| 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) | Colette Peters
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 334.1 million at end of 2022 (U.S. Census Bureau)
|
| Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population) | Circa
25.5%
(2021)
|
| Female prisoners (percentage of prison population) | Circa
8.8%
(2021)
|
| Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population) | 0.2%
(2019 - under 18)
|
| Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population) | 7.3%
(of those in state or federal prisons, 2019)
|
| Number of establishments / institutions | 4 455
(3,163 local jails at 2014, 1,190 state confinement facilities at 2005, 102 federal confinement facilities at 2005)
|
| Official capacity of prison system | Circa
2 163 235
(2019 - 907,700 local jails, c. 1,121,402 operational capacity in state prisons, 134,133 rated capacity in federal prisons)
|
| Occupancy level (based on official capacity) | Circa
95.6%
(2019 - 80.9% in local jails, 130.0% in federal prisons, c. 103.4% in state prisons)
|
| Prison population trend (year, prison population total, prison population rate) |
|
|---|
Prison Population in the U.S. Shrinks to Smallest in a Decade
30% increase in US prison suicide deaths: Justice Department
Quarter of inmates could have been spared prison without risk, study says
The true cost of mass incarceration exceeds $1 trillion
Inmate Populations Rise Again in Some States
Pages
Trends in Juvenile Justice State Legislation 2001-2011
Banking on Bondage: Private Prisons and Mass Incarceration
State of Recidivism: The Revolving Door of America’s Prisons
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 |
2021 | 451,400 | c. 25.5% | 136 |
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 |
2021 | c. 163,601 | c. 8.8% | 49.2 |
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 |