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Click on a state to see how much its incarceration rate has grown, how its spending on prisons and higher education has changed, what proportion of its prisoners are drug offenders, and the racial disparity between its general and prison populations.Click the "FED" icon to see statistics for the federal prison system. (Local jails are not included in the Incarceration Atlas.)  |
National Totals
These graphs show totals for prisons in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the federal prison system. They do not include local jails, which typically hold inmates awaiting trial or serving sentences of less than one year. For more detailed information, click on the graphs. Increasing Imprisonment
Incarceration rate per 100,000 inhabitants, 1980-2000 | | Prisons vs. Education
Percent change in spending per capita on prisons and higher education, 1980-2000* | | More Drug Offenders
Percentage of inmates held for drug crimes** | | Racial Inequality
Racial and ethnic breakdown, 2000
 White  Black  Hispanic  Other |
*does not include federal spending on prisons or higher education
**based on federal estimates
***of 38 states reporting | | | Methodology | Last updated 7/10/01 |
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INMATES IN STATE AND FEDERAL PRISONS, 2000:
1,324,425 INMATES IN LOCAL JAILS, 2000:
621,149 Where States Rank
Click a state for details. For complete rankings, click here. Increase in Incarceration Rate, 1980 - 2000
1. Connecticut
2. New Hampshire
3. North Dakota
4. New Jersey
5. Idaho Growth in prison spending per capita, 1980 - 2000
1. Ohio
2. Pennsylvania
3. Texas
4. Michigan
5. New Jersey Growth in higher education spending per capita, 1980 - 2000
1. Minnesota
2. New Jersey
3. Pennsylvania
4. Ohio
5. Georgia Highest proportion of drug offenders, 1999***
1. New Jersey
2. New York
3. California
4. Utah
5. Illinois Greatest disparity between white and nonwhite incarceration rates, 2000
1. Pennsylvania
2. District of Columbia
3. Wisconsin
4. Connecticut
5. Minnesota Around the world
Nations with highest incarceration rates per 100,000 residents (includes all individuals held in prisons and local jails)| 1. USA | 702 | | 2. Russia | 635 | | 3. Cayman Islands | 600 | | 4. Belarus | 577 | | 5. Kazakhstan | 494 | | 6. Bahamas | 478 | | 7. US Virgin Islands | 476 | | 8. Kyrgyzstan | 462 | | 9. Belize | 459 | | 10. Bermuda | 447 |
Source: International Center for Prison Studies |
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