Site Network:Prison Policy Initiative|Prisoners of the Census

Section II: Incarceration & Its Consequences

America's Prisoners

Who is in prison?

  • Percent of state prisoners in 1997 that are male315: 93.7%
  • Percent of state prisoners in 1997 that are at least 55 years old316: 3.1%
  • Percent of state prisoners in 1997 that have no more than an 8th grade education317: 14.2%
  • Percent of state prisoners in 1997 that do not have a high school diploma or GED318: 43.1%
  • Percent of state prisoners in 1997 who are serving their first sentence319: 19.3%

What crimes did they commit?

  • Percent of state prisoners in 1997 incarcerated for a violent offense320: 46.6%
  • Percent of state prisoners in 1997 incarcerated for murder321: 11.7%
  • Percent of state prisoners in 1997 incarcerated for a property offense322: 22.0%
  • Percent of state prisoners in 1991 incarcerated for a drug offense323: 21.3%
  • Percent of state prisoners in 1997 incarcerated for a drug offense324: 57.9%
  • Percent of federal prisoners in 1997 incarcerated for a violent offense325: 14.8%
  • Percent of federal prisoners in 1997 incarcerated for murder326: 1.5%
  • Percent of federal prisoners in 1997 incarcerated for a property offense327: 22.0%
  • Percent of federal prisoners in 1991 incarcerated for a drug offense328: 20.7%
  • Percent of federal prisoners in 1997 incarcerated for a drug offense329: 62.6%
number of people in prison and jail by gender

Who gets sent to prison?

  • Number of White male prisoners per 100,000 U.S. males, 2000330: 990
  • Number of White female prisoners per 100,000 U.S. females, 2000331: 76
  • Number of African-American male prisoners per 100,000 U.S. males, 2000332: 6,838
  • Number of African-American female prisoners per 100,000 U.S. females, 2000333: 491
  • Number of women prisoners in state prisons, 1990334: 39,054
  • Number of women prisoners in state prisons, 2000335: 81,367
  • Number of women prisoners in federal prisons, 1990336: 5,011
  • Number of women prisoners in federal prisons, 2000337: 10,245

Race

  • Percentage of U.S. population that is African-American, 2000338: 12.3%
  • Percentage of adults in state prison who are African-American, 1997339: 45.6%
  • Percentage of U.S. population that is White 2000340: 75.1%
  • Percentage of adults in state prison who are White, 1997341: 33.3%
  • Percentage of U.S. population that is Hispanic or Latino, 2000342: 11.8%
  • Percentage of adults in state prison who are Hispanic, 1997343: 17.0%
graph showing the incarceration rates for the US by race and gender
  • Number of times an African-American was more likely to be sent to prison than a White person in 1930344: 2.9
  • Number of times an African-American was more likely to be sent to prison than a White person in 1986345: 5.4
  • Percent of Montana that is Native American346: 7%
  • Percent of Montana State Prison at Deer Lodge that is Native American347: 17%
  • Percent of women incarcerated at the Montana State Prison in Billings that are Native American348: 40%

This page is an excerpt from The Prison Index: Taking the Pulse of the Crime Control Industry (2003) by Peter Wagner, published by the Western Prison Project and the Prison Policy Initiative..