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1997 Prisoners in 1 (1997)

handle is hein.death/prsin1997 and id is 1 raw text is: U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs

August 1998, NCJ 170014
Prisoners in 1997

By
Darrell K. Gilliard
and Allen J. Beck, Ph.D.
BJS Statisticians
The total number of prisoners under
the jurisdiction of Federal or State
adult correctional authorities was
1,244,554 at yearend 1997. During
the year the States and the District
of Columbia added 53,757 prisoners,
and the Federal prison system added
7,429 prisoners. Overall, the Nation's
prison population grew 5.2%, which
was less than the average annual
growth of 7.0% since 1990. In
absolute numbers, prison growth
during 1997 was equivalent to 1,177
more inmates per week, up from
1,106 per week in 1996.
At midyear 1997 (the latest available
data), more than 1.7 million U.S.
residents were in either jail or prison.
State and Federal prisons housed
two-thirds of the incarcerated popula-
tion (1,158,763). Jails, which are
locally operated and typically hold
persons awaiting trial and those with
sentences of a year or less, held the
other third (567,079).
Relative to the number of U.S.
residents, the rate of incarceration in
prisons at yearend 1997 was 445
sentenced inmates per 100,000
residents - up from 292 in 1990. On
December 31, 1997, 1 in every 117
men and 1 in every 1,852 women were
sentenced prisoners under the jurisdic-
tion of State or Federal correctional
authorities.

Sentenced prisoners per  Population housed as a
Decem-  Number of inmates  100,000 resident population  percent of highest capacity
ber 31  Federal  State     Federal   State     Federal  State
1990   65,526   708,393     20       272       151%     115%
1991   71,608   753,951     22       287       146      116
1992   80,259   802,241     26       305       137      118
1993   89,587   880,857     29       330       136      118
1994   95,034   959,668     30       356       125      117
1995  100,250  1,025,624    32       379       126      114
1996  105,544  1,077,824    33       394       125      116
1997  112,973  1,131,581    35       410       119      115
During 1997 the number of female  * Analyses of imprisonment rates
prisoners rose by 6.2%, slightly  from 1990 to 1996, the year of the
greater than the increase in male  latest available data, reveal -
prisoners (5.2%). At yearend 1997  - a 43% increase among males
79,624 women were in State or   and a 65% increase among females
Federal prisons - 6.4% of all prison  in the number of sentenced prisoners
inmates,                        per 100,000 U.S. residents.
- sharp increases in rates among
* On December 31, 1997, State   persons age 35-39 (up 66%), 40-44
prisons were operating at between  (up 75%), and 45-54 (up 71%).
15% and 24% above capacity, while  - widespread disparities by race
Federal prisons were operating at  and Hispanic origin. In 1996 the rate
19% above capacity.             among black males totaled 3,098
prisoners per 100,000 residents,
* California (157,547), Texas   compared to 1,278 among Hispanic
(140,729), and the Federal system  males and 370 among white males.
(112,973) together held 1 in every 3
prisoners in the Nation. Fifteen  * Sources of population growth
States, each holding fewer than 5,000 differed among State inmates:
inmates, together held only 4% of the  - Violent offenders accounted for
Nation's prisoners,             the largest source of growth among
males (52%) and among whites
* Nine jurisdictions had increases of  (46%), blacks (50%), and Hispanics
at least 10% in 1997, led by Hawaii  (54%).
(23.4%) and West Virginia (15.4%).  - Drug offenders accounted for 30%
Four jurisdictions, led by Oregon  of the growth among blacks, 23%
(down 7.6%) and Montana (-2.2%),  among Hispanics, and 16% among
experienced decreases.          whites.
- Only among females were drug
offenders the largest source of growth
(45% of the total increase).

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