Prisoners in 1998 U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics August 1999, NCJ 175687 By Allen J. Beck, Ph.D., BJS Statistician, and Christopher J. Mumola, BJS Policy Analyst 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 total number of prisoners under the jurisdiction of Federal or State adult correctional authorities was 1,302,019 at yearend 1998. During the year the States and the District of Columbia added 49,798 prisoners, and the Federal prison system added 10,068 prisoners. Overall, the Nation's prison population grew 4.8%, which was less than the average annual growth of 6.7% since 1990. In absolute numbers, prison growth during 1998 was equivalent to 1,151 more inmates per week, up from 1,130 per week in 1997. --------------------------------------------------- Highlights Sentenced Population prisoners per 100,000 housed as a percent Number of inmates resident population of highest capacity December 31 Federal State Federal State Federal State 1990 65526 708393 20 272 151 115 1995 100250 1025624 32 379 126 114 1996 105544 1077824 33 394 125 116 1997 112973 1129180 35 410 119 115 1998 123041 1178978 38 423 127 113 *During 1998 the number of female prisoners rose by 6.5%, greater than the increase in male prisoners (4.7%). At yearend 1998, 84,427 women were in State or Federal prisons -- 6.5% of all prison inmates. *On December 31, 1998, State prisons were operating at between 13% and 22% above capacity, while Federal prisons were operating at 27% above capacity. *California (161,904), Texas (144,510), and the Federal system (123,041) together held 1 in every 3 prisoners in the Nation. Fifteen States, each holding fewer than 5,000 inmates, together held less than 4% of the Nation=s prisoners. *Seven jurisdictions had increases of at least 10% in 1998, led by Mississippi (16.7%) and North Dakota (14.8%). Four jurisdictions --Alaska (down 1.6%), Hawaii (-1.1%), Massachusetts (-1.0%), and Maine (-0.5%) -- experienced decreases. *Eighteen States housed inmates in other State or Federal facilities in 1998. Wisconsin had the most inmates in other States (3,028). *Factors underlying the growth in the State prison population between 1990 and 1997 included-- --a 39% rise in the number of parole violators returned to prison and a 4% increase in new court commitments. --a drop in annual release rates of inmates from 37% in 1990 to 31% in 1997. --an increase in the average time served in prison by released inmates (from 22 months in 1990 to 27 months in 1997) and in the time expected to be served by those entering prison (from 38 months to 43 months). --a small but growing number (10%) of inmates who will serve 20 or more years in prison before release and 5% who will never be released. *Analyses of imprisonment rates from 1990 to 1997 reveal -- --a 49% increase among males and a 71% increase among females in the number of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 residents. --widespread disparities by race and Hispanic origin. In 1997 the rate among black males in their late twenties reached 8,630 prisoners per 100,000 residents compared to 2,703 among Hispanic males and 868 among white males. --------------------------------------------------- At yearend 1998, more than 1,825,000 U.S. residents were in either jail or prison. State and Federal prisons housed two-thirds of the incarcerated population. Jails, which are locally operated and typically hold persons awaiting trial and those with sentences of a year or less, held the other third (592,462). Relative to the number of U.S. residents, the rate of incarceration in prisons at yearend 1998 was 461 sentenced inmates per 100,000 residents -- up from 292 in 1990. On December 31, 1998, 1 in every 113 men and 1 in every 1,754 women were sentenced prisoners under the jurisdiction of State or Federal authorities. --------------------------------------------------- Table 1. Number of persons held in State or Federal prisons or in local jails, 1990-98 Number of State and Federal Inmates in Total inmates prisoners on December 31 local jails Incarceration Year in custody Jurisdiction/a Custody on June 30 rate/b 1990 1148702 773919 743382 405320 461 1991 1219014 825559 792535 426479 483 1992 1295150 882500 850566 444584 508 1993 1369185 970444 909381 459804 531 1994 1476621 1054702 990147 486474 567 1995 1585589 1125874 1078542 507044 601 1996 1646020 1183368 1127528 518492 618 1997 1744001 1242153 1176922 567079 649 1998/c 1825400 1302019 1232900 592462 672 Average annual increase, 1990-98 6.0% 6.7% 6.5% 4.9% Note: Jail counts for 1994-98 exclude persons supervised outside of a jail facility. 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 yearend. c/The 1998 prison custody count was estimated and rounded to nearest 100. From yearend 1990 to yearend 1998 -- * The Nation's incarcerated population rose by nearly 676,700 inmates, increasing at an average annual rate of 6.0%. *State, Federal, and local governments had to accommodate an additional 84,587 inmates per year (or the equivalent of 1,627 new inmates per week). *The rate of incarceration increased from 1 in every 217 U.S. residents to 1 in every 149. *The Nation's prison and local jail facilities added space for about 675,270 inmates. By 1998 State prisons were 13% above their highest capacity; Federal prisons 27% above their rated capacity; and local jails 3% below their rated capacity. -------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. prison population rose 4.8% during 1998 -- the smallest annual growth rate since 1979 The 1998 prison growth rate of 4.8% was slightly smaller than the percentage increase recorded during 1997 (5.0%) (table 2). -------------------------------------------------------------- Table 2. Change in the State and Federal prison populations, 1990-98 Annual increase Annual Number percent Year of inmates Number change 1990 773919 1991 825559 51640 6.7% 1992 882500 56941 6.9 1993* 970444 64992 7.4 1994 1054702 84258 8.7 1995 1125874 71172 6.7 1996 1183368 57494 5.1 1997 1242153 58785 5.0 1998 1302019 59866 4.8 Average annual increase, 1990-98 63144 6.7% 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. The 1993 count (947,492), excluding the noncustody population in Texas and may be used for comparisons. -------------------------------------------------------------- The total prison population increased by 59,866 inmates during 1998, slightly higher than in 1997 (up 58,785). Since 1990 the total prison population has grown an average of 63,144 per year, for an overall increase of 528,100 in 8 years. Prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year ("sentenced prisoners") represented 96% of the total prison population at yearend 1998. During the 12-month period, the sentenced prison population grew 4.8% (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). --------------------------------------------------- Prisoners under military jurisdiction, by branch of service, yearend 1997 and 1998 Branch of Number Percent change, Percent of service 1998 1997 1899 prisoners, 1998 To which prisoners belonged Total 2426 2772 -12.5 100% Air Force 484 575 -15.8 20.0 Army 862 1063 -18.9 35.3 Marine Corps 682 628 8.6 28.1 Navy 389 490 -20.6 16.0 Coast Guard 9 16 -43.8 0.4 Holding prisoners Total 2426 2772 -12.5 100% Air Force 128 103 24.3 5.3 Army 1115 1494 -22.7 47.6 Marine Corps 617 571 8.1 25.4 Navy 526 604 -12.9 21.7 Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding. At yearend 1998 U.S. military authorities held 2,426 prisoners in 69 facilities About 84% of prisoners held by the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps were convicted inmates; 16% were unconvicted persons whose cases had not been tried. Fifty-seven percent of the prisoners (1,377) had sentences of 1 year or more. At yearend 1998 the Army's Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and five other local or regional Army facilities held almost half (48%) of all inmates under military jurisdiction. The 7 Marine Corps facilities held 25% of all inmates; the 11 Navy facilities, 22% of all inmates; and the 45 Air Force facilities held 5% of all inmates. The operational capacity of the 69 military confinement facilities totaled 4,588. At yearend 1998 these facilities were operating at 53% of their operational capacity. -------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- Table 3. Prisoners under the jurisdiction of State or Federal correctional authorities, by region and jurisdiction, ye Sentenced to more than 1 year Total Percent Incar- Region Percent change, change ceration and jurisdiction Advance 1998 1997 1997-98 Advance 1998 1997 1997-98 rate, 1998/a U.S. total 1302019 1242153 4.8 1252830 1195498 4.8 461 Federal 123041 112973 8.9 103682 94987 9.2 38 State 1178978 1129180 4.4 1149148 1100511 4.4 423 Northeast 178225 171237 4.1 169731 162744 4.3 328 Connecticut/b 17605 17241 2.1 12193 11920 2.3 372 Maine 1612 1620 -0.5 1562 1542 1.3 125 Massachusetts/c 11832 11947 -1.0 10739 10847 -1.0 275 New Hampshire 2169 2168 0 2169 2168 0 182 New Jersey/e 31121 28361 9.7 31121 28361 9.7 382 New York 72638 70295 3.3 72289 70021 3.2 397 Pennsylvania 36377 34964 4.0 36373 34957 4.1 303 Rhode Island/b 3445 3371 2.2 2175 2100 3.6 220 Vermont/b 1426 1270 12.3 1110 828 34.1 188 Midwest 228177 218369 4.5 226788 217383 4.3 360 Illinois/d,e 43051 40788 5.5 43051 40788 5.5 357 Indiana 19197 17903 7.2 19016 17730 7.3 321 Iowa/d,e 7394 6938 6.6 7394 6938 6.6 258 Kansas/e 8183 7911 3.4 8183 7911 3.4 310 Michigan 45879 44771 2.5 45879 44771 2.5 466 Minnesota 5572 5326 4.6 5557 5306 4.7 117 Missouri 24974 23998 4.1 24949 23998 4.0 457 Nebraska 3676 3402 8.1 3588 3329 7.8 215 North Dakota 915 797 14.8 814 715 13.8 128 Ohio/e 48450 48016 0.9 48450 48016 0.9 432 South Dakota 2435 2242 8.6 2430 2242 8.4 329 Wisconsin 18451 16277 13.4 17477 15639 11.8 334 South 511525 490493 4.3 499184 479278 4.2 520 Alabama 23326 22290 4.6 22655 21680 4.5 519 Arkansas 10638 10021 6.2 10561 9936 6.3 415 Delaware/b 5558 5435 2.3 3211 3264 -1.6 429 Dist.of Col./b 9949 9353 6.4 9949 9353 6.4 1913 Florida/d 67224 64626 4.0 67193 64574 4.1 447 Georgia/d 39262 36505 7.6 38758 35787 8.3 502 Kentucky 14987 14600 2.7 14987 14600 2.7 379 Louisiana 32227 29265 10.1 32227 29265 10.1 736 Maryland 22572 22232 1.5 21540 21088 2.1 418 Mississippi 16678 14296 16.7 15855 13676 15.9 574 North Carolina 31811 31612 0.6 27193 27567 -1.4 358 Oklahoma/e 20892 20542 1.7 20892 20542 1.7 622 South Carolina 22115 21173 4.4 21236 20264 4.8 550 Tennessee/e 17738 16659 6.5 17738 16659 6.5 325 Texas/e 144510 140351 3.0 144510 140351 3.0 724 Virginia 28560 28385 0.6 27191 27524 -1.2 399 West Virginia 3478 3148 10.5 3478 3148 10.5 192 West 261051 249081 4.8 253445 241106 5.1 417 Alaska/b 4097 4165 -1.6 2541 2571 -1.2 413 Arizona/d 25311 23484 7.8 23955 22353 7.2 507 California 161904 155790 3.9 159109 152739 4.2 483 Colorado 14312 13461 6.3 14312 13461 6.3 357 Hawaii/b 4924 4978 -1.1 3670 3448 6.4 307 Idaho 4083 3911 4.4 4083 3911 4.4 330 Montana 2734 2517 8.6 2734 2517 8.6 310 Nevada 9651 9024 6.9 9651 9024 6.9 542 New Mexico 4985 4688 6.3 4732 4450 6.3 271 Oregon 8927 7999 11.6 8596 7589 13.3 260 Utah 4391 4301 2.1 4337 4280 1.3 205 Washington 14161 13214 7.2 14154 13214 7.1 247 Wyoming 1571 1549 1.4 1571 1549 1.4 327 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. Data include total jail and prison population. c/The incarceration rate includes an estimated 6,200 inmates sentenced to more than 1 year but held in local jails or houses of corrections. d/Population figures are based on custody counts. e/"Sentenced to more than 1 year" includes some inmates "sentenced to 1 year or less." -------------------------------------------------------------- The sentenced Federal prison population grew at over twice the rate of the sentenced State prison population during 1998 (9.2% compared to 4.4%). The sentenced Federal population grew faster than in 1997 (6.9%), while growth in the sentenced State population was down from 1997 (4.8%). On December 31, 1998, the number of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents was 461. Of the 11 States with rates greater than that for the Nation, 7 were in the South, 3 were in the West, and 1 was in the Midwest. Three States -- Minnesota (117), Maine (125), and North Dakota (128) -- had rates that were less than a third of the national rate. The District of Columbia, a wholly urban jurisdiction, held 1,913 sentenced prisoners per 100,000 residents. Since 1990 the number of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 residents has risen from 292 to 461. During this period, incarceration rates rose most in the South (from 316 to 520) and West (from 277 to 417). The rate in the Midwest rose from 239 to 360, and the rate in the Northeast grew from 232 to 328. The number of sentenced Federal prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents increased from 20 to 38. Seven States reported increases of at least 10% during 1998 Between January 1 and December 31, Mississippi experienced the largest increase (up 16.7%), followed by North Dakota (14.8%), Wisconsin (13.4%), Vermont (12.3%), Oregon (11.6%), West Virginia (10.5%), and Louisiana (10.1%). Four States experienced a decline in prison populations. Alaska had the largest decline (down 1.6%), followed by Hawaii (down 1.1%), Massachusetts (down 1.0%), and Maine (down 0.5%). In absolute numbers of inmates, 11 jurisdictions grew by at least 2,000. The Federal system (up 10,068 inmates), experienced the largest growth, followed by California (up 6,114), Texas (up 4,159), Louisiana (up 2,962), and New Jersey (up 2,760). These five jurisdictions, which incarcerated nearly 40% of all prisoners, accounted for 44% of the total growth during 1997. Growth in sentenced State prisoners showed little regional variation During 1998 the number of sentenced State and Federal prisoners grew by an additional 1,102 inmates per week. The 1998 average weekly increase was 15 inmates greater than the weekly increase in 1997 and 71 greater than in 1996. Unlike recent years, there was little regional variation in the growth of the sentenced State prison population during 1998. The Western States had the highest percentage increase, with a gain of 5.1% in the number of sentenced prisoners, followed closely by the Midwest and Northeast (both rose 4.3%), and the South (4.2%). Twenty-three States recorded higher growth rates of sentenced prisoners in 1998 than in 1997. Of these, four recorded growth rates over 10% in 1998: Vermont (34.1%), Mississippi (15.9%), North Dakota (13.8%), and Louisiana (10.1%). Five States reported increases of less than 2% during 1998, including New Hampshire, which reported an increase of one sentenced inmate. Delaware (-1.6%), North Carolina (-1.4%), Alaska and Virginia (both -1.2%), and Massachusetts (-1.0%) experienced declines. Since 1990 the sentenced inmate population in State prisons has grown 64.9% (table 4). During this period 14 States reported increases of at least 75%, led by Texas (up 155%) and West Virginia (up 122%). Maine was the only State to report an increase of less than 10% (up 5.5%). During this time the Federal system reported an increase of 106% -- 53,279 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, 1990-98 Average Region and Population Percent annual per- jurisdiction difference change cent change U.S. total 505712 67.7 % 6.7 % Federal 53279 105.7 % 9.4 % State 452433 64.9 6.5 Northeast 50668 42.6 % 4.5 % Connecticut 4422 56.9 5.8 Maine 82 5.5 0.7 Massachusetts/a 2840 36.0 3.9 New Hampshire 827 61.6 6.2 New Jersey 9993 47.3 5.0 New York 17394 31.7 3.5 Pennsylvania 14092 63.2 6.3 Rhode Island 589 37.1 4.0 Vermont 429 63.0 6.3 Midwest 81207 55.8 % 5.7 % Illinois 15535 56.5 5.8 Indiana/a 6401 50.7 5.3 Iowa 3427 86.4 8.1 Kansas 2408 41.7 4.5 Michigan/a 11612 33.9 3.7 Minnesota 2381 75.0 7.2 Missouri 10006 67.0 6.6 Nebraska 1302 57.0 5.8 North Dakota 379 87.1 8.1 Ohio 16628 52.3 5.4 South Dakota 1089 81.2 7.7 Wisconsin 10039 -- -- South 216593 76.6 % 7.4 % Alabama 7290 47.4 5.0 Arkansas 3287 45.2 4.8 Delaware 970 43.3 4.6 Dist. of Col./a 3151 46.4 4.9 Florida 22813 51.4 5.3 Georgia 17087 78.8 7.5 Kentucky 5964 66.1 6.5 Louisiana 13628 73.3 7.1 Maryland 4806 28.7 3.2 Mississippi 7771 96.1 8.8 North Carolina/a 9429 53.1 5.5 Oklahoma 8607 70.1 6.9 South Carolina 5028 31.0 3.4 Tennessee 7350 70.8 6.9 Texas/b 87726 154.5 12.4 Virginia 9773 56.1 5.7 West Virginia 1913 122.2 10.5 West 103965 69.6 % 6.8 % Alaska 690 37.3 4.0 Arizona 10174 73.8 7.2 California/a 64987 69.0 6.8 Colorado 6641 86.6 8.1 Hawaii 1962 114.9 10.0 Idaho 2122 108.2 9.6 Montana 1309 91.9 8.5 Nevada 3828 65.7 6.5 New Mexico 1665 54.3 5.6 Oregon 2104 32.4 3.6 Utah 1863 75.3 7.3 Washington 6159 77.0 7.4 Wyoming/a 461 41.5 4.4 --Not calculated because of changes in reporting procedures. a/Growth may be slightly overestimated due to a change in reporting from custody to jurisdiction counts. b/Includes 6,742 "paper-ready" State inmates in held in local jails in 1990. -------------------------------------------------------------- Among States, Louisiana had the highest incarceration rate; Minnesota, the lowest At yearend 1998 the 10 jurisdictions with the largest prison populations had under their jurisdiction 782,326 inmates, or 60% of the Nation's total prison population (table 5). California (161,904), Texas (144,510), and the Federal system (123,041) 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. Louisiana had the highest prison incarceration rate (736 sentenced inmates per 100,000 residents), followed by Texas (724), Oklahoma (622), Mississippi (574), and South Carolina (550). Six States had prison incarceration rates below 200, led by Minnesota (117), Maine (125), and North Dakota (128). Since 1990 three States had average annual prison population increases of at least 10%: Texas (12.4%), West Virginia (10.5%), and Hawaii (10.0%). Seven States had average annual growth rates of less than 4%, led by Maine (0.7%), Maryland (3.2%), and South Carolina (3.4%). Female prisoner population nearly doubled since 1990 During 1998 the number of women under the jurisdiction of State or Federal prison authorities increased 6.5%, from 79,268 to 84,427, outpacing the rise in the number of men for the third consecutive year (table 6). The number of men grew from 1,162,885 to 1,217,592, an increase of 4.7%. -------------------------------------------------------------- Table 6. Prisoners under the jurisdiction of State or Federal correctional authorities, by gender, yearend 1990, 1997, and 1998 Men Women All inmates Advance 1998 1217592 84427 Final 1997 1162885 79268 Final 1990 729840 44065 Percent change, 1997-98 4.7 % 6.5 % Average annual, 1990-98 6.6 8.5 Sentenced to more than 1 year Advance 1998 1174124 78706 Final 1997 1121663 73835 Percent change, 1997-98 4.7 % 6.6 % Incarceration rate* 1998 885 57 1990 572 32 *The number of prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year per 100,000 residents on December 31. -------------------------------------------------------------- Since 1990 the annual rate of growth of the female inmate population has averaged 8.5%, higher than the 6.6% average increase in the number of male inmates. While the total number of male prisoners has grown 67% since 1990, the number of female prisoners has increased 92%. By yearend 1998 women accounted for 6.5% 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 yearend 1998 there were 57 sentenced female inmates per 100,000 women in the United States, compared to 885 sentenced male inmates per 100,000 men. Over a third of all female prisoners were held in the three largest jurisdictions: California (11,694), Texas (10,343), and the Federal system (9,186) (table 7). Oklahoma (with 122 sentenced female inmates per 100,000 female State residents) and Texas (with 102) had the highest female incarceration rates. Maine and Vermont (both with 9 sentenced female prisoners per 100,000 female residents) had the lowest incarceration rates. -------------------------------------------------------------- Table 7. Women under the jurisdiction of State or Federal correctional authorities, 1990-98 Percent change Number of female inmates Average, Incarceration 1998 1990 1997-98 1990-98/a rate, 1998/b U.S. total 84427 44065 6.5 8.5 57 Federal 9186 5011 10.6 7.9 5 State 75241 39054 6.0 8.5 51 Northeast 9367 6293 3.6 5.1 31 Connecticut 1357 683 -3.1 9.0 43 Maine 63 44 1.6 4.6 9 Massachusetts/c 750 582 2.3 3.2 13 New Hampshire 116 44 6.4 12.9 19 New Jersey 1653 1041 17.7 6.0 39 New York 3631 2691 -0.3 3.8 38 Pennsylvania 1517 1006 6.5 5.3 24 Rhode Island 235 166 10.3 4.4 18 Vermont 45 36 -15.1 2.8 9 Midwest 13684 7521 7.0 7.8 42 Illinois 2646 1183 8.9 10.6 43 Indiana/c 1198 681 11.9 7.3 39 Iowa 491 212 -7.0 11.1 33 Kansas 523 284 9.9 7.9 39 Michigan/c 2052 1688 -0.2 2.5 41 Minnesota 288 159 11.6 7.7 12 Missouri 1880 777 11.0 11.7 67 Nebraska 254 145 14.4 7.3 28 North Dakota 69 20 11.3 16.7 19 Ohio 2912 1947 2.5 5.2 50 South Dakota 202 77 19.5 12.8 54 Wisconsin 1169 348 18.4 -- 42 South 33345 15366 5.3 10.2 65 Alabama 1525 955 12.1 6.0 64 Arkansas 696 435 13.9 6.1 52 Delaware 440 226 14.9 8.7 51 District of Col./c 478 606 17.4 -2.9 173 Florida 3526 2664 3.1 3.6 45 Georgia 2474 1243 8.4 9.0 61 Kentucky 1046 479 -0.6 10.3 51 Louisiana 2126 775 13.8 13.4 94 Maryland 1140 877 2.9 3.3 39 Mississippi 1213 448 26.1 13.3 77 North Carolina/c 1932 945 3.9 9.4 35 Oklahoma 2091 1071 1.9 8.7 122 South Carolina 1412 1053 8.4 3.7 63 Tennessee 886 390 11.0 10.8 31 Texas/d 10343 2196 0.4 -- 102 Virginia 1806 927 5.6 8.7 47 West Virginia 211 76 13.4 13.6 23 West 18845 9874 7.9 8.4 58 Alaska 302 128 -0.7 11.3 54 Arizona 1780 835 14.1 9.9 66 California/c 11694 6502 7.1 7.6 67 Colorado 1070 433 12.8 12.0 53 Hawaii 430 171 -17.0 12.2 60 Idaho 321 120 22.1 13.1 52 Montana 248 76 48.5 15.9 56 Nevada 743 406 6.9 7.8 85 New Mexico 315 193 -15.8 6.3 32 Oregon 523 362 16.2 4.7 29 Utah 270 125 26.8 10.1 25 Washington 1018 435 10.2 11.2 35 Wyoming/c 131 88 -3.7 5.1 55 --Not calculated because of changes in reporting procedures. a/The average annual percentage increase from 1990 to 1998. b/The number of female prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year per 100,000 U.S. residents. c/Growth from 1990 to 1998 may be slightly overestimated due to a change in reporting from custody to jurisdiction counts. d/Excludes an unknown number of female inmates in 1990 who were paper-ready" State inmates held in local jails. -------------------------------------------------------------- Since 1990 the female prisoner population grew at annual average rate of at least 10% in 18 States. North Dakota reported the highest average annual increase in female prisoners (16.7%), while the District of Columbia was the only jurisdiction to report fewer female prisoners since 1990, averaging a 2.9% annual decline. Local jails held over 24,000 State prisoners because of crowding At the end of 1998, 30 States reported a total of 24,925 State prisoners held in local jails or other facilities because of crowding in State facilities (table 8). These inmates held in local jails represent 2.1% of all State prisoners, up slightly from 2.0% in 1997. -------------------------------------------------------------- Table 8. State prisoners held in local jails because of prison crowding, by State, yearend 1997 and 1998 State prisoners held in local jails Number As a percent of State inmates 1998 1997 1998 1997 U.S. total 24925 22941 2.1 % 2.0 % New Jersey 3811 2864 12.2 % 10.1 % Colorado 2716 1886 19.0 14.0 New York 2288 918 3.1 1.3 Virginia 2169 3753 7.6 13.2 Tennessee 2119 1428 11.9 8.6 Mississippi 1639 1463 9.8 9.5 Indiana 1408 1323 7.3 7.4 Alabama 1403 1824 6.0 8.2 New Mexico 1230 557 24.7 11.9 Kentucky 1073 1144 7.2 7.8 Oklahoma 920 802 4.4 % 3.9 % Utah 779 348 17.7 8.1 West Virginia 651 775 18.7 24.2 Massachusetts 509 484 4.3 4.1 Arkansas 432 1376 4.1 13.7 South Carolina 377 400 1.7 1.9 Wisconsin 296 284 1.6 1.9 North Carolina 255 282 0.8 0.9 Michigan* 208 151 0.5 0.3 Arizona* 197 211 0.8 0.9 Montana 144 217 5.3 % 9.7 % Idaho 77 31 1.9 0.8 Minnesota 67 50 1.2 0.9 New Hampshire 54 66 2.5 3.0 Wyoming 41 29 2.6 1.9 Pennsylvania 27 25 0.1 0.1 North Dakota 21 68 2.3 8.5 Oregon 14 72 0.2 0.9 Missouri 0 55 -- 0.2 Alaska 0 55 -- 1.3 Note: Excludes 10,795 Louisiana inmates at yearend 1997 and 13,211 inmates at yearend 1998 held in local jails as a result of a partnership with local authorities. See Jurisdiction notes. --Not calculated. *In States without jail backups in the count, the percentage is based on the total of State inmates in jail and prison. inmates in jail and prison. -------------------------------------------------------------- New Mexico and West Virginia had the largest percentage of their inmate population housed in local jails, 24.7% and 18.7% respectively. Three other States -- Utah (17.7%), New Jersey (12.2%), and Tennessee (11.9%) -- had at least 10% of their population housed in local jail facilities. In addition to housing inmates in local jails, 18 States eased prison crowding by placing inmates in other States or in Federal facilities. On December 31, 1998, 11,105 prisoners nationwide were held under such arrangements -- representing about 1% of all State prisoners. Wisconsin placed the most inmates (3,028), followed by the District of Columbia (2,660) and Michigan (1,317). The District of Columbia (26.7%), Hawaii (23.8%), and Arkansas (21.6%) had more than 20% of their prison population housed in facilities of other States or the Federal system. Prisoners held in other States housing States or Federal facilities prisoners in As a percent other States or of all State Federal facilities Number prisoners U.S. total 11,105 0.9% Wisconsin 3,028 16.4 Dist. of Col. 2,660 26.7 Michigan 1,317 2.9 Hawaii 1,174 23.8 Arkansas 887 21.6 Montana 394 14.4 Delaware 300 5.4 Vermont 247 17.3 Idaho 200 4.9 Indiana 184 1.0 Massachusetts 173 1.5 Alabama 114 0.5 Iowa 100 1.3 Wyoming 100 6.4 Oregon 80 0.9 New Hampshire 79 3.6 North Dakota 50 5.5 Colorado 18 0.1 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Prisoners in custody of correctional authorities in the U.S. Territories, yearend 1997 and 1998 Total Sentenced to more than 1 year Percent Percent Incar- Advance Final change, Advance Final change, ceration 1998 1997 1997-98 1998 1997 1997-98 rate, 1998* Total 17,824 15,762 13.1 13,406 11,790 13.7 315 American Samoa 112 102 9.8 95 92 3.3 153 Guam 629 464 35.6 272 301 -9.6 182 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 112 63 77.8 52 63 -17.5 78 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 16,524 14,716 12.3 12,747 11,097 14.9 330 U.S. Virgin Islands 447 417 7.2 240 237 1.3 203 *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 nearly 18,000 inmates in 1998 The U.S. Territories and Commonwealths -- American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands -- reported 17,824 inmates under the jurisdiction of their prison systems at yearend 1998 -- an increase of 13.1% since 1997. Prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year totaled 13,406 (or three-quarters of the total territorial prison population). Since 1995, the number of sentenced prisoners held in U.S. Territories has grown 40%, compared to the 15% increase in the number of sentenced State prisoners. Relative to the resident populations in the Territories, the rate of incarceration was 315 prisoners per 100,000 residents -- over 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 (78 inmates per 100,000 residents), while Puerto Rico (with 330) had the highest rate. Puerto Rico, the largest of the Territories, had the most sentenced prisoners (12,747 at yearend 1998), up from 11,097 in 1997. In 1998, 24 States and the District of Columbia had fewer sentenced inmates than Puerto Rico; 23 States had equal or lower incarceration rates. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 yearend 1998: 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, 30 supplied a rated capacity; 43, an operational capacity; and 35, a design capacity (table 9). Twenty-two jurisdictions provided only 1 measure or the same figure for each measure they reported. For the 30 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, yearend 1998 Type of capacity measure Population as a percent of -- Region and jurisdiction Rated Operational Design Highest capacity/a Lowest capacity/a Federal/a 86315 . . . . . . 127 % 127 % Northeast Connecticut/c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maine 1460 1629 1460 99 % 110 % Massachusetts . . . . . . 9162 122 122 New Hampshire 1841 1864 1744 109 117 New Jersey/b . . . . . . 17282 158 158 New York 60879 65717 53409 107 132 Pennsylvania/b 24247 30992 24247 117 150 Rhode Island 3858 3858 3858 89 89 Vermont 1140 1140 1023 103 115 Midwest Illinois 32062 32062 27342 134 % 157 % Indiana 13983 17119 . . . 101 123 Iowa 5701 5701 5701 130 130 Kansas 8189 . . . . . . 100 100 Michigan/b . . . 44804 . . . 99 99 Minnesota/b 5567 5724 5724 96 99 Missouri/b . . . 26302 . . . 95 95 Nebraska/b . . . 2963 2371 124 155 North Dakota/b 1005 952 1005 84 89 Ohio 37245 . . . . . . 130 130 South Dakota/b . . . 2470 . . . 99 99 Wisconsin/b . . . 11136 . . . 136 136 South Alabama 21800 21800 21800 100 % 100 % Arkansas/b 10208 10208 10208 100 100 Delaware/b . . . 4206 3192 125 165 District of Columbia/d 7973 7289 . . . 91 100 Florida/b 77370 70785 52407 87 128 Georgia/b . . . 39320 . . . 100 100 Kentucky 11428 11180 7421 122 187 Louisiana/b 19016 18975 . . . 100 100 Maryland/b . . . 22688 . . . 99 99 Mississippi/b . . . 13916 14649 103 108 North Carolina/b 27866 . . . 27866 113 113 Oklahoma . . . 21578 . . . 93 93 South Carolina/b . . . 22595 21265 96 102 Tennessee/b 16130 15778 . . . 97 99 Texas 148756 148756 151430 95 97 Virginia/b 29171 29171 29171 90 90 West Virginia 2698 2827 2695 100 105 West Alaska 2603 2691 2603 119 % 123 % Arizona . . . 23036 23036 110 110 California . . . . . . 79875 203 203 Colorado/b . . . 9842 8037 118 144 Hawaii . . . 3122 2197 120 171 Idaho/b 3167 3991 3167 95 120 Montana . . . 1748 1244 126 178 Nevada/b 9251 . . . 6820 104 142 New Mexico . . . 3447 . . . 109 109 Oregon/b . . . 8646 . . . 102 102 Utah . . . 4280 4462 81 84 Washington/b 8902 11575 11575 122 159 Wyoming 1231 1243 1047 115 137 . . .Data not available. a/Population counts exclude jail backups and inmates held in other States. b/See NPS jurisdiction notes. c/Connecticut no longer reports capacity because of a law passed in 1995. d/Excludes DC inmates held in State or 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 yearend 1998, 16 States and the District of Columbia reported that they were operating at or below 99% of their highest capacity. Thirty-seven States, the District of Columbia, and the Federal prison system reported operating at 100% or more of their lowest capacity. Utah, which was operating at 84% of its lowest capacity, had the least crowded prison system. California, operating at over twice its highest reported capacity (203%), had the most crowded system. By yearend 1998 the Federal prison system was estimated to be operating at 27% over capacity, increasing since yearend 1997 (19%). Overall, State prisons were estimated to be operating at 13% above their highest capacity, down from the 15% for last year (table 10). Based on the lowest capacity figures, State prisons were operating at 22% over capacity at yearend 1998, continuing the steady decline from 31% in 1992. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Table 10. State prison population as a percent of capacity, yearend 1998 State prisons/a Highest capacity 1007153 Lowest capacity 933478 Net change in capacity, 1997-98 Highest 59403 Lowest 58686 Population as a percent of capacity/b Highest 1990 115 1995 114 1996 116 1997 115 1998 113 Lowest 1990 127 1995 125 1996 124 1997 124 1998 122 Note: States were asked to report their rated, operation and design capacities. Data reflect the highest and low a/Data include estimated capacity figures for Connecticut 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 1997 Total 100.0% 100.0% 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 1997 the number of prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year rose by more than 455,500 -- or 62% (table 11). The number of white males increased by 54%, the number of black males by 61%, the number of white females and black females by 80%. At yearend 1997 (the latest available data), there were more black males in State or Federal prisons (548,900) than white males (541,700). ----------------------------------------------------------------- Table 11. Number of sentenced prisoners under State or Federal jurisdiction, by gender and race, 1990, 1995-97 Male Female Year Total All/a White/b Black/b All/a White/b Black/b 1990 739980 699416 350700 340300 40564 20200 19700 1995 1085022 1021059 487400 509800 63963 30500 31900 1996 1137722 1068123 511300 528600 69599 33800 34000 1997 1195498 1121663 541700 548900 73835 36300 35500 Note: Previous estimates for 1996 by gender 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 gender and race were estimated and rounded to the nearest 100. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Relative to the number of U.S. residents, the number of sentenced prisoners rose by 50% (from 297 prisoners per 100,000 residents in 1990 to 445 per 100,000 residents in 1997) (table 12). Blacks were at least 6 times more likely than whites to be in State or Federal prison at yearend 1997, unchanged from 1990. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Table 12. Number of sentenced prisoners under State or Federal jurisdiction, per 100,000 residents, by gender and race, 1990, 1995-97 Male Female Year Total All* White Black All* White Black 1990 297 564 338 2234 31 19 117 1995 411 781 449 3095 47 27 176 1996 427 810 468 3164 51 30 185 1997 445 841 491 3253 53 32 192 Note: 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. *Includes Asians, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and other racial groups. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hispanic inmates, who may be of any race, totaled an estimated 213,100 at yearend 1997-- increasing 64% from 1990 (table 13). The number of Hispanic males rose 62%, while the number of Hispanic females rose 97%. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Table 13. Number of sentenced Hispanic prisoners under State or Federal jurisdiction, by gender, 1990, 1995-97 Number of sentenced Sentenced prisoners Hispanic prisoners per 100,000 Hispanic residents Year Total Male Female Total Male Female 1990 130000 123500 6500 548 1016 56 1995 190100 181300 8800 675 1264 64 1996 200400 189300 11100 688 1279 78 1997 213100 200300 12800 698 1272 87 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------- During the 7-year period, the Hispanic female incarceration rate rose 55% (from 56 sentenced prisoners per 100,000 Hispanic female residents to 87), while the Hispanic male rate rose 25% (from 1,016 to 1,272). Nearly 12,000 American Indians were held in State or Federal prisons on December 31, 1997 (table 14). Excluding inmates held in 69 Indian Country detention facilities, run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs or tribal authorities, there were 492 sentenced inmates per 100,000 American Indians. Among Indian women the incarceration rate was 80 per 100,000, 2 1/2 times the rate among white women. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Table 14. Number of sentenced American Indian prisoners under State or Federal jurisdiction, by gender, 1990, 1995-97 Number of sentenced Sentenced prisoners per 100,000 American Indian prisoners American Indian residents Year Total Male Female Total Male Female 1990 6000 5600 400 275 516 35 1995 9800 9000 800 419 769 72 1996 11000 10100 900 462 850 77 1997 11900 10900 1000 492 905 80 Note: The number of American Indian inmates was based on reports in NPS, which exclude those held in detention facilities in Indian country. The number with sentences of more than 1 year have been estimated and and rounded to the nearest 100. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Middle-aged inmates comprise a growing part of the Nation's prison populations Percent of inmates held in State or Federal prison* 1991 1997 Total 100.0% 100.0% 17 or younger 0.6 0.4 18-19 2.9 2.6 20-24 17.4 15.8 25-29 23.6 18.7 30-34 21.3 19.3 35-39 14.4 17.5 40-44 9.1 12.0 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 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 34. The percentage of inmates age 55 or older did not change -- about 3% in both years. Nearly half of 1% were under age 18 in 1997, unchanged from 1991. An estimated 7% of black males in their twenties and thirties were in prison in 1997 When incarceration rates are estimated separately by age group, black males in their twenties and thirties are found to have very high rates relative to other groups (table 15). Expressed in terms of percentages, 8.6% of black non-Hispanic males age 25 to 29 were in prison in 1997, compared to 2.7% of Hispanic males and about 0.9% 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 1997 was still nearly 2.8% --larger than the highest rate among Hispanic males (age 25 to 29) and nearly 3 times larger than the highest rate (0.9%) among white males (age 30 to 34). ----------------------------------------------------------------- Table 15. Number of sentenced prisoners under State or Federal jurisdiction per 100,000 residents, by gender, race, Hispanic origin, and age, 1997 Number of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 residents of each group Male Female Age Total/a White/b Black/b Hispanic Total/a White/b Black/b Hispanic Total 841 386 3209 1273 53 25 200 87 18-19 776 274 2587 1184 28 17 83 30 20-24 1956 789 6999 2603 78 41 215 128 25-29 2143 868 8630 2703 134 58 452 210 30-34 2002 950 7485 2587 176 83 650 235 35-39 1682 806 6814 2207 141 66 546 213 40-44 1257 615 4841 2217 82 37 337 131 45-54 700 394 2775 1263 42 21 154 99 55 or older 155 100 509 394 5 4 20 10 Note: Based on estimates of the U.S. resident population on July 1, 1997, and adjusted for the 1990 census undercount. a/Includes Asians, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and other racial groups. b/Excludes Hispanics. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Female incarceration rates, though substantially lower than male incarceration rates at every age, reveal similar racial and ethnic disparities. Black non-Hispanic females (with an incarceration rate of 200 per 100,000) were more than twice as likely as Hispanic females (87 per 100,000) and 8 times more likely than white non-Hispanic females (25 per 100,000) to be in prison in 1997. 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 1997 the distribution of the four major offense categories -- violent, property, drug, and public-order offenses -- changed slightly among State prisoners. The percent held for property and drug offenses dropped while the percent held for public-order offenses rose. Percent of sentenced State inmates 1990 1997 Total 100% 100% Violent 46 47 Property 25 22 Drug 22 21 Public-order 7 10 In absolute numbers, an estimated 519,800 inmates in State prison at yearend 1997 were held for violent offenses, 155,600 for robbery, 128,700 for murder, 102,900 for assault, and 94,000 for rape and other sexual assaults (table 16). In addition, 241,900 inmates were held for property offenses, 227,400 for drug offenses and 108,700 for public-order offenses. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Table 16. Estimated number of sentenced prisoners under State jurisdiction, by offense, gender, race, and Hispanic origin, 1997 Offenses All Male Female White Black Hispanic Total 1100500 1033200 67300 366500 511700 186900 Violent offenses 519800 501100 18700 172300 246900 81400 Murder/a 128700 123100 5600 41200 63900 20000 Manslaughter 17400 15700 1700 6100 7200 3300 Rape 28200 27900 300 12800 11700 2200 Other sexual assault 65800 65200 600 38900 16100 8200 Robbery 155600 150900 4700 32200 94500 24000 Assault 102900 98400 4500 31800 46100 20300 Other violent 21200 19900 1300 9300 7600 3400 Property offenses 241900 224000 17900 103700 97600 34400 Burglary 117600 114300 3300 49900 48100 16600 Larceny 46200 40300 5900 17500 20700 6400 Motor vehicle theft 20300 19500 800 7900 7300 4600 Fraud 29500 22600 6900 15400 10800 2800 Other property 28300 27300 1000 13000 10700 3900 Drug offenses 227400 203900 23500 43200 127700 51200 Public-order offenses/b 108700 101600 7100 46800 38000 19300 Other/unspecified/c 2700 2600 100 500 1400 600 Note: Data are for inmates with a sentence of more than 1 year under the jurisdiction of State correctional authorities. The number of inmates by offense were estimated using 1997 Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities and rounded to the nearest 100. 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 unspecified felonies. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Overall, the largest growth in State inmates between 1990 and 1997 was among violent offenders. During the 7-year period, the number of violent offenders grew 203,900, while the number of drug offenders grew 77,700 (table 17). As a percentage of the total growth, violent offenders accounted for 50% of the total growth, drug offenders 19%, property offenders 16%, and public-order offenders 15%. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Table 17. Partitioning the total growth of sentenced prisoners under State jurisdiction, by offense and gender, 1990-97 Total Male Female Increase, Percent of Increase, Percent of Increase, Percent of 1990-97 total 1990-97 total 1990-97 total Total 410900 100 % 380400 100 % 30600 100 % Violent 203900 50 196300 52 7600 25 Property 66900 16 60700 16 6200 20 Drug 77700 19 66000 17 11700 38 Public-order 62900 15 57700 15 5200 17 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Sources of population growth differ among men and women and among white, black, and Hispanic inmates Detailed estimates of the State inmates at yearend 1990 and 1997 reveal differences in the sources of growth among male and female inmates. During this period the number of female inmates serving time for drug offenses nearly doubled, while the number of male inmates in for drug offenses rose 48%. The number serving time for violent offenses, however, rose at about the same pace (up 64% for men and 68% for women). Percent change in number of State inmates, 1990-97* Male Female Total 58% 83% Violent 64 68 Property 37 53 Drug 48 99 Public-order 131 274 *Based on State inmates with a sentence of more than 1 year. The increasing number of violent offenders accounted for the 52% of the total growth among male inmates and 25% among female inmates. Drug offenders accounted for the largest source of the total growth among female inmates (38%), compared to 17% among male inmates. The increasing number of property offenses accounted for a slightly higher percent of the growth among female inmates (20%) than among male inmates (16%). Although the number of public-order offenders rose sharply, they account for only 15% of the total growth among male inmates and 17% of the growth among female inmates. The sources of population growth also differed among white, black, and Hispanic prisoners. Between 1990 and 1997 the number of black inmates serving time for drug offenses increased by 60%, while the number of white inmates increased by 46% and the number of Hispanic inmates by 32%. The number of violent offenders also rose more sharply among black inmates (up 69%) and Hispanic inmates (up 86%) than among white inmates (up 47%). Percent change in number of State inmates, 1990-97* White Black Hispanic Total 51% 64% 62% Violent 47 69 86 Property 38 38 42 Drug 46 60 32 Public-order 138 129 132 *Based on State inmates with a sentence of more than 1 year. Overall, the increasing number of drug offenses accounted for 24% of the total growth among black inmates, 18% of the total growth among Hispanic inmates, and 11% of the growth among white inmates (table 18). Violent offenders accounted for the largest source of growth for all groups -- among white State inmates (44%), black inmates (51%), and Hispanic inmates (53%). ----------------------------------------------------------------- Table 18. Partitioning the total growth of sentenced prisoners under State jurisdiction, by offense, gender, race, and Hispanic origin, 1990-97 White Black Hispanic Increase, Percent of Increase, Percent Increase, Percent of 1990-97 total 1990-97 of total 1990-97 total Total 123100 100 % 197000 100 % 71600 100 % Violent 54700 44 100800 51 37700 53 Property 28500 23 26700 14 10200 14 Drug 13600 11 47900 24 12500 18 Public-order 27100 22 21400 11 11000 15 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Rise in State prison population linked to increasing numbers of parole violators returned to prison Underlying the growth in the State prison population between 1990 and 1997 has been a 39% increase in the number of offenders returned to prison for parole violations (table 19). In 1997, 186,659 of the offenders entering State prison had violated the conditions of their release, up from 133,870 in 1990. These offenders had been released to parole either by decision of a parole board or by provision of the statute under which they were sentenced. While on parole, they had been arrested for or convicted of a new offense or had violated a condition of their release (such as failing a drug test, absconding, or failing to meet financial obligations imposed by a court). (For reasons for imprisoning violators, see Probation and Parole Violators in State Prison, 1991, August 1995, NCJ 149076.) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Table 19. Number of sentenced inmates admitted to State prisons, by type of admission, 1990-97 All New court Parole Year admissions commitments violators 1990 460739 323069 133870 1991 466286 317237 142100 1992 480676 334301 141961 1993 475100 318069 146366 1994 498919 322141 168383 1995 521970 337492 175726 1996 512618 326547 172633 1997 538375 334525 186659 Percent change, 1990-97 16.9% 3.5% 39.4% Note: Sentenced inmates are those with a sentence of more than 1 year. Admissions exclude returned escapees and AWOL's and transfers from other jurisdictions. Admissions for Alaska were estimated for 1994. ----------------------------------------------------------------- In contrast, the number of new court commitments to State prison remained nearly unchanged, totaling approximately 334,500 in 1997. Though the number admitted in 1997 was 3.5% larger than the number in 1990, the number of new court commitments has fluctuated during the 7-year period. State prison growth the result of declining release rates and increasing time served While the actual number of prisoners released each year grew between 1990 and 1997, the rate of release (or the number released relative to the number of inmates in prison) dropped sharply. In 1997 nearly 490,000 offenders were released from prison, up from 405,374 in 1990 (table 20). However, the release rate dropped from 37 per 100 State prisoners in 1990 to 31 per 100 in 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Table 20. Trends in State prison releases, release rates, and time served by first releases, 1990-97 Time served by first releases/a Number Release Percent 6 Percent 10 Year of releases rate/b Mean months or less years or more 1990 405374 37.0 22 mos 26.5% 1.4% 1991 421687 36.5 22 24.1 1.4 1992 430198 35.5 22 26.2 1.4 1993 417838 33.3 21 29.0 1.3 1994 418372 30.8 22 26.1 1.3 1995 455140 31.2 23 21.0 1.3 1996 467193 30.8 25 18.1 1.4 1997 489914 30.8 27 16.5 1.7 Note: All data are limited to inmates with sentences of more than 1 year and exclude escapees, AWOL's, and transfers. a/Includes all inmates released for the first time on the current sentence. Time served is based on prison time only and excludes jail time credits. b/The number of releases per 100 sentenced prisoners at the beginning of each year, plus the number admitted during the year. ----------------------------------------------------------------- A major source of prison growth is increasing time served. Among inmates released from prison for the first time on their current offense (that is, first releases) the average time served has increased from 22 months in 1990 to 27 months in 1997. Among those entering prison, the average time expected to be served before first release rose from 38 months to 43 months. New court commitments to State prison* Mean Mean minimum sentence time to be served 1990 70 mos. 38 mos. 1995 72 42 1997 65 43 *Based on inmates with sentences of more than 1 year. Current inmates have served longer; however, 40% expect to be released in next 12 months Consistent with recent changes in sentencing and release policies, State prisoners report having served more time since admission than inmates in the past. Based on the 1991 and 1997 Surveys of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities, an estimated 53% of State inmates in 1997 had served less than 3 years, down from 71% in 1991 (table 21). Nearly 10% had served 10 years or more in 1997, up from 4% in 1991. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Table 21. Time served since admission and time expected to be served until release, by inmates held in State prison, 1991 and 1997 1997 1991 Time served since admission/a Total 100 % 100 % Less than 12 months 18.8 31.0 12 to 35 33.9 40.1 36 to 59 19.3 13.1 60 to 119 18.7 11.6 120 to 179 5.6 3.2 180 to 239 2.7 0.9 240 or more 1.1 0.2 Remaining time expected to be served until release/b Total 100 % 100 % Less than 6 months 21.9 24.1 6 to 12 17.8 17.4 13 to 59 33.5 33.0 60 to 119 9.6 8.1 120 to 239 5.5 4.3 240 or more 2.7 2.0 Life 3.2 2.3 Don't know 5.8 8.8 Estimated total time expected to be served on current sentence/c Total 100 % 100 % Less than 24 months 17.5 25.8 24 to 47 20.6 23.5 48 to 71 15.1 12.7 72 to 119 16.4 12.5 120 to 179 9.3 7.4 180 to 239 5.0 3.5 240 or more 7.0 4.0 Life 3.2 2.2 Don't know 5.9 8.4 Note: Data are based on the 1991 and 1997 Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities. a/Includes time served in local jails that was credited to the prison sentence prior prison time served by returned parole violators. b/Based on the time served from date of interview to the expected date of release by each inmate. c/Based on the time served when interviewed plus time to be served until the expected date of release. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Though their average length of stay in prison had increased, 40% of inmates in 1997 said they expected to be released within the next 12 months, compared to 42% of the inmates in 1991. Most of the increase in time served was due to a sharp drop in the percentage of inmates who expected to serve less than 2 years (18% in 1997 down from 26% in 1991). In both years, about 95% of inmates were expected to be released from prison at some time. An estimated 3.2% of inmates in 1997 said they expected to never be released. In addition, based on the sentence length, another 2% (of the 5.9% who said they didn't know when they would be released) may never be released. Methodology National Prisoner Statistics The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), 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, National Prisoner Statistics (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 yearend 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 2720) 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, Hispanic origin, conviction status, sentence length, and offense. It also includes data on the number of facilities, and their design and rated capacities. Surveys 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 Substance Abuse and Treatment, State and Federal Prisoners, 1997, NCJ 172871, for a description of the 1997 surveys, sample designs, and accuracy.) For this report, information on sex, race/Hispanic origin, age, offense, sentence length, time served since admission and remaining time to be served was drawn from the 1991 and 1997 surveys. Because the data are restricted to persons in prison, they may overstate the average sentence and time to be served by those entering prison. Person with shorter sentences leave prison more quickly, resulting in longer average sentences among persons in the inmate surveys. National Corrections Reporting Program BJS obtains data on time served by released State prisoners from the National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP). The data cover persons released from custody regardless of the jurisdiction where the prisoner was sentenced. The number of jurisdictions reporting data varies for year to year. In 1997, 36 States reported data on releases. While NCRP collects individual level data on all offenders, time served calculations in this report were restricted to prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year. 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 1997 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 yearend 1990 and 1997. 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 1997, 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 updates for 1996 and 1997.) 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. 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, Crowley County 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 for 1997 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. Design capacity is no longer meaningful because of the prison closure program. Federal -- Rated capacity excludes contract beds. Florida -- Population counts are based on custody data. Rated capacity is the maximum safe capacity, and operational capacity has been redefined as total capacity. Georgia -- Population counts are based on custody data. Facilities in Georgia are not given rated or design capacities. 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 sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less. Capacity figures include 721 inmates on electronic detention. Iowa -- Population counts are based on custody data. Population counts of inmates with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less. Kansas -- Population counts of inmates with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less. Louisiana --Operational capacity is based on day-to-day operations. Rated and operational capacities include contractual work release facilities. Population counts include 12,018 males and 1,193 females housed in local jails as a results of a partnership with the Louisiana Sheriff's Association and local authorities. Maryland -- Design capacity is no longer reported because of renovations and other changes. Operational capacity was estimated by applying a percentage to the population count on December 31, 1998. Massachusetts -- Population counts are for December 28, 1998. By law, offenders may be sentenced to terms of up to 2½ 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 1998. Michigan -- Population counts are based on jurisdiction data, excluding inmates held in local jails. Counts include adults housed in institutions, camps, community correction centers, out of state, and on electronic monitoring. Rated capacity is no longer kept. Operational capacity includes institution and camp net capacities and populations in community programs. Minnesota -- Capacity is defined as the total beds minus 10% of the segregation beds and 2% of the remaining beds which are reserved for maintenance. Mississippi -- Operation and design capacities include private prison capacities. Missouri -- Design capacities are not available for older prisons. Operational capacity is defined as the number of beds. 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. Design capacity is defined as one bed per cell. Capacity figures include 500 beds in a private facility. New Jersey -- Rated and operational capacity figures are not maintained. Population counts of inmates with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less. North Carolina -- Operational capacity has been eliminated due to a legislative cap. North Dakota -- Capacity figures include a new facility opened in 1998 and double bunking in the State Penitentiary. Ohio -- Population counts of inmates with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less. Oklahoma -- Population counts of inmates with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less. Oregon -- Under a new law, inmates with under a 1 year maximum sentence remain under the control of local counties. Rated and design capacities are not recognized. Pennsylvania -- Reported capacities are single-cell capacities. Operational capacity is based on multiple occupancy. 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. Operational capacity includes triple cell beds and excludes administrative segregation, infirmary/hospital, and mental health beds. Design capacity also excludes triple cell beds. South Dakota -- Operational capacity is 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 the percent of total beds deemed appropriate by the Department of Corrections. Population counts of inmates with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less. Texas -- Population counts of inmates with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number 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 jurisdiction counts that include inmates housed in other States but 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 are calculated using an operational capacity method in which all inmates housed in a cell are counted. Washington -- Reported capacities exclude work release and pre-release facilities because the facilities are not reserved specifically for State inmates. Wisconsin -- Counts exclude temporary probation or parole placements and persons on escape status. Counts include Alternatives to Revocation (ATRs), adult inmates held in contract juvenile facilities, and inmates held in local jails or in out-of-State, private, and Federal prisons due to crowding. Operational capacity excludes contracted local jails, Federal, other State, and private facilities. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Allen J. Beck and Christopher J. Mumola wrote this report. Shana Dangelo, Paula Ditton, Darrell Gilliard, and Lauren Glaze provided statistical assistance and verification. Tom Hester produced and edited the report. 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 B. Odom and Marilyn M. Monahan, Demographic Surveys Division, U.S. Bureau of the Census. August 1999, NCJ 175687 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- End of file Prisoners in 1998 th 8/12/99