Source: US Bureau of Justice Statistics, Census Bureau
Tools: Datawrapper, Illustrator
Note: This data set focuses on those under state (rather than federal) jurisdiction, meaning that the state holds legal authority over the incarcerated person, but not necessarily that they are physically held in that state. The data set includes people incarcerated in prisons, long-term facilities run by state or federal government typically holding people with sentences of more than one year, but not jails, which are typically run by local governments and holding people with sentences of less than a year. Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont count their jail and prison populations as one, and so this count of imprisoned persons also includes some people in jail from those states.
States incarcerated more than 1 million people at the end of 2021, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics data. To house them, state governments spent a combined $64.0 billion (inflation-adjusted). Spending per prisoner varies more than tenfold across states, from just under $23,000 per person in Arkansas to $307,468 in Massachusetts. Spending in Massachusetts was more than double any other state; the median state spent $64,865 per prisoner for the year.
State correction departments allocate most of their budgets to prisons to pay for day-to-day operations, including officer salaries. A small portion of correctional spending, around 3%, is capital expenditure. Some states also fund additional rehabilitation programs, drug treatment centers, and juvenile justice initiatives from their corrections budgets.
State funding does not usually include jails, which hold people awaiting trial or people with sentences of one year or less. Jails are usually operated by county and city law enforcement agencies. However, Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont have prison populations small enough to operate “unified” systems integrating the prison and jail systems.
Note: This data set focuses on those under state (rather than federal) jurisdiction, meaning that the state holds legal authority over the incarcerated person, but not necessarily that they are physically held in that state. The data set includes people incarcerated in prisons, long-term facilities run by state or federal government typically holding people with sentences of more than one year, but not jails, which are typically run by local governments and holding people with sentences of less than a year. Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont count their jail and prison populations as one, and so this count of imprisoned persons also includes some people in jail from those states.
4 Comments
Source: US Bureau of Justice Statistics, Census Bureau
Tools: Datawrapper, Illustrator
Note: This data set focuses on those under state (rather than federal) jurisdiction, meaning that the state holds legal authority over the incarcerated person, but not necessarily that they are physically held in that state. The data set includes people incarcerated in prisons, long-term facilities run by state or federal government typically holding people with sentences of more than one year, but not jails, which are typically run by local governments and holding people with sentences of less than a year. Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont count their jail and prison populations as one, and so this count of imprisoned persons also includes some people in jail from those states.
More data [here](https://usafacts.org/articles/how-much-do-states-spend-on-prisons/)
States incarcerated more than 1 million people at the end of 2021, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics data. To house them, state governments spent a combined $64.0 billion (inflation-adjusted). Spending per prisoner varies more than tenfold across states, from just under $23,000 per person in Arkansas to $307,468 in Massachusetts. Spending in Massachusetts was more than double any other state; the median state spent $64,865 per prisoner for the year.
State correction departments allocate most of their budgets to prisons to pay for day-to-day operations, including officer salaries. A small portion of correctional spending, around 3%, is capital expenditure. Some states also fund additional rehabilitation programs, drug treatment centers, and juvenile justice initiatives from their corrections budgets.
State funding does not usually include jails, which hold people awaiting trial or people with sentences of one year or less. Jails are usually operated by county and city law enforcement agencies. However, Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont have prison populations small enough to operate “unified” systems integrating the prison and jail systems.
Note: This data set focuses on those under state (rather than federal) jurisdiction, meaning that the state holds legal authority over the incarcerated person, but not necessarily that they are physically held in that state. The data set includes people incarcerated in prisons, long-term facilities run by state or federal government typically holding people with sentences of more than one year, but not jails, which are typically run by local governments and holding people with sentences of less than a year. Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont count their jail and prison populations as one, and so this count of imprisoned persons also includes some people in jail from those states.
1. Eliminate privately owned for-profit prison companies.
2. Legalize marijuana.
3. Turn violent criminals over to research institutions to be studied.
Would love to see the per prisoner cost relative to the per student cost spent on education annually.