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1998 Prisoners in 1 (1998)

handle is hein.death/prsin1998 and id is 1 raw text is: U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs

August 1999, NCJ 175687
Prisoners in 1998

By
Allen J. Beck, Ph.D.
BJS Statistician
and
Christopher J. Mumola
BJS Policy Analyst
The total number of prisoners under
the jurisdiction of Federal or State
adult correctional authorities was
1,302,019 at yearend 1998. During
the year the States and the District
of Columbia added 49,798 prisoners,
and the Federal prison system added
10,068 prisoners. Overall, the Nation's
prison population grew 4.8%, which
was less than the average annual
growth of 6.7% since 1990. In
absolute numbers, prison growth
during 1998 was equivalent to 1,151
more inmates per week, up from
1,130 per week in 1997.
At yearend 1998, more than 1,825,000
U.S. residents were in either jail or
prison. State and Federal prisons
housed two-thirds of the incarcerated
population . Jails, which are locally
operated and typically hold persons
awaiting trial and those with sentences
of a year or less, held the other third
(592,462).
Relative to the number of U.S.
residents, the rate of incarceration
in prisons at yearend 1998 was 461
sentenced inmates per 100,000
residents - up from 292 in 1990.
On December 31, 1998, 1 in every 113
men and 1 in every 1,754 women were
sentenced prisoners under the jurisdic-
tion of State or Federal 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%
1995  100,250  1,025,624  32     379           126      114
1996  105,544  1,077,824  33     394           125      116
1997  112,973  1,129,180  35     410           119      115
1998  123,041  1,178,978  38     423           127      113
* During 1998 the number of female  * Factors underlying the growth
prisoners rose by 6.5%, greater than  in the State prison population
the increase in male prisoners (4.7%). between 1990 and 1997 included -
At yearend 1998, 84,427 women were - a 39% rise in the number of parole
in State or Federal prisons - 6.5%  violators returned to prison and a 4%
of all prison inmates,         increase in new court commitments.
-a drop in annual release rates of
* On December 31, 1998, State  inmates from 37% in 1990 to 31%
prisons were operating at between  in 1997.
13% and 22% above capacity, while  -an increase in the average time
Federal prisons were operating at  served in prison by released inmates
27% above capacity.            (from 22 months in 1990 to 27 months
in 1997) and in the time expected to
- California (161,904), Texas  be served by those entering prison
(144,510), and the Federal system  (from 38 months to 43 months).
(123,041) together held 1 in every 3  -a small but growing number (10%)
prisoners in the Nation. Fifteen  of inmates who will serve 20 or more
States, each holding fewer than 5,000 years in prison before release and
inmates, together held less than 4%  5% who will never be released.
of the Nation's prisoners.
o Analyses of imprisonment rates
* Seven jurisdictions had increases  from 1990 to 1997 reveal -
of at least 10% in 1998, led by Missis- -a 49% increase among males and
sippi (16.7%) and North Dakota  a 71% increase among females in
(14.8%). Four jurisdictions - Alaska  the number of sentenced prisoners
(down 1.6%), Hawaii (-1.1%), Massa- per 100,000 residents.
chusetts (-1.0%), and Maine (-0.5%)  - widespread disparities by race
- experienced decreases.        and Hispanic origin. In 1997 the rate
among black males in their late
* Eighteen States housed inmates in  twenties reached 8,630 prisoners per
other State or Federal facilities in  100,000 residents compared to 2,703
1998. Wisconsin had the most   among Hispanic males and 868
inmates in other States (3,028).  among white males.

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