bar chart showing that women's prison populations have grown faster than men's prison populations even after dropping faster during the pandemic

Data Source: Compiled by the Prison Policy Initiative from Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics data showing the total change in the population under state or federal prison jurisdiction that is sentenced to more than 1 year, by sex, since 1978. (Graph: Wendy Sawyer, 2026)

This graph originally appeared in Updated data and charts: Women’s incarceration, national prison population counts, psychological distress behind bars, and more.

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