of State inmates, 1990-96 -------------------------- Male Female ---------- ---------- Total 51% 73% Violent 57 58 Property 36 50 Drug 55 101 Public-order 53 132 *Based on State inmates with a sentence of more than 1 year. --------------------------------------------------- Sources of population growth differ for white, black, and Hispanic inmates --------------------------------------------------- Estimates of the offense distributions of State inmates also reveal differences in the sources of population growth among white, black, and Hispanic prisoners (table 16). Between 1990 and 1996 the number of black inmates serving time for drug offenses increased from 79,800 to 133,400 (an increase of 67%), while the number of white inmates held for drug offenses increased from 29,600 to 46,300 (up 56%) and the number of Hispanic inmates held for drug offenses increased from 38,700 to 52,300 (up 35%). The number of violent offenders also rose more sharply among black inmates (up 60%)and Hispanic inmates (up 74%)than among white inmates (up 42%). ___________________________________________________ Table 16. Estimated number of sentenced prisoners under State jurisdiction, by offense, race, and Hispanic origin, 1990 and 1996 White Black Hispanic ------------------ ------------------ ------------------ Offenses 1990 1996 1990 1996 1990 1996 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 243,400 350,700 314,700 490,500 115,300 175,500 Violent offenses 117,600 167,200 146,100 234,400 43,700 76,100 Murder 28,400 36,300 32,100 56,300 10,000 17,100 Manslaughter 5,100 6,000 5,700 7,000 2,400 3,200 Rape 11,700 18,100 9,900 16,400 2,000 2,800 Other sexual assault 24,700 38,200 9,000 15,300 4,800 7,800 Robbery 24,600 29,800 59,100 85,600 14,200 21,700 Assault 17,300 31,300 25,500 44,100 8,800 18,800 Other violent 5,800 10,300 4,800 7,800 1,500 3,800 Property offenses 75,200 105,100 70,900 96,200 24,200 33,700 Burglary 38,300 48,600 33,800 44,600 13,700 15,700 Larceny 13,700 19,400 16,300 22,500 4,200 6,600 Motor vehicle theft 5,800 8,600 5,800 7,800 2,600 4,800 Fraud 9,800 14,500 8,200 10,400 1,500 2,600 Other property 7,600 13,700 6,700 11,200 2,200 4,100 Drug offenses 29,600 46,300 79,800 133,400 38,700 52,300 Public-order offense 19,700 31,400 16,600 24,700 8,300 12,600 Other/unspecified 1,300 700 1,400 1,900 400 800 ___________________________________________________ Overall, the increasing number of drug offenses accounted for 30% of the total growth among black inmates, 23% of the total growth among Hispanic inmates, and 16% of the growth among white inmates (table 17). Violent offenders accounted for the largest source of growth for all groups -- among white State inmates (46%), black inmates (50%), and Hispanic inmates (54%). ___________________________________________________ Table 17. Partitioning the total growth of sentenced prisoners under State jurisdiction, by offense, race, and Hispanic origin, 1990-96 White Black Hispanic ------------------ ------------------ ------------------ Increase Percent Increase Percent Increase Percent 1990-96 of total 1990-96 of total 1990-96 of total ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total 107,300 100 % 175,800 100 % 60,200 100 % Violent 49,600 46 88,300 50 32,400 54 Property 29,900 28 25,300 14 9,500 16 Drug 16,700 16 53,600 30 13,600 23 Public-order 11,700 11 8,100 5 4,300 7 ___________________________________________________ --------------------------------------------------- Changing Federal prison population related to drug and weapons violations --------------------------------------------------- Prisoners sentenced for drug offenses constituted the largest group of Federal inmates (60%) in 1996, up from 53% in 1990 (table 18). On September 30, 1996, the date of the latest available data, Federal prisons held 55,194 sentenced drug offenders, compared to 31,300 at year-end 1990. Between 1990 and 1996 the percentage of violent Federal inmates declined from 18% to 12%. As a percentage of all Federal inmates, robbers showed the largest decline, from 12% to 9%. ___________________________________________________ Table 18. Number and percent of sentenced inmates in Federal prisons, by offense, 1990 and 1996 Federal inmates of any sentence length --------------------------------------------------------- Number Percent ------------------------- ------------------------- 1990 1996 1990 1996 Total 59,526 92,672 100 % 100 % Violent offenses 10,728 11,523 18 % 12.4 % Homicide 1,316 1,084 2.2 1.2 Robbery 7,304 8,334 12.3 9 Assault 808 645 1.4 0.7 Other violent 1,300 1,460 2.2 1.6 Property offenses 8,307 7,781 14 % 8.4 % Burglary 412 181 0.7 0.2 Fraud 5,386 5,807 9 6.3 Other property 2,509 1,793 4.2 1.9 Drug offenses 31,300 55,194 52.6 % 59.6 % Public-order offense 8,826 17,227 14.8 % 18.6 % Immigration 1,645 4,476 2.8 4.8 Weapons 3,234 7,480 5.4 8.1 Other public-order 3,947 5,271 6.6 5.7 Other/unknown 365 947 0.6 % 1 % Note: Data for December 31, 1990, and September 30, 1996, were obtained from the BJS Federal justice database. ___________________________________________________ During the period, the number of Federal inmates held for weapons and immigration offenses more than doubled. The number of weapons offenders rose from 3,234 in 1990 to 7,480 in 1996; immigration offenders rose from 1,645 to 4,476. By September 30, 1996, weapon offenders represented 8.1% of Federal inmates and immigration violators 4.8%. As a consequence of the dramatic growth in the number of drug offenders, an increasing percentage of Federal prisoners are black or Hispanic. Between 1990 and 1996, the percent black among Federal inmates rose from 30% to 38%, while the percent white declined from 38% to 30% and the percent Hispanic remained unchanged (about 28%). As a percent of the total growth, drug offenses accounted for a greater share of the increases among black inmates (82%) than among Hispanic (67%) or white inmates (65%) (table 19). Overall, black and Hispanic inmates accounted for three-quarters of the total increase in Federal inmates. ___________________________________________________ Table 19. Partitioning the total growth of sentenced prisoners under Federal jurisdiction, by offense, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 1990-96 Total Male Female White Black Hispanic ------------------ ------------------ ------------------ ------------------ ------------------ ------------------ Increase Percent Increase Percent Increase Percent Increase Percent Increase Percent Increase Percent 1990-96 of total 1990-96 of total 1990-96 of total 1990-96 of total 1990-96 of total 1990-96 of total ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 33,146 100 % 31,089 100 % 2,057 100 % 4,971 100 % 15,609 100 % 9,667 100 % Violent 795 2 765 2 30 1 246 5 -201 -1 34 0 Property -526 -2 -524 -2 -2 0 -201 -4 -525 -3 35 0 Drug 23,894 72 22,173 71 1,721 84 3,211 65 12,852 82 6,482 67 Public-order 8,401 25 8,118 26 283 14 1,626 33 3,258 21 3,064 32 ___________________________________________________ --------------------------------------------------- Methodology --------------------------------------------------- National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) --------------------------------------------------- The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), with the U.S. Bureau of the Census as its collection agent, obtains year-end 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 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 means that 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. Military Corrections Statistics --------------------------------------------------- BJS obtains year-end counts of prisoners in the custody of U.S. military authorities from the Department of Defense Corrections Council. In 1994 the council, comprised of representatives from each branch of military service, adopted a standardized report(DD Form 2707) with a common set of items and definitions. This report provides information on persons held in U.S. military confinement facilities inside and outside the continental United States, by branch of service, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, conviction status and sentence length, and offense. It also includes data on the number of facilities, and their design and rated capacities. Before 1997 all services except the Air Force submitted these reports annually. Information on prisoners held in Air Force facilities was reported for the first time in 1997. Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities --------------------------------------------------- The Surveys of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities, which BJS conducts regularly every 5 to 6 years, provide detailed data on individual characteristics of prison inmates. Based on scientifically selected samples of facilities and of inmates held in them, these surveys provide detailed information unavailable from any other source. (See Harlow, Comparing Federal and State Prison Inmates, 1991, NCJ 145864, for a description of the 1991 surveys, sample designs, and accuracy.) For this report, information on sex, race/Hispanic origin, age, and offense were drawn from the 1991 surveys. Preliminary data from the 1997 surveys were used to estimate changes since 1991. Publications from the 1997 surveys are expected to be released in late 1998 or early 1999. Estimating age-specific incarceration rates --------------------------------------------------- The number of sentenced prisoners within each age group was estimated for men, women, whites, blacks, and Hispanics. Estimates for 1990 and 1996 were produced by combining data from NPS and from the State and Federal prison inmate surveys. The following procedures were used: 1. To obtain estimates of the number of sentenced State and Federal inmates by sex, race, and Hispanic origin in each year, NPS custody counts for men and women were used. These counts of State and Federal inmates were multiplied by the proportion white, black, Hispanic, or other race as estimated from the State and Federal inmate surveys in each year. The estimates were then adjusted to equal the number of sentenced inmates by sex in State and Federal prisons as reported in NPS for year-end 1990 and 1996. 2. To obtain estimates by age in each year, age distributions for each demo-graphic group were drawn from the State and Federal prison inmate surveys. These percentages were then multiplied by the number of sentenced inmates for each group defined by sex, race, and Hispanic origin. 3. Estimates of the U.S. resident population for July 1, 1990, and 1996, were obtained from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. (See U.S. Population estimates, by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1990 to 1995, PPL-41, and update for 1996.) These data were then adjusted for the 1990 decennial census, using the 1990 Post Enumeration Survey. 4. Age-specific rates of incarceration for each demographic group were calculated by dividing the estimated number of sentenced prisoners in each age group by the number of U.S. residents in each age group and then multiplying by 100,000. Estimating offense distributions --------------------------------------------------- The offense distributions of State prisoners were also estimated by combining data from the 1986, 1991, and 1997 State prison inmate surveys, counts by offense of annual admissions and releases in the National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP, 1986-96), and NPS data for 1990 and 1996. The following procedures were used: 1. The total number of sentenced prisoners under State jurisdiction in 1990 by offense was estimated using the forward and backward stock-flow procedures, as outlined in Prisoners in 1996 (NCJ-164619). The offense distributions for each year through 1996 were derived from the NCRP using the forward estimation procedures only. In each year estimates of the number of inmates by offense were calculated by adding all admissions and subtracting all releases from the base population of the previous year. The estimated end-of-year distribution was then used as the base for the next year. This procedure was repeated for each year through 1996. 2. Within each offense category, the distribution by sex, race, and Hispanic origin were obtained from the 1991 and 1997 State inmate surveys. These percents were then multiplied by the estimated total number in each offense category in 1990 and 1996. 3. Final estimates were obtained through an iterative process so that the estimated numbers for men and women equaled the number of sentenced inmates reported in NPS in each year. NPS jurisdiction notes Alabama -- Capacity figures exclude community programs. Alaska -- Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include jail and prison populations. Arizona -- Population counts are based on custody data. Operational capacity excludes temporary beds and double bunks used in situations of crowding. Arkansas -- Only one type of capacity, set by the Board of Corrections and Community Punishment, is reported. Colorado -- Capacity figures exclude Bent County Correctional Center, Huerfano Correctional Center, and facilities under contract in Minnesota. Connecticut -- Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include jail and prison populations. Legislation in 1995 abolished the capacity law so that prisons no longer have a rated or operational capacity. Design capacity is recorded separately in each facility. Population counts were based on jurisdiction data for the first time in 1997. Counts for 1996 were revised. Delaware -- Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include jail and prison populations. Capacity counts include Department of Correction halfway houses. District of Columbia -- Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include jail and prison populations. Federal -- Rated capacity excludes contract beds. Florida -- Population counts are based on custody data. Rated capacity is the maximum safe capacity, and operational capacity is the lawful capacity, as decided by the legislature. Georgia -- Population counts are based on custody data. Hawaii -- Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include jail and prison populations. Idaho -- Operational capacity is the emergency maximum capacity. Illinois -- Population counts are based on custody data. Population counts of inmates with a maximum sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number of inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less. Iowa -- Population counts are based on custody data. Population counts of inmates with a maximum sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number of inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less. Kansas -- Population counts of inmates with a maximum sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number of inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less. Kentucky -- Capacity figures exclude private contract prisons. Louisiana -- Operational capacity is based on day-to-day operation. Rated and operational capacities include contractual work release facilities. Maryland -- Design capacity is no longer reported because of renovations and other changes. Massachusetts -- Population counts are for January 5, 1998. By law, offenders may be sentenced to terms of up to 2« years in locally-operated jails. Such offenders are included in counts and rates for local jails. About 6,200 inmates with sentences of more than 1 year were held in local jails in 1997. Michigan -- Population counts are based on custody data. Counts include adults housed in institutions, camps, and community correction centers and on electronic monitoring. Operational capacity includes institution and camp net capacities and populations in community programs. Nebraska -- Operational capacity is defined as stress capacity (or 125% of design capacity), which is ordered by the governor and set by the Department of Corrections. Nevada -- Rated capacity is defined as emergency capacity. New Jersey -- Rated and operational capacity figures are not maintained. Population counts of inmates with a maximum sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number of inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less. Ohio -- Population counts of inmates with a maximum sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number of inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less. Oklahoma -- For the first time in 1997 population counts based on jurisdiction data include jail backlogs. Population counts of inmates with a maximum sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number of inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less. Oregon -- Under a new law, inmates with under 1 year maximum sentence remain under the control of local counties. Offenders in this category are being phased out of the inmate counts. Rated and design capacities are not recognized. Pennsylvania -- Reported capacities are single cell capacities. Rhode Island -- Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include jail and prison populations. South Carolina -- Population counts include unsentenced inmates on Youthful Offender Act observation status. South Dakota -- Operation capacity is defined as planned capacity. Rated and design capacities are not recognized. Tennessee -- Rated capacity is the total beds available based on the original design plus any modifications. Operational capacity is defined as the percent of total beds deemed appropriate by the Department of Corrections. Population counts of inmates with a maximum sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number of inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less. Texas -- Population counts of inmates with a maximum sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number of inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less. Vermont -- Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include jail and prison populations. Population counts are based on custody data. Population counts exclude inmates on furlough or intermediate sanctions. Virginia -- Population counts for inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less were affected by a new law on January 1, 1995, making the State responsible for felons with a sentence of 6 months or more, and a subsequent change, effective July 1, 1997, limiting responsibility to those with a sentence of 1 year or more. Rated, operational, and design capacity figures are calculated using the base capacity method in which only the bunks that touch the floor are counted. Top bunks are excluded. Washington -- Reported capacities exclude work release and pre-release facilities, because the facilities are not reserved specifically for State inmates. ___________________________________________________ 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. Darrell Gilliard and Allen Beck, Ph.D., of BJS wrote this report. Christopher J. Mumola provided statistical verification. Tom Hester produced and edited the report. Lyndon Diaz produced the Internet version. Marilyn Marbrook administered final production, assisted by Yvonne Boston. Data collection and processing for the NPS program were carried out by Marc I. Roemer under the supervision of Gertrude Odom and Kathleen Creighton, Demographic Surveys Division, U.S. Bureau of the Census. August 1998, NCJ 170014 ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ This report in portable document format and in ASCII, its tables, and related statistical data are available at the BJS World Wide Web Internet site: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ ___________________________________________________ LGD 7/31/98 END OF FILE