Around 1.2 million people were imprisoned in the United States in 2021. This is a decrease from the previous year, when 1.22 million people were in prison, and is likely due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Number of prisoners under jurisdiction of federal or state correctional authorities from 1990 to 2021 (in 1,000s)
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Other statistics that may interest you Prisoners in the United States
Overview
5
- Basic Statistic Adult correctional population in the U.S. 2005-2021
- Basic Statistic Adult correctional population in the U.S. 2021, by correctional status
- Basic Statistic Inmates held in custody in the U.S. 2021, by type of correctional institution
- Basic Statistic Number of prisoners in the U.S. 1990-2021
- Basic Statistic Number of prisoners in the U.S. 2021, by state
Prisoner demographics and sentencing
8
- Basic Statistic Number of prisoners in the U.S. 2005-2021, by gender
- Basic Statistic Distribution of prisoners U.S. 2021, by sex and age
- Basic Statistic Imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners U.S. 2021, by sex and ethnicity
- Basic Statistic Number of sentenced prisoners under state jurisdiction U.S. 2020, by offense
- Basic Statistic Number of sentenced prisoners under federal jurisdiction U.S. 2021, by offense
- Basic Statistic U.S. federal inmates breakdown 2023, by security level
- Basic Statistic Number of U.S. federal inmates 2023, by sentence imposed
- Basic Statistic Number of sentenced prisoners admitted to jurisdiction U.S. 2000-2021
Correctional facilities
6
- Basic Statistic Prisoners in local jail facilities in the U.S. 2000-2019
- Basic Statistic Prisoners in private facilities in the United States 2000-2019, by location
- Basic Statistic Prisoners under military jurisdiction U.S. 2021, by branch of service
- Premium Statistic State expenditures on corrections in the U.S. 1985-2019
- Premium Statistic Spending on corrections by state governments in the U.S. 2020
- Premium Statistic Number of escapees from prisons in the U.S. 2000-2019
Probation and parole
4
Prisoner fatalities
4
- Basic Statistic Number of state prisoner fatalities U.S. 2001-2019
- Basic Statistic Number of state and federal prisoner fatalities U.S. 2019, by cause of death
- Basic Statistic Number of local inmate deaths in jail U.S. 2000-2019
- Basic Statistic Number of local U.S. inmate fatalities in jail 2019, by cause of death
Death row
4
- Premium Statistic U.S. capital punishment - executions per year 2000-2022
- Premium Statistic U.S. capital punishment - total number of executions 1976-2022, by state
- Premium Statistic U.S. capital punishment - racial distribution of executed inmates 1976-2022
- Premium Statistic U.S. capital punishment - racial distribution of death row inmates 2023
Further related statistics
16
- Number of prisoners in the U.S. 2011, by sex and age
- Countries with the largest share of foreign prisoners 2023
- Countries with the largest share of pre-trial detainees 2023
- Countries with the largest share of female prisoners 2023
- Male and female prisoners and detainees in Belgium in 2019
- Number of Dutch detainees abroad 2018, by country
- U.S. capital punishment - number of prisoners executed 2020, by state
- U.S. capital punishment - average time elapsed since sentencing
- Colombia: share of adolescents in detention centers 2016, by gender
- Prisoners convicted of homicide per 100,000 population worldwide 2012, by region
- U.S. citizens on closing the Guantanamo prison facility
- Inmates in Correctional Institution for Women Philippines 2022, by civil status
- Inmates in the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm Philippines 2022, by religion
- Number of inmates in Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm Philippines 2022, by age
- Inmates in the National Bilibid Prison Philippines 2022, by age and facility type
- Court convictions New Zealand FY 2010-2019 by gender
Further Content: You might find this interesting as well
Statistics
- Number of prisoners in the U.S. 2011, by sex and age
- Countries with the largest share of foreign prisoners 2023
- Countries with the largest share of pre-trial detainees 2023
- Countries with the largest share of female prisoners 2023
- Male and female prisoners and detainees in Belgium in 2019
- Number of Dutch detainees abroad 2018, by country
- U.S. capital punishment - number of prisoners executed 2020, by state
- U.S. capital punishment - average time elapsed since sentencing
- Colombia: share of adolescents in detention centers 2016, by gender
- Prisoners convicted of homicide per 100,000 population worldwide 2012, by region
- U.S. citizens on closing the Guantanamo prison facility
- Inmates in Correctional Institution for Women Philippines 2022, by civil status
- Inmates in the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm Philippines 2022, by religion
- Number of inmates in Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm Philippines 2022, by age
- Inmates in the National Bilibid Prison Philippines 2022, by age and facility type
- Court convictions New Zealand FY 2010-2019 by gender
US Bureau of Justice Statistics. (December 20, 2022). Number of prisoners under jurisdiction of federal or state correctional authorities from 1990 to 2021 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 06, 2023, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/203718/number-of-prisoners-in-the-us/
US Bureau of Justice Statistics. "Number of prisoners under jurisdiction of federal or state correctional authorities from 1990 to 2021 (in 1,000s)." Chart. December 20, 2022. Statista. Accessed December 06, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/203718/number-of-prisoners-in-the-us/
US Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2022). Number of prisoners under jurisdiction of federal or state correctional authorities from 1990 to 2021 (in 1,000s). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 06, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/203718/number-of-prisoners-in-the-us/
US Bureau of Justice Statistics. "Number of Prisoners under Jurisdiction of Federal or State Correctional Authorities from 1990 to 2021 (in 1,000s)." Statista, Statista Inc., 20 Dec 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/203718/number-of-prisoners-in-the-us/
US Bureau of Justice Statistics, Number of prisoners under jurisdiction of federal or state correctional authorities from 1990 to 2021 (in 1,000s) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/203718/number-of-prisoners-in-the-us/ (last visited December 06, 2023)
Number of prisoners under jurisdiction of federal or state correctional authorities from 1990 to 2021 (in 1,000s) [Graph], US Bureau of Justice Statistics, December 20, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/203718/number-of-prisoners-in-the-us/