Still Going....

The number of prisoners in the United States rose again during 2004, the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today. (A Sunday, mind you to insure minimum press effect). Yep, we now have over 2.2 million people behind bars.



The number of inmates under state jurisdiction increased by 20,759 (1.6 percent) and the number under federal jurisdiction by 7,269 (4.2 percent). The total increase in the number of inmates in 2004 was nearly identical to 2003 and about 8,000 fewer than in 2002.

As of Dec. 31, 2004, there were 2,267,787 people behind bars in the United States, of which 1,421,911 were held in federal and state prisons (not including the 74,718 state and federal inmates incarcerated in local jails), 713,990 in local jails, 102,338 in juvenile facilities, 15,757 in U.S. Territory prisons, 9,788 in Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, 2,177 in military prisons and 1,826 in Indian country jails (as of June 30, 2003).

The Federal Bureau of Prisons operated the largest prison system at year-end 2004 (180,328 inmates), followed by Texas (168,105), California (166,556), Florida (85,553), and New York (85,533).

Here's a state by state breakdown:

U.S. 1,433,793 1,408,361 1.8
Federal 159,137 151,919 4.8
State 1,274,656 1,256,442 1.4

Northeast 161,121 163,494 -1.5

Conn. 13,240 13,587 -2.6
Maine 1,961 1,951 0.5
Mass. 8,688 8,814 -1.4
N.H. 2,448 2,434 0.6
N.J. 26,757 27,246 -1.8
N.Y. 63,751 65,198 -2.2
Pa. 40,931 40,880 0.1
R.I. 1,894 1,983 -4.5
Vt. 1,451 1,401 3.6

Midwest 248,896 246,583 0.9

Ill. 44,054 43,418 1.5
Ind. 23,939 23,007 4.1
Iowa 8,525 8,546 -0.2
Kan. 8,966 9,132 -1.8
Mich. 48,883 49,358 -1.0
Minn. 8,758 7,865 11.4
Mo. 31,061 30,275 2.6
Neb. 4,038 3,976 1.6
N.D. 1,238 1,147 7.9
Ohio 44,806 44,778 0.1
S.D. 3,088 3,016 2.4
Wis. 21,540 22,065 -2.4

South 576,292 565,380 1.9

Ala. 25,257 27,272 -7.4
Ark. 13,668 13,244 3.2
Del. 4,087 4,122 -0.8
Fla. 85,530 82,003 4.3
Ga. 51,089 47,200 8.2
Ky. 17,140 16,190 5.9
La. 36,939 36,047 2.5
Md. 22,696 23,230 -2.3
Miss. 19,469 19,569 -0.5
N.C. 30,683 29,394 4.4
Okla. 22,913 22,448 2.1
S.C. 22,730 22,942 -0.9
Tenn. 25,884 25,403 1.9
Texas 157,617 156,534 0.7
Va. 35,564 35,067 1.4
W.Va. 5,026 4,715 6.6

West 288,347 280,985 2.6

Alaska 2,632 2,629 0.1
Ariz. 31,106 29,722 4.7
Calif. 164,933 162,678 1.4
Colo. 20,293 19,671 3.2
Hawaii 4,174 4,167 0.2
Idaho 6,375 5,737 11.1
Mont. 3,877 3,620 7.1
Nev. 11,280 10,543 7.0
N.M. 6,111 5,934 3.0
Ore. 13,167 12,695 3.7
Utah 5,916 5,681 4.1
Wash. 16,503 16,036 2.9
Wyo. 1,980 1,872 5.8