Data Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Corrections Statistics Analysis Tool. (Graph: Peter Wagner, May 2014)

We inquired about the drop in Vermont's incarceration rate in the mid to late-1990s and learned it was the result of a new intermediate sanctions program and the increased use of furlough. This was a one time improvement after which a new law decreased the use of bail, causing the population to rise again.

This graph is a part of Tracking State Prison Growth, a Prison Policy Initiative briefing.