U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Statistics

July 2013, NCJ 242467

E. Ann Carson and Daniela Golinelli, BJS Statisticians

T

he U.S. prison population declined for the
third consecutive year, falling to an estimated
1,571,013 prisoners at yearend 2012 (figure 1).
This was down 27,770 prisoners (1.7%) from yearend
2011. California had the greatest population decline,
with 15,035 fewer prisoners than in 2011 in part due
to the state’s Public Safety Realignment policy. In
2012, the overall state prison population decreased
2.1% (down 29,223 inmates), while the federal prison
population grew 0.7% (up 1,453 prisoners). Overall
imprisonment rates fell for both males and females,
from 932 male prisoners per 100,000 U.S. male
residents in 2011 to 910 in 2012, and from 65 female
prisoners per 100,000 U.S. female residents in 2011 to
63 in 2012. In 2012, the number of female prisoners
(108,866 inmates) fell to the lowest level since 2005—
a 2.3% decrease from 2011. The total imprisonment
rate in 2012 was 480 prisoners per 100,000 U.S.
residents, or 626 per 100,000 U.S. adult residents.
The statistics in this report are based on the Bureau
of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) National Prisoner Statistics
(NPS) Program, which collects annual data from all
50 states and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)
on prisoner counts, characteristics, admissions, and
releases, as well as prison capacity. The 2012 NPS
collection is number 88 in a series that began in 1926.

Figure 1
Prisoners under state and federal jurisdiction at
yearend, 2002–2012
Number*
2,000,000

Annual percent change

Percent change
3.0

1,600,000

2.0

1,200,000

1.0

800,000

0.0

400,000

-1.0

0

'02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12

Bul l etin

Prisoners in 2012 - Advance Counts

-2.0

Note: Jurisdiction refers to the legal authority of state or federal
correctional officials over a prisoner, regardless of where the prisoner
is held.
*Total and state estimates in 2012 include imputed counts for
jurisdictions that did not submit National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) data
in time to be included in this report. See Methodology for discussion of
imputation strategy.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics Program,
2002–2012.

HIGHLIGHTS
„„ The U.S. prison population declined for the third

consecutive year in 2012, from a high of 1,615,487
inmates in 2009 to 1,571,013 at yearend 2012.
„„ The U.S. imprisoned 27,770 fewer prisoners (down

1.7%) at yearend 2012 than at yearend 2011.
„„ The federal prison population increased by 1,453

prisoners in 2012 (up 0.7%), while the state prison
population declined by 29,223 prisoners (down
2.1%).
„„ California accounted for 51% of the decrease in the

total state prison population.

„„ Nine states had a decrease of over 1,000 prisoners

in 2012: California, Texas, North Carolina, Colorado,
Arkansas, New York, Florida, Virginia, and Maryland.
„„ Louisiana and the federal prison system had

increases of more than 1,000 prisoners in 2012.
„„ The total imprisonment rate for prisoners

sentenced to more than 1 year in state or federal
prison decreased by 2.4%, from 492 per 100,000 U.S.
residents in 2011 to 480 in 2012.
„„ The imprisonment rate for females decreased by

2.9% from 2011 to 2012, from 65 female prisoners
per 100,000 U.S. female residents to 63 per 100,000.

BJS

This report is based on data submitted by 47 states and the
Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Data for the three states
that had not yet submitted NPS data at the time of publication
have been estimated (see Methodology). In late 2013, BJS will
publish a more extensive report, Prisoners in 2012, which
will include 2011 and 2012 updates from states that had not
reported in time to be incorporated in this advance report, and
information on prison admissions, releases, capacity, and the
age distribution of sentenced inmates.
States drove the third consecutive decline in the U.S.
prison population

In 2012, the prison population declined in 28 states, and 9
states reported decreases of more than 1,000 inmates (table 2).
California observed the largest decline and accounted for more
than half of the drop in the overall U.S. prison population,
with about 10% (15,035) fewer inmates at yearend 2012 than
in 2011. (See text box on California Public Safety Realignment
on page 4.) Texas reported the second largest decline in prison
population in 2012 (down 5,852), followed by North Carolina
(down 2,304). Colorado, Arkansas, New York, Florida,
Virginia, and Maryland also reported at least 1,000 fewer
inmates during the same period.
Louisiana (up 1,538 prisoners or 3.9%) and the federal prison
system (up 1,453 prisoners or 0.7%) reported an increase of
at least 1,000 inmates. The prison population in Mississippi,
Michigan, and Kentucky each increased by more than 500
inmates in 2012.

After reaching a peak of 1,407,369 inmates in 2009, the state
prison population declined during the next 3 years (table 1).
The total state prison population decreased by 2.1% in
2012, following a 1.5% decrease in 2011. The federal prison
population grew by 0.7% in 2012, continuing a trend that
began in 1998.

Table 1
Prisoners under the jurisdiction of state or federal correctional authorities, December 31, 2002–2012
Year
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012—advancea
Percent change
Average annual, 2002–2011
2011–2012

Total
1,440,144
1,468,601
1,497,100
1,525,910
1,568,674
1,596,835
1,608,282
1,615,487
1,613,803
1,598,783
1,571,013

Federal*
163,528
173,059
180,328
187,618
193,046
199,618
201,280
208,118
209,771
216,362
217,815

1.1%
-1.7

3.2%
0.7

State
1,276,616
1,295,542
1,316,772
1,338,292
1,375,628
1,397,217
1,407,002
1,407,369
1,404,032
1,382,421
1,353,198
0.8%
-2.1

Male
1,342,513
1,367,755
1,392,278
1,418,392
1,456,366
1,482,524
1,493,670
1,502,002
1,500,936
1,487,397
1,462,147

Female
97,631
100,846
104,822
107,518
112,308
114,311
114,612
113,485
112,867
111,386
108,866

1.1%
-1.7

1.4%
-2.3

Note: Jurisdiction refers to the legal authority of state or federal correctional officials over a prisoner, regardless of where the prisoner is held.
*Includes inmates held in nonsecure privately operated community corrections facilities and juveniles held in contract facilities.
aTotal and state estimates include imputed counts for the three jurisdictions that did not submit National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) data in time to be included in this report. See
Methodology for discussion of imputation strategy.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics Program, 2002–2012.

P R I S O N E R S I N 2012 - A D VA N C E CO U N T S | J U LY 2013 	

2

Table 2
Prisoners under jurisdiction of state or federal correctional authorities, by jurisdiction and sex,
December 31, 2011 and 2012
Jurisdiction
U.S. totala
Federalb
Statea
Alabama
Alaskac
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticutc
Delawarec
Florida
Georgia
Hawaiic
Idaho
Illinoisd
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevadad
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahomae
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Islandc
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermontc
Virginia
Washingtond
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Total
1,598,783
216,362
1,382,421
32,270
5,412
40,020
16,108
149,569
21,978
18,324
6,739
103,055
55,944
6,037
7,739
48,427
28,906
9,116
9,327
21,545
39,710
2,145
22,558
11,623
42,940
9,800
21,386
30,833
3,678
4,616
12,778
2,614
23,834
6,998
55,436
39,440
1,423
50,964
25,977
14,510
51,578
3,337
22,914
3,535
28,479
172,224
6,879
2,053
38,130
17,847
6,826
22,657
2,183

2011
Male
1,487,397
202,462
1,284,935
29,696
4,768
36,470
14,995
141,382
19,957
17,090
6,202
95,913
52,027
5,304
6,854
45,562
26,406
8,378
8,647
19,091
37,326
1,981
21,576
10,832
41,031
9,156
19,808
28,258
3,274
4,247
11,811
2,444
22,762
6,366
53,124
36,800
1,276
47,061
23,558
13,387
48,795
3,158
21,528
3,094
26,070
158,036
6,266
1,905
35,321
16,452
6,074
21,472
1,944

Female
111,386
13,900
97,486
2,574
644
3,550
1,113
8,187
2,021
1,234
537
7,142
3,917
733
885
2,865
2,500
738
680
2,454
2,384
164
982
791
1,909
644
1,578
2,575
404
369
967
170
1,072
632
2,312
2,640
147
3,903
2,419
1,123
2,783
179
1,386
441
2,409
14,188
613
148
2,809
1,395
752
1,185
239

Total
1,571,013
217,815
1,353,198
32,431
5,533
40,013
14,654
134,534
20,462
17,530
6,914
101,930
55,457
5,831
7,985
/
28,831
8,733
9,682
22,110
41,248
2,108
21,522
11,308
43,636
9,938
22,319
31,247
3,609
4,705
/
2,790
23,225
6,640
54,210
37,136
1,512
50,876
25,225
14,840
51,125
3,229
22,388
3,650
28,411
166,372
6,962
2,034
37,044
/
7,070
22,600
2,204

2012
Male
1,462,147
203,766
1,258,381
29,782
4,855
36,382
13,594
128,436
18,739
16,312
6,348
94,945
51,868
5,143
6,977
/
26,265
7,949
8,952
19,425
38,859
1,944
20,646
10,549
41,647
9,228
20,652
28,544
3,210
4,352
/
2,583
22,164
6,010
51,963
34,675
1,341
47,008
22,728
13,609
48,380
3,043
21,051
3,227
26,048
152,823
6,323
1,907
34,150
/
6,265
21,375
1,966

Female
108,866
14,049
94,817
2,649
678
3,631
1,060
6,098
1,723
1,218
566
6,985
3,589
688
1,008
/
2,566
784
730
2,685
2,389
164
876
759
1,989
710
1,667
2,703
399
353
/
207
1,061
630
2,247
2,461
171
3,868
2,497
1,231
2,745
186
1,337
423
2,363
13,549
639
127
2,894
/
805
1,225
238

Percent change, 2011–2012
Total
Male
Female
-1.7%
-1.7%
-2.3%
0.7%
0.6%
1.1%
-2.1%
-2.1%
-2.7%
0.5
0.3
2.9
2.2
1.8
5.3
0.0
-0.2
2.3
-9.0
-9.3
-4.8
-10.1
-9.2
-25.5
-6.9
-6.1
-14.7
-4.3
-4.6
-1.3
2.6
2.4
5.4
-1.1
-1.0
-2.2
-0.9
-0.3
-8.4
-3.4
-3.0
-6.1
3.2
1.8
13.9
/
/
/
-0.3
-0.5
2.6
-4.2
-5.1
6.2
3.8
3.5
7.4
2.6
1.7
9.4
3.9
4.1
0.2
-1.7
-1.9
0.0
-4.6
-4.3
-10.8
-2.7
-2.6
-4.0
1.6
1.5
4.2
1.4
0.8
10.2
4.4
4.3
5.6
1.3
1.0
5.0
-1.9
-2.0
-1.2
1.9
2.5
-4.3
/
/
/
6.7
5.7
21.8
-2.6
-2.6
-1.0
-5.1
-5.6
-0.3
-2.2
-2.2
-2.8
-5.8
-5.8
-6.8
6.3
5.1
16.3
-0.2
-0.1
-0.9
-2.9
-3.5
3.2
2.3
1.7
9.6
-0.9
-0.9
-1.4
-3.2
-3.6
3.9
-2.3
-2.2
-3.5
3.3
4.3
-4.1
-0.2
-0.1
-1.9
-3.4
-3.3
-4.5
1.2
0.9
4.2
-0.9
0.1
-14.2
-2.8
-3.3
3.0
/
/
/
3.6
3.1
7.0
-0.3
-0.5
3.4
1.0
1.1
-0.4

Note: Jurisdiction refers to the legal authority of state or federal correctional officials over a prisoner, regardless of where the prisoner is held. As of December 31, 2001,
sentenced felons from the District of Columbia are the responsibility of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
/Not reported.
aIncludes imputed counts for the three jurisdictions that did not submit National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) data in time to be included in this report. See Methodology for
discussion of imputation strategy.
bIncludes inmates held in nonsecure privately operated community corrections facilities and juveniles held in contract facilities.
cPrisons and jails form one integrated system. Data include total jail and prison populations.
dState did not submit National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) Program data in time for inclusion in this report.
eData reported for 2011 include sentenced inmates not yet in custody, or out to court, and escapees temporarily in custody of local jails. The 2012 data do not include these
groups of inmates.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics Program, 2011–2012.

California prison populations continued to decline during the second year of Public
Safety Realignment
In 2012, California continued to reduce the number of
inmates housed in state prisons, as mandated by laws
enacted on October 1, 2011, to alleviate overcrowding.
While some decrease was observed during the last
3 months of 2011, 2012 marked the first full year
of implementation of the California Public Safety
Realignment (PSR) program. (See Prisoners in 2011, NCJ
239808, BJS Web, December 2012.) By December 31,
2011, the state’s prison population decreased by 15,188
sentenced inmates from the 2010 yearend total (table 3).
California imprisoned 14,814 fewer sentenced inmates at
yearend 2012 than in 2011, a decline of 9.9%. The female
population decreased by 25% over the same period, from
8,053 sentenced female inmates in 2011 to 6,031 in 2012.
The total imprisonment rate for sentenced prisoners
in California decreased from 393 prisoners per 100,000
residents of California in 2011 to 351 in 2012.

Table 3
Sentenced prisoners under the jurisdiction of California state
correctional authorities, by sex, December 31, 2002–2012
Year
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Percent change
Average annual, 2002–2010
2010–2011
2011–2012

Total
159,984
162,678
164,933
168,982
173,942
172,856
172,583
170,131
164,213
149,025
134,211

Male
150,374
152,385
154,051
157,704
162,361
161,551
161,220
159,396
154,450
140,972
128,180

Female
9,610
10,293
10,882
11,278
11,581
11,305
11,363
10,735
9,763
8,053
6,031

0.3%
-9.2
-9.9

0.3%
-8.7
-9.1

0.2%
-17.5
-25.1

Note: Counts are based on prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics Program,
2002–2012.

Continued on next page

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4

California prison populations continued to decline during the second year of Public
Safety Realignment (continued)
PSR was written to divert new admissions of “nonviolent,
nonserious, and nonsex “1 offenders to local jail facilities
after October 1, 2011, while still admitting individuals
convicted of violent, sex, or serious offenses to prison.
While the California prison system had a decrease in the
absolute number of prisoners between 2010 and 2012, the
redistribution of inmates by offense type shows the effect
of the PSR policy. Of all males sentenced to at least 1 year in
California prison, 70% were serving time for violent offenses
1Offenses as specified in the Public Safety Realignment Act.

on December 31, 2012—11% more than in 2010 (table 4).
About 62% of the female population was imprisoned for
violent crimes in 2012, up 41% from 2010.
The proportion of offenders serving sentences for drug
or property crimes in the California prison population
decreased in 2012, particularly among women. A total
of 26,570 fewer inmates served time for “nonviolent,
nonserious, and nonsex offenses” in 2012 than in 2010,
while the number of violent offenders decreased by 2,709
over the same period.

Table 4
Most serious offense committed by sentenced inmates in California state prisons, by sex and offense type ,
December 31, 2010 and 2012
Offense
Totala
Violent
Murderb
Manslaughter
Rape
Other sexual assault
Robbery
Aggravated or simple assault
Other violent
Property
Burglary
Larceny-theft
Motor vehicle theft
Fraud
Other property
Drugc
Public orderd
Other/unspecifiede

Total
162,164
58.8%
17.4
0.6
2.0
7.2
13.6
14.3
3.7
18.9%
8.4
3.8
3.3
1.4
1.9
15.0%
7.2%
0.2%

2010
Male
152,405
60.0%
17.6
0.6
2.1
7.6
13.8
14.6
3.7
17.9%
8.2
3.4
3.3
1.1
1.9
14.6%
7.4%
0.2%

Female
9,759
40.9%
14.7
1.3
0.1
0.8
9.9
9.6
4.3
33.3%
11.2
9.9
3.3
6.3
2.6
21.1%
4.3%
0.4%

Total
132,885
69.8%
22.4
0.7
2.2
8.1
16.2
15.9
4.3
14.5%
8.1
2.1
2.1
0.7
1.4
9.1%
6.5%
0.1%

2012
Male
126,893
70.1%
22.3
0.7
2.3
8.5
16.3
16.0
4.2
14.2%
8.0
2.0
2.1
0.6
1.4
9.0%
6.6%
0.1%

Female
5,992
62.4%
24.6
2.0
0.2
1.2
14.5
13.4
6.6
22.3%
10.9
4.8
1.7
3.0
2.0
10.9%
4.1%
0.2%

Note: Counts are based on prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year.
aAnalysis based on National Corrections Reporting Program administrative data, which may vary slightly from National Prisoner Statistics Program data due to
differences in data collection.
bIncludes nonnegligent manslaughter.
cIncludes trafficking, possession, and other drug offenses.
dIncludes weapons, drunk driving, and court offenses; commercialized vice, morals, and decency offenses; and liquor law violations and other public-order offenses.
eIncludes juvenile offenses and other unspecified offense categories.
Sources: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics Program and National Corrections Reporting Program, 2010 and 2012.

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5

The growth in federal prisons was driven by unsentenced
inmates
The number of prisoners sentenced to more than 1 year in
federal or state prison, representing 96% of the overall prison
population, decreased by 1.7% in 2012 (table 5). The number
of sentenced federal prisoners declined slightly (down 0.2%) in
2012, while the total federal population increased. The increase
was driven primarily by population increases among inmates
without sentences or with sentences of 1 year or less (1,929, not
shown in table). The number of sentenced state prisoners also
declined, with 25,987 (down 1.9%) fewer sentenced inmates
in 2012 than in 2011. California accounted for 57% of this

decline. Overall, the number of sentenced male inmates in
state or federal prison declined by 1.7% (down 24,109) from
2011 to 2012, and the number of sentenced female inmates
decreased by 2.3% (down 2,354) during the same period.
Among the reporting jurisdictions, 25 out of the 47 states and
the federal prison system showed declines in their sentenced
prison population (table 6). Five states had decreases of more
than 10% in their sentenced female prison population, while
five others showed increases among females of more than 10%
from 2011 to 2012. However, the majority of these states had a
small overall prison population.

Table 5
Sentenced prisoners under the jurisdiction of state or federal correctional authorities, December 31, 2002–2012
Year
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012—advancea
Percent change
Average annual, 2002–2011
2011–2012

Total
1,380,516
1,408,361
1,433,728
1,462,866
1,504,598
1,532,851
1,547,742
1,553,574
1,552,669
1,538,854
1,512,391

Federal*
143,040
151,919
159,137
166,173
173,533
179,204
182,333
187,886
190,641
197,050
196,574

1.1%
-1.7

3.8%
-0.2

State
1,237,476
1,256,442
1,274,591
1,296,693
1,331,065
1,353,647
1,365,409
1,365,688
1,362,028
1,341,804
1,315,817

Male
1,291,450
1,315,790
1,337,730
1,364,178
1,401,261
1,427,088
1,441,384
1,448,239
1,447,766
1,435,115
1,411,006

Female
89,066
92,571
95,998
98,688
103,337
105,763
106,358
105,335
104,903
103,739
101,385

0.8%
-1.9

1.1%
-1.7

1.6%
-2.3

Note: Jurisdiction refers to the legal authority of state or federal correctional officials over a prisoner, regardless of where the prisoner is held. Counts are based on prisoners
with sentences of more than 1 year under the jurisdiction of state or federal correctional officials.
*Includes inmates held in nonsecure privately operated community corrections facilities and juveniles held in contract facilities.
aTotal and state estimates include imputed counts for the three jurisdictions that did not submit National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) data in time to be included in this report. See
Methodology for discussion of imputation strategy.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics Program, 2002–2012.

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6

Table 6
Sentenced prisoners under jurisdiction of state or federal correctional authorities, by jurisdiction and sex,
December 31, 2011 and 2012
Jurisdiction

U.S. totala

Federalb
Statea
Alabama
Alaskac
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticutc
Delawarec
Florida
Georgia
Hawaiic
Idaho
Illinoisd
Indiana
Iowa
Kansase
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevadad
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahomae
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Islandc
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermontc
Virginia
Washingtond
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Total
1,538,854
197,050
1,341,804
31,271
2,901
38,370
16,037
149,025
21,978
12,549
4,003
103,055
53,955
3,910
7,739
48,427
28,890
9,057
9,327
20,952
39,709
1,952
22,252
10,316
42,904
9,800
20,585
30,829
3,678
4,511
12,639
2,614
23,834
6,855
55,262
35,102
1,423
50,964
24,024
14,459
51,390
2,065
22,233
3,530
28,479
163,552
6,877
1,598
38,130
17,808
6,803
21,998
2,183

2011
Male
1,435,115
184,901
1,250,214
28,823
2,590
35,098
14,938
140,972
19,957
11,865
3,815
95,913
50,211
3,527
6,854
45,562
26,391
8,336
8,647
18,575
37,325
1,810
21,301
9,822
40,995
9,156
19,115
28,254
3,274
4,159
11,672
2,444
22,762
6,230
52,973
33,030
1,276
47,061
21,693
13,343
48,657
1,984
20,940
3,092
26,070
151,343
6,264
1,496
35,321
16,420
6,056
20,858
1,944

Female
103,739
12,149
91,590
2,448
311
3,272
1,099
8,053
2,021
684
188
7,142
3,744
383
885
2,865
2,499
721
680
2,377
2,384
142
951
494
1,909
644
1,470
2,575
404
352
967
170
1,072
625
2,289
2,072
147
3,903
2,331
1,116
2,733
81
1,293
438
2,409
12,209
613
102
2,809
1,388
747
1,140
239

Total
1,512,391
196,574
1,315,817
31,437
2,940
38,402
14,615
134,211
20,462
11,961
4,129
101,930
53,990
3,819
7,985
/
28,822
8,686
9,398
21,466
41,246
1,932
21,281
9,999
43,594
9,938
21,426
31,244
3,609
4,594
/
2,790
23,225
6,574
54,073
34,983
1,512
50,876
24,830
14,801
50,918
1,999
21,725
3,644
28,411
157,900
6,960
1,516
37,044
/
7,027
20,474
2,204

2012
Male
1,411,006
184,258
1,226,748
28,915
2,662
35,065
13,567
128,180
18,739
11,314
3,913
94,945
50,510
3,439
6,977
/
26,256
7,917
8,724
18,919
38,857
1,797
20,410
9,567
41,605
9,228
19,884
28,541
3,210
4,255
/
2,583
22,164
5,954
51,846
32,846
1,341
47,008
22,369
13,574
48,219
1,916
20,485
3,221
26,048
146,292
6,321
1,443
34,150
/
6,235
19,379
1,966

Female
101,385
12,316
89,069
2,522
278
3,337
1,048
6,031
1,723
647
216
6,985
3,480
380
1,008
/
2,566
769
674
2,547
2,389
135
871
432
1,989
710
1,542
2,703
399
339
/
207
1,061
620
2,227
2,137
171
3,868
2,461
1,227
2,699
83
1,240
423
2,363
11,608
639
73
2,894
/
792
1,095
238

Percent change, 2011–2012
Total
Male
Female
-1.7%
-1.7%
-2.3%
-0.2%
-0.3%
1.4%
-1.9%
-1.9%
-2.8%
0.5
0.3
3.0
1.3
2.8
-10.6
0.1
-0.1
2.0
-8.9
-9.2
-4.6
-9.9
-9.1
-25.1
-6.9
-6.1
-14.7
-4.7
-4.6
-5.4
3.1
2.6
14.9
-1.1
-1.0
-2.2
0.1
0.6
-7.1
-2.3
-2.5
-0.8
3.2
1.8
13.9
/
/
/
-0.2
-0.5
2.7
-4.1
-5.0
-6.7
---2.5
1.9
7.2
3.9
4.1
0.2
-1.0
-0.7
-4.9
-4.4
-4.2
-8.4
-3.1
-2.6
-12.6
1.6
1.5
4.2
1.4
0.8
10.2
4.1
4.0
4.9
1.3
1.0
5.0
-1.9
-2.0
-1.2
1.8
2.3
-3.7
/
/
/
6.7
5.7
21.8
-2.6
-2.6
-1.0
-4.1
-4.4
-0.8
-2.2
-2.1
-2.7
-0.3
-0.6
3.1
6.3
5.1
16.3
-0.2
-0.1
-0.9
---2.4
1.7
9.9
-0.9
-0.9
-1.2
-3.2
-3.4
2.5
-2.3
-2.2
-4.1
3.2
4.2
-3.4
-0.2
-0.1
-1.9
-3.5
-3.3
-4.9
1.2
0.9
4.2
-5.1
-3.5
-28.4
-2.8
-3.3
3.0
/
/
/
3.3
3.0
6.0
-6.9
-7.1
-3.9
1.0
1.1
-0.4

Note: Jurisdiction refers to the legal authority of state or federal correctional officials over a prisoner, regardless of where the prisoner is held. Counts are based on prisoners
with sentences of more than 1 year under the jurisdiction of state or federal correctional officials. As of December 31, 2001, sentenced felons from the District of Columbia are
the responsibility of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
--Not calculated.
/Not reported.
aIncludes imputed counts for the three jurisdictions that did not submit National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) data in time to be included in this report. See Methodology for
discussion of imputation strategy.
bIncludes inmates held in nonsecure privately operated community corrections facilities and juveniles held in contract facilities.
cPrisons and jails form one integrated system. Data include total jail and prison populations.
dState did not submit National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) Program data in time for inclusion in this report.
eChange in reporting methods. See National Prisoner Statistics jurisdiction notes.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics Program, 2011–2012.

Both state and federal imprisonment rates declined from
2011 to 2012
Driven by an overall decrease in the number of sentenced
inmates, imprisonment rates declined from 2011 to 2012 for
both state and federal prison systems (table 7). In addition to
the total imprisonment rate for the U.S. resident population,
this report includes adult imprisonment rates (based on the
U.S. resident population age 18 or older) for all prisoners by
sex for the first time. Adult imprisonment rates allow the rate
of persons in prison to be compared to BJS’s published rates
of incarceration in local jails and community corrections
programs.
The total imprisonment rate (480 inmates per 100,000 U.S.
residents of all ages) in 2012 was 2.4% lower than in 2011. In
2012, males were imprisoned at the lowest rate since 2002 (910
male prisoners per 100,000 U.S. male residents of all ages in
2012, or 1,202 male inmates per 100,000 U.S. male residents
age 18 or older). State prisons reported the lowest overall
imprisonment rate in over a decade (418 prisoners per 100,000
U.S. residents of all ages).

With the exception of the federal prison system, which
increased an average of 2.7% each year between 2002 and 2011,
the average annual percentage decrease in imprisonment rates
among the total U.S. prison population and among male and
female prisoners was less than 1% between 2002 and 2011.
From 2011 to 2012, rates for the total U.S. prison population,
male and female prisoners, and the federal prison population
declined by at least 1%. Among the reporting jurisdictions, 29
of the 47 states that reported data had a decrease in their total
imprisonment rate during this period (table 8). California
reported the largest imprisonment rate decline from 2011
to 2012 (down 11%), from 393 inmates per 100,000 state
residents to 351 in 2012.
In 2012, states with the highest imprisonment rates included
Louisiana (893 per 100,000 state residents), Mississippi (717
per 100,000 state residents), Alabama (650 per 100,000 state
residents), Oklahoma (648 per 100,000 state residents), and
Texas (601 per 100,000 state residents). The federal prison
system reported the lowest imprisonment rate in 2012 (62 per
100,000 U.S. residents), followed by Maine (145 per 100,000
state residents), Minnesota (184 per 100,000 state residents),
and Rhode Island (190 per 100,000 state residents).

Table 7
Imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners under the jurisdiction of state or federal correctional authorities,
December 31, 2002–2012
Year
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012—advanced
Percent change
Average annual, 2002–2011
2011–2012

Totala
477
483
487
492
501
506
506
504
500
492
480
0.3%
-2.4

Per 100,000 U.S. residents all ages
Federalb
Statea
Malea
49
428
909
52
431
917
54
433
923
56
436
932
58
443
948
59
447
955
60
447
956
61
443
952
61
439
948
63
429
932
62
418
910
2.7%
-1.0

0.0%
-2.6

0.3%
-2.4

Femalea
61
62
64
65
68
69
69
67
66
65
63

Per 100,000 adult U.S. residents
Totalc
Malec
Femalec
639
1,234
80
645
1,242
82
649
1,248
84
655
1,257
86
666
1,275
89
670
1,282
90
669
1,279
90
665
1,271
88
656
1,260
86
644
1,235
84
626
1,202
82

0.8%
-2.9

0.1%
-2.7

0.0%
-2.7

0.6%
-3.2

Note: Jurisdiction refers to the legal authority of state or federal correctional officials over a prisoner, regardless of where the prisoner is held. Counts are based on prisoners
with sentences of more than 1 year under the jurisdiction of state or federal correctional officials.
aImprisonment rate per 100,000 U.S. residents of all ages. These rates are comparable to those in previously published BJS reports.
bIncludes inmates held in nonsecure privately operated community corrections facilities and juveniles held in contract facilities.
cImprisonment rate per 100,000 U.S. residents age 18 or older. Since this is the first year BJS is publishing adult imprisonment rates, they are not comparable to rates that
included all U.S. residents in previously published BJS reports.
dTotal and state estimates include imputed counts for the three jurisdictions that did not submit National Prisoner Statistics data in time to be included in this report. See
Methodology for discussion of imputation strategy.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics Program, 2002–2012.

P R I S O N E R S I N 2012 - A D VA N C E CO U N T S | J U LY 2013 	

8

Table 8
Imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners under jurisdiction of state or federal correctional authorities, by jurisdiction and sex,
December 31, 2011 and 2012
Jurisdiction
U.S. totalc
Federald
Statec
Alabama
Alaskae
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticute
Delawaree
Florida
Georgia
Hawaiie
Idaho
Illinoisf
Indiana
Iowa
Kansasg
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevadaf
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahomag
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Islande
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermonte
Virginia
Washingtonf
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Totala
492
63
429
650
399
589
545
393
427
350
439
537
547
282
487
376
443
295
324
479
865
147
380
205
434
183
690
512
367
244
461
198
269
329
283
362
206
441
632
372
403
197
473
426
443
633
243
255
468
260
367
385
382

Malea
932
120
812
1,234
684
1,084
1,033
749
772
678
862
1,021
1,040
506
861
721
821
548
604
862
1,662
278
750
405
845
344
1,320
958
651
453
844
375
527
604
559
699
363
834
1,152
694
782
390
916
744
832
1,179
440
484
883
480
662
735
666

2011

Femalea
65
8
58
99
89
100
73
42
79
37
40
73
74
56
111
44
75
47
47
107
102
21
31
17
38
24
96
84
81
38
71
25
24
59
23
42
43
66
122
57
42
15
54
106
73
94
43
32
68
40
79
40
85

Total adultb
644
82
561
848
537
784
718
521
560
450
566
678
731
361
666
495
586
386
433
625
1,144
184
493
260
565
240
921
669
472
325
608
251
350
437
362
473
264
575
838
478
514
248
614
565
577
866
353
319
606
337
463
500
500

Totala
480
62
418
650
401
583
494
351
392
333
448
524
542
273
499
/
440
282
325
489
893
145
360
199
441
184
717
518
358
247
/
211
261
315
276
357
213
440
648
378
398
190
458
434
438
601
242
242
451
/
378
357
379

Malea
910
119
791
1,234
695
1,070
934
674
715
645
877
999
1,037
487
871
/
814
518
606
875
1,720
276
713
395
857
344
1,370
965
633
459
/
396
511
576
545
688
372
832
1,178
700
772
376
888
765
824
1,121
437
468
845
/
681
680
663

2012

Femalea
63
8
56
101
79
101
70
31
66
35
46
70
68
55
126
/
77
49
46
114
101
20
29
15
39
26
100
88
80
36
/
31
23
59
22
43
49
65
127
62
41
15
51
101
71
88
45
23
69
/
84
38
84

Total adultb
626
81
545
847
537
773
651
463
514
426
577
661
723
349
680
/
581
368
433
637
1,179
181
466
252
571
241
954
674
459
328
/
266
338
417
352
466
274
572
858
485
506
239
593
575
570
820
351
302
582
/
477
463
496

Note: Jurisdiction refers to the legal authority of state or federal correctional officials over a prisoner, regardless of where the prisoner is held. Counts are based on prisoners
with sentences of more than 1 year under the jurisdiction of state or federal correctional officials.
/Not reported.
aImprisonment rate per 100,000 U.S. residents of all ages. These rates are comparable to those in previously published BJS reports.
bImprisonment rate per 100,000 U.S. residents age 18 or older. Since this is the first year BJS is publishing adult imprisonment rates, they are not comparable to rates that
included all U.S. residents in previously published BJS reports.
cIncludes imputed counts for the three jurisdictions that did not submit National Prisoner Statistics data in time to be included in this report. See Methodology for discussion of
imputation strategy.
dIncludes inmates held in nonsecure privately operated community corrections facilities and juveniles held in contract facilities.
ePrisons and jails form one integrated system. Data include total jail and prison populations.
fState did not submit National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) Program data in time for inclusion in this report.
gChange in reporting methods. See National Prisoner Statistics jurisdiction notes.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics Program, 2011–2012.

Violent offenders comprised the majority of the state
prison population in 2011
Inmates sentenced to more than 1 year of imprisonment for
violent offenses continued to account for the majority (53%)
of the state prison population in 2011, the latest year for which
the most complete state offense data are available (table 9).

The distribution of offense categories was more evenly divided
among female inmates than male inmates, with 37% of females
imprisoned for violent offenses, 28% for property offenses,
and 25% for drug crimes. Among male inmates, 54% were
incarcerated for violent crimes, 18% for property offenses, and
16% for drug offenses.

Table 9
Estimated percent of sentenced prisoners under state jurisdiction, by offense, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, December 31, 2011
Offense
Total
Violent
Murderc
Manslaughter
Rape/sexual assault
Robbery
Aggravated or simple assault
Other violent
Property
Burglary
Larceny-theft
Motor vehicle theft
Fraud
Other property
Drugd
Public ordere
Other/unspecifiedf

All inmatesa
1,341,804
53.0%
12.2
1.6
12.3
13.5
10.3
3.0
18.3%
9.6
3.1
1.1
2.3
2.2
16.8%
10.6%
1.4%

Male
1,250,214
54.3%
12.3
1.5
13.1
13.9
10.5
3.0
17.7%
9.8
2.8
1.1
1.8
2.2
16.2%
10.7%
1.1%

Female
91,590
36.8%
10.7
2.8
2.2
8.9
8.5
3.6
27.8%
6.9
7.7
1.1
9.3
2.9
25.1%
8.7%
1.6%

Whiteb
465,180
49.2%
9.8
1.7
17.0
8.2
9.1
3.3
23.3%
11.5
4.2
1.4
3.2
3.0
14.5%
11.8%
1.2%

Blackb
509,677
55.8%
12.9
1.5
7.8
19.4
11.0
3.2
15.3%
9.2
2.5
0.7
1.6
1.4
18.0%
9.9%
0.9%

Hispanic
282,353
57.5%
13.4
1.2
12.7
13.0
13.5
3.6
13.6%
7.8
2.0
1.5
0.9
1.3
16.8%
11.4%
0.7%

Note: Counts are based on state prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year under the jurisdiction of state correctional officials. Detail may not sum to total due to rounding
and missing offense data.
aIncludes American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians, other Pacific Islanders, and persons identifying two or more races.
bExcludes persons of Hispanic or Latino origin and persons of two or more races.
cIncludes nonnegligent manslaughter.
dIncludes trafficking, possession, and other drug offenses.
eIncludes weapons, drunk driving, and court offenses; commercialized vice, morals, and decency offenses; and liquor law violations and other public-order offenses.
fIncludes juvenile offenses and other unspecified offense categories.
Sources: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics Program and National Corrections Reporting Program, 2011.

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10

The percentage of Hispanic inmates sentenced for violent
offenses (58%) exceeded that of non-Hispanic black (56%) and
non-Hispanic white (49%) inmates (table 10).2 The number
of black inmates imprisoned for violent crimes (284,631)
surpassed that of white (228,782) or Hispanic (162,489)
inmates. Among black inmates sentenced for violent crimes,
the leading cause of incarceration was robbery (19% of the
total black prison population), followed by murder and
nonnegligent manslaughter (13%). Black and Hispanic inmates
were incarcerated at similar percentages for violent offenses,
with 13% of the Hispanic prison population held for murder
and nonnegligent manslaughter, 13% for robbery, and 14% for

aggravated or simple assault. Among white inmates convicted
of violent crimes, the leading cause for incarceration was rape
or sexual assault (17% or 79,282 prisoners). When combined
with rape or sexual assault convictions, the overall number of
white inmates imprisoned for rape or sexual assault exceeded
the number of black and Hispanic inmates sentenced for rape
or sexual assault combined (75,838). The number of white
inmates sentenced for property crime (108,560) was larger
than the number of black (78,197) and Hispanic (38,264)
inmates sentenced for property crime, while more black
inmates were sentenced for drug offenses than inmates of other
races or Hispanic origin.

2For distribution of prisoners by race categories, see Prisoners in 2011,

NCJ 239808, BJS Web, December 2012.

Table 10
Estimated number of sentenced prisoners under state jurisdiction, by offense, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, December 31, 2011
Offense
Total
Violent
Murderc
Manslaughter
Rape/sexual assault
Robbery
Aggravated or simple assault
Other violent
Property
Burglary
Larceny-theft
Motor vehicle theft
Fraud
Other property
Drugd
Public ordere
Other/unspecifiedf

All inmatesa
1,341,804
710,875
163,762
21,051
165,656
181,415
138,574
40,416
245,351
128,823
42,029
14,703
30,333
29,463
225,242
141,803
18,534

Male
1,250,214
678,786
154,359
18,544
163,863
173,640
131,100
37,281
220,753
122,837
35,195
13,782
22,000
26,940
203,081
134,203
13,391

Female
91,590
33,695
9,821
2,587
2,032
8,177
7,816
3,262
25,486
6,298
7,046
963
8,559
2,621
22,971
7,954
1,484

Whiteb
465,180
228,782
45,369
8,107
79,282
38,312
42,375
15,336
108,560
53,547
19,617
6,596
14,738
14,063
67,271
54,834
5,733

Blackb
509,677
284,631
65,568
7,408
39,975
99,096
56,281
16,304
78,197
46,795
12,679
3,330
8,256
7,137
91,775
50,489
4,585

Hispanic
282,353
162,489
37,956
3,456
35,863
36,694
38,252
10,270
38,264
22,038
5,679
4,132
2,628
3,786
47,479
32,275
1,846

Note: Counts are based on state prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year under the jurisdiction of state correctional officials. Detail may not sum to total due to rounding
and missing offense data.
aIncludes American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians, other Pacific Islanders, and persons identifying two or more races.
bExcludes persons of Hispanic or Latino origin and persons of two or more races.
cIncludes nonnegligent manslaughter.
dIncludes trafficking, possession, and other drug offenses.
eIncludes weapons, drunk driving, and court offenses; commercialized vice, morals, and decency offenses; and liquor law violations and other public-order offenses.
fIncludes juvenile offenses and other unspecified offense categories.
Sources: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics Program and National Corrections Reporting Program, 2011.

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National Prisoner Statistics jurisdiction notes
Alaska—Prisons and jails form one integrated system.
All NPS data include jail and prison populations housed
in-state and out-of-state. Jurisdictional totals include
individuals in electronic and special monitoring programs
who are under the jurisdiction of the state of Alaska.
Arizona—Jurisdiction counts are based on custody data and
inmates in contracted beds.
California—Population counts for inmates with over 1 year
maximum sentence(s) include felons who are temporarily
absent, such as in court, jail, hospital, etc. The majority
of temporarily absent inmates are absent for fewer than
30 days. Population counts for unsentenced inmates include
civil addicts who are enrolled for treatment and are not
serving a criminal conviction sentence, but are under the
jurisdiction of the California Department of Corrections
and Rehabilitation. California is unable to differentiate
between inmates held in federal facilities and in other states’
facilities.
Colorado—Population counts include a small
undetermined number of inmates with a maximum
sentence of 1 year or less.
Connecticut—Prisons and jails form one integrated system.
All NPS data include jail and prison populations.
Delaware—Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All
NPS data include jail and prison populations.
Federal Bureau of Prisons—Jurisdiction counts include
inmates housed in secure private facilities through private
contracts and subcontracts, and inmates housed in jail or
short-term detention and others held in state-operated
secure facilities. Counts also include 8,932 inmates held in
nonsecure privately operated residential reentry centers and
2,659 offenders on home confinement. The Federal Bureau
of Prisons does not house inmates age 17 or younger in
federal facilities.
Georgia—Females are not housed in privately operated
correctional facilities in Georgia. Subtotals of race, sex, and
sentence length for jurisdiction and custody counts were
adjusted by the Georgia Department of Corrections using
interpolation to match the overall totals.
Hawaii—Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All
NPS data include jail and prison populations. In custody
and jurisdiction counts, sentenced felon probationers and
probation violators are included with the counts of a total
maximum sentence of 1 year or less. Jurisdiction counts
include dual jurisdiction (state of Hawaii or federal) inmates
currently housed in federal facilities and in contracted beds.
Iowa—As of 2009, the Iowa Department of Corrections
began including offenders on work release, the Operating

While Intoxicated population, and Iowa inmates housed
in out-of-state prisons and jurisdiction counts. Iowa data
included in BJS reports prior to 2009 were custody counts
only. Jurisdiction counts include Iowa offenders housed
in prisons in other jurisdictions who are under Iowa’s
jurisdiction. Data quality and collection methodology have
been updated in 2012, so changes from previous years’
counts may reflect these changes.
Kansas—Jurisdiction counts of inmates with sentences of
less than 1 year are available in 2012, but were not in 2011.
Louisiana—Jurisdiction and capacity counts were as of
December 27, 2012.
Massachusetts—By law, offenders in Massachusetts may
be sentenced to terms of up to 2.5 years in locally operated
jails and correctional institutions. This population is
excluded from the state count, but is included in published
population counts and rates for local jails and correctional
institutions. Jurisdiction counts exclude approximately
3,271 inmates in the county system (local jails and houses
of correction) serving a sentence of over 1 year, but these
inmates are included in imprisonment rate calculations
at the request of the Massachusetts Department of
Corrections. Jurisdiction and custody counts may
include a small but undetermined number of inmates
who were remanded to court; transferred to the custody
of another state, federal, or locally operated system; or
subsequently released.
Maryland—The number of inmates with maximum
sentences of more than 1 year is estimated by taking the
percentages for these prisoners from the automated totals
and applying them to the manual totals submitted for NPS.
The number of male inmates included in the jurisdiction
count of prisoners held in other state facilities may include a
small number of female inmates.
Minnesota—Jurisdiction counts include inmates
temporarily housed in local jails, on work release, or on
community work crew programs.
Mississippi—Custody counts exclude county regional
facilities, while jurisdiction counts include these facilities.
Local jails and county regional facilities were included in the
jurisdiction count of inmates housed at local facilities.
Nebraska—By statute, inmates are housed where they are
sentenced by the judge and are never housed in local jails or
by another state to ease prison crowding.
New Hampshire—The new offender database management
system reports the number of inmates under New
Hampshire’s jurisdiction but housed in other state facilities
in a different manner from NPS submissions prior to 2010.

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New Jersey—Population counts for inmates with a
maximum sentence of more than 1 year include inmates
with sentences of 1 year. The New Jersey Department of
Corrections has no jurisdiction over inmates with sentences
of less than 1 year or over unsentenced inmates.
New Mexico—Jurisdiction counts do not include inmates
from other states housed in New Mexico under the
interstate compact agreement.
North Carolina—As of December 1, 2011, North Carolina
prisons no longer housed misdemeanor offenders with
sentences of less than 180 days.

South Carolina—The December 31, 2012, custody count
of unsentenced individuals includes Interstate Compact
Commission (ICC) inmates. As of July 1, 2003, the South
Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) began
releasing inmates due for release and housed in SCDC
institutions on the first day of each month. Since January 1,
2012, was a holiday, inmates eligible for release on January 1
were released on December 31, 2011. Therefore, the inmate
count was at its lowest point for the month on December 31,
2012. All inmates in private facilities in South Carolina were
housed in private medical facilities.

Ohio—Population counts for inmates with a maximum
sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined
number of inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less. Counts
of inmates under Ohio’s jurisdiction but housed in federal
or other state facilities are estimates.

South Dakota—Custody and jurisdiction counts of inmates
serving a maximum sentence of 1 year or less included
those under the sentence of probation who, as a condition
of probation, must serve up to 180 days in state prison. The
custody count of unsentenced inmates included all holds for
the U.S. Marshals Service (sentenced and unsentenced).

Oklahoma—Jurisdiction counts exclude inmates from other
states who were serving time in Oklahoma prisons under
the interstate compact. Most of the inmates with sentences
of less than 1 year were part of the Oklahoma Delayed
Sentencing Program for Young Adults. Counts of prison
release by escape reflect inmates escaping state-run prisons
only. Because these inmates were included in the 2011
jurisdiction counts, the 2012 jurisdiction is not comparable
to 2011.

Texas—Offenders in custody were all offenders serving time
in a facility owned and operated by the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice at the time of data collection. Jurisdiction
counts include offenders in custody and offenders held in
privately operated prisons, intermediate sanction facilities,
substance abuse felony punishment facilities, pre-parole
transfer facilities, and halfway houses; offenders temporarily
released to a county for less than 30 days; and offenders
awaiting paperwork for transfer to state-funded custody.

Oregon—Most offenders with a maximum sentence of
less than 1 year remain under the custody of local counties
rather than the Oregon Department of Corrections.

Vermont—Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All
NPS data include jail and prison populations.

Pennsylvania—All Pennsylvania inmates housed in
Virginia were brought back to serve time in Pennsylvania in
March 2012.
Rhode Island—Prisons and jails form one integrated
system. All NPS data include jail and prison populations.
Jurisdiction counts include inmates who have dual
jurisdiction, or those serving Rhode Island sentences out of
state while serving that state’s sentence as well.

Virginia—Jurisdiction counts were for December 31, 2012.
As of September 1, 1998, the state is responsible for inmates
with a sentence of 1 year or more, or a sentence of 12 months
and 1 day. The state was responsible for a 1-year sentence,
while local authorities were responsible for a 12-month
sentence. Inmates with a sentence of 12 months or less were
not the responsibility of the state.
Wisconsin—Custody and jurisdiction counts include
722 temporary probation and parole placements.

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Terms and definitions
Adult imprisonment rate—The number of prisoners under
state or federal jurisdiction sentenced to more than 1 year
per 100,000 U.S. residents age 18 or older.
Average annual change—Average (mean) annual change
across a specific period.
Custody—Prisoners held in the physical custody of state or
federal prisons or local jails, regardless of sentence length or
authority having jurisdiction.
Imprisonment rate—The number of prisoners under state
or federal jurisdiction sentenced to more than 1 year per
100,000 U.S. residents of all ages.
Inmate—A person incarcerated in a local jail, state, or
federal prison or a private facility under contract to federal,
state, or local authorities.
Jail—A confinement facility usually administered by a
local law enforcement agency that is intended for adults,
but sometimes holds juveniles, for confinement before and
after adjudication. Such facilities include jails and city or
county correctional centers; special jail facilities, such as
medical treatment or release centers; halfway houses; work

farms; and temporary holding or lockup facilities that are
part of the jail’s combined function. Inmates sentenced
to jail facilities usually have a sentence of 1 year or less.
Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Delaware, Alaska, and
Hawaii operate integrated systems, which combine prisons
and jails.
Jurisdiction—The legal authority of state or federal
correctional officials over a prisoner, regardless of where the
prisoner is held.
Prison—A long-term confinement facility run by a state
or the federal government that typically holds felons and
offenders with sentences of more than 1 year. However,
sentence length may vary by state. Connecticut, Rhode
Island, Vermont, Delaware, Alaska, and Hawaii operate
integrated systems, which combine prisons and jails.
Prisoner—An individual confined in a correctional facility
under the legal authority (jurisdiction) of state or federal
correctional officials.
Sentenced prisoner—A prisoner sentenced to more than
1 year.

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Methodology
Begun in 1926 under a mandate from Congress, the National
Prisoner Statistics (NPS) Program collects annual data on
prisoners at yearend. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
sponsors the survey, and the U.S. Census Bureau serves as
the data collection agent. BJS depends entirely on voluntary
participation by state departments of corrections and the
Federal Bureau of Prisons for NPS data.
The NPS distinguishes between inmates in custody and
prisoners under jurisdiction. To have custody of a prisoner,
a state or the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) must hold
that inmate in one of its facilities. To have jurisdiction over
a prisoner, the state or BOP must have legal authority over
that prisoner, regardless of where the prisoner is incarcerated
or supervised. Some states were unable to provide counts
that distinguish between custody and jurisdiction. (See
NPS jurisdiction notes to determine which states did not
distinguish between custody and jurisdiction counts.)
The NPS jurisdiction counts include persons held in prisons,
penitentiaries, correctional facilities, halfway houses, boot
camps, farms, training or treatment centers, and hospitals.
Counts also include prisoners who were—
„„

temporarily absent (less than 30 days), out to court, or on
work release

„„

housed in privately operated facilities, local jails, or other
state or federal facilities

„„

serving concurrent sentences for more than one correctional
authority.

The NPS custody counts include all inmates held within a
respondent’s facilities, including inmates housed for other
correctional facilities. The custody counts exclude inmates held
in local jails and in other jurisdictions. With a few exceptions,
the NPS custody counts include inmates held in privately
operated facilities.
Respondents to NPS surveys are permitted to update
the prior counts of prisoners held in custody and under
jurisdiction. Some statistics on jurisdiction and sentenced
prison populations for prior years have been updated in
this report. All tables showing data based on jurisdiction
counts—including tables of imprisonment rates—were based
on the updated and most recently available data provided by
respondents.

The NPS has historically included counts of inmates in
the combined jail–prison systems in Alaska, Connecticut,
Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The District
of Columbia (D.C.) has not operated a prison system since
yearend 2001. Felons sentenced under the D.C. criminal code
are housed in federal facilities. Jail inmates in D.C. are included
in the Annual Survey of Jails. Some previously published
prisoner counts and the percentage change in population
include D.C. jail inmates for 2001, the last year of collection.
Additional information about the NPS, including the data
collection instrument, is available on the BJS website at
www.bjs.gov.
Nonreporting states
As of June 12, 2013, three states had not yet reported 2012
total and sex-specific jurisdiction or custody counts to the
NPS. BJS compared data submitted to NPS by these states
from past years to all jurisdiction or custody counts from
past years available on each states’ departments of corrections
website (between 3 and 12 years’ worth of data were available
across the states). Within each year, BJS calculated the ratio
of the reported NPS count to the count published on the
website. The average of these ratios was applied to the count
reported on each states’ website that was closest to the count
on December 31, 2012, to obtain the total imputed jurisdiction
count for each state. This was repeated for total male and
female jurisdiction counts. In the case of Washington, sexspecific counts were not available for 2012 on the DOC
website, so BJS used the average ratio of males to females to
impute the number of females. Finally, the within-state ratio of
those sentenced to total jurisdiction by sex was applied to the
imputed total jurisdiction values to obtain imputed counts for
males and females sentenced to more than 1 year.
The imputed counts were used to calculate overall state and
national totals of prisoners, but are not reported on the
individual state level. BJS will publish the final total estimated
and state-specific reported counts in the annual Prisoners in
2012 report in late 2013.
Estimating offense distribution in the state prison
population by race or Hispanic origin
National-level estimates of the number of state prisoners by
race were based on adjusting NPS counts to comport with
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) definitions of
race and Hispanic origin. OMB defines persons of Hispanic
or Latino origin as a separate category. Race categories are

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defined exclusive of Hispanic origin. Not all NPS providers’
information systems categorize race and Hispanic origin in
this way. BJS adjusts the NPS data on race and Hispanic origin
by the ratio of the relative distribution of prisoners by race and
Hispanic origin in self-report inmate surveys that use OMB
categories for race to the relative distribution of prisoners
by race and Hispanic origin in the NPS data. This ratio was
calculated for the year(s) in which BJS had an inmate survey
and NPS data. For this report, the 2004 Survey of Inmates in
State Correctional Facilities was used to calculate this ratio.
The ratio obtained by comparing the within-year relative
distributions by race and Hispanic origin was then multiplied
by the NPS distribution in a year to generate the estimate of
persons by race and Hispanic origin.

BJS employed a ratio adjustment method to weight the
individual-level race or sex-specific offense data from the
National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP) to the
state control totals for sex and the estimated race or ethnicity
control totals from NPS, thereby yielding a national offense
distribution for state prisoners. Because data submission for
NCRP typically lags behind that of NPS, offense distribution
estimates are published for the previous calendar year.

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The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the
U.S. Department of Justice. William J. Sabol is the acting director.
This report was written by E. Ann Carson and Daniela Golinelli.
Margaret Noonan, Todd Minton, and Sheri Simmons verified
the report.
Morgan Young and Jill Thomas edited the report, and Barbara Quinn
produced the report under the supervision of Doris J. James.
July 2013, NCJ 242467

Office of Justice Programs
Innovation • Partnerships • Safer Neighborhoods
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