The inmate population increased by 134 percent between 1980 and 1990, with a growth rate of 8.2 percent during 1990. The number of male inmates increased 8.3 percent, while the number of female inmates increased 7.9 percent. Prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year accounted for 96 percent of the year-end population. The others were awaiting trials or had sentences of a year or less. The number of sentenced prisoner per 100,000 residents reached a new record of 293 at the end of 1990. Prison populations increased the fastest in western States. Local jails held more than 18,000 State prisoners because of crowding in State facilities. Finally, the prison population growth may reflect the increasing certainty of punishment. Tables and notes
Prisoners in 1990
NCJ Number
129198
Date Published
1991
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Official records from the Federal and State correctional systems reveal that the number of Federal and State inmates reached a record high of 771,243 at the end of 1990.
Abstract