HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.
![handle is hein.death/prsin1982 and id is 1 raw text is: U.S. Department of Justice
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Buea of Jutcataitc
Bulleti
P 1 2
Pnisoners in 1982
At the end of 1982 there were 412,303
inmates in U.S. State and Federal prisons.
The annual increase of almost 43,000
inmates was the highest in any year since
data became available in 1925. The year-
to-year percentage increase (11.6%) from
1981 to 1982 was second only to the 12.2%
increase from 1980 to 1981 (see figure 1).
The growth of the prison population
was somewhat slower in each successive
quarter of 1982. This suggests the
possibility of an abatement in the rapid
surge that has characterized the period
since the mid-1970's (see table 1).
The male population age 20-29 is
generally considered to be the most
prison-prone population group. The sheer
size of this group could continue to drive
up the prison population through at least
1990, as those born in the peak years of
the baby boom pass through their
twenties.
Between 1981 and 1982 the incarcera-
tion rate of sentenced prisoners rose from
153 to 170 per 100,000 U.S. resident
population (see table 2). Based on the
male population age 20-29 alone, however,
the rate approached 2 of every 100. To a
Timely statistics on the prison
population were never more essential
than during the current period in
which the Nation's sentencing and
correctional policies are receiving
careful examination by the academic
and criminal justice communities and
by policymakers at all levels. The
Bureau of Justice Statistics is
pleased that through the cooperation
and generous assistance of the
departments of correction in the 50
States and the District of Columbia,
we are able to make such statistics
degree this is an overstatement because
some prison inmates are over 29, but it is
still strikingly higher than the rate based
on the U.S. population as a whole. In
1982, the largest single-year age group in
the U.S. population was the 22-year-olds,
still relatively young in terms of imprison-
ment potential. Thus, the prison-prone
population group of 20-29-year-old males
has not peaked, suggesting that severe
pressure on the Nation's correctional
Number of sentenced State aia]o tederal prisoners,
yearend 1925-82
Thousands
40
Jurisdiction
Custody
1960
1950
the jurisdiction population. Both figures are shown
for 1977 to facilitate year-to-year comparison.
Note: Prior to 1978, NPS reports were based on the
custody population, Beginning in 1978, focus is on
Figure I
1970
1980
available. Without the patience and
continued support of correctional
officials in each State, this report
would not be possible. We gratefully
acknowledge their contribution.
This series is part of the National
Prisoner Statistics (NPS) program,
which is among the oldest in criminal
justice. Data in the NPS program
are collected annually for the Bureau
of Justice Statistics by the U.S.
Census Bureau.
Steven R. Schlesinger
Director-Designate
resources will continue throughout this
decade.
State and Federal increases
Prison population growth during 1982
affected male and female, sentenced and
unsentenced, State and Federal prisoners
alike. The Federal increase of 5.5% was
substantially below the 15.5% of 1981, but
it marks the second year of growth after
declines in 1978, 1979, and 1980. Most of
the national growth occurred in State
institutions, which held an additional
41,000 inmates at yearend-a 12.1%
increase.
In both the State and Federal systems,
the influx of prisoners affected living
Table 1. Percent increase in U.S.
prison population by quarter, 1982
Sentenced to:
1 year
All More or leess
pris- than I or un-
Quarter oners year sentenced
First 3.4% 3.1% 9.9%
Second 3.3 3.0 9.1
Third 2.8 3.0 -1.1
Fourth 1.7 2.0 -4.7
C C
April 1983](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.death/prsin1982&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)