| Country | United States of America |
|---|
| Ministry responsible |
Department of Justice
|
|---|---|
| Prison administration |
Federal Bureau of Prisons, state and local correctional authorities
|
| Contact address |
320 First Street N.W, Washington DC 20534
|
| Website | |
| Head of prison administration (and title) | William Lothrop
Acting Director of Federal Bureau of Prisons
|
| Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners) | 1 808 100
at 2022 (U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics - 663,100 in local jails at 30.6.2022, 986,400 in state prisons at 31.12.2022, 158,600 in federal prisons at 31.12.2022. In addition, there are prisoners in the Indian Country Jails (2,250 in 2022).
|
|---|---|
| Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) | 541
based on an estimated national population of 334.13 million at end of 2022 (U.S. Census Bureau)
|
| Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population) | Circa
25.8%
(2022)
|
| Female prisoners (percentage of prison population) | Circa
9.7%
(2022)
|
| Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population) | 0.2%
(2019 - under 18)
|
| Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population) | 6.6%
(of those in state or federal prisons, 2019)
|
| Number of establishments / institutions | 3 940
(2,779 local jails at 2022, 111 federal prisons at 2019, 968 state prisons at 2019, 82 private confinement facilities at 2019)
|
| Official capacity of prison system | Circa
2 100 000
(2022 - 915,900 in local jails, 135,841 rated capacity in federal prisons (including private facilities), c. 1,058,000 operational capacity in state prisons)
|
| Occupancy level (based on official capacity) | Circa
86.1%
(2022 - 72.4% in local jails, 110.4% in federal prisons, c. 94.0% in state prisons.
|
| Prison population trend (year, prison population total, prison population rate) |
|
|---|
Inspector General Report Released On Tainted Bureau Of Prison Food
Federal Report Says Women In Prison Receive Harsher Punishments Than Men
Prison Lifer Numbers Now Exceed 1970 Incarcerated Population: Report
Bureau of Prisons director cutting internet access, technology usage for staff to 'limit distractions'
Report finds drop in inmates serving mandatory minimum sentences
Pages
Entombed: Isolation in the US federal prison system
Max Out: The Rise in Prison Inmates Released Without Supervision
Managing Prison Health Care Spending
The Growth of Incarceration in the United States: Exploring Causes and Consequences
The Federal Prison Population Buildup: Overview, Policy Changes, Issues, and Options
Pages
- Pre-trial/remand prison population: trend
- Female prison population: trend
- Prison population trend up to 2000
Pre-trial/remand prison population: trend
The table below gives an indication of the recent trend in the pre-trial/remand prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.
It consists of the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that pre-trial/remand prisoners constituted on that day.
The final column shows the pre-trial/remand population rate per 100,000 of the national population.
UNITED STATES
Year | Number in | Percentage | Pre-trial/remand |
2000 | 349,800 | 18.1% | 123 |
2022 | 466,100 | c. 25.8% | 139 |
Note. Figures for 2010 include pre-trial/remand prisoners in state and federal institutions (c. 30,000).
It should be noted that the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners fluctuates from day to day, month to month and year to year. Consequently the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.
The pre-trial/remand population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.
Female prison population: trend
The table below gives an indication of the trend in the female prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.
It consists of the number of female prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that female prisoners constituted on that day.
The final column shows the female prison population rate per 100,000 of the national population.
UNITED STATES
Year | Number of | Percentage | Female prison |
2000 | 158,629 | 8.2% | 55.9 |
2022 | c. 174,607 | c. 9.7% | c. 52.3 |
The number of female prisoners fluctuates and so the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.
The female prison population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.
(If the rate were calculated on the basis of the number of females in the national population it would of course be approximately double the figure in the final column).
Prison population trend up to 2000
The figures below give an indication of the prison population trend in the years up to 2000. They supplement the more recent figures that are shown at the foot of the Overview page and in the graphs below.
UNITED STATES
|
Year |
Prison |
Prison population rate |
|
1940 |
264,834 |
201 |