North Carolina profile
67,000 people from North Carolina are behind bars today
Rates of imprisonment have grown dramatically in the last 40 years
Also see these North Carolina graphs:
- total numbers rather than rates.
- Women’s prisons: Incarceration Rates | Total Population
- Men’s prisons: Incarceration Rates | Total Population
Today, North Carolina’s incarceration rates stand out internationally
In the U.S., incarceration extends beyond prisons and local jails to include other systems of confinement. The U.S. and state incarceration rates in this graph include people held by these other parts of the justice system, so they may be slightly higher than the commonly reported incarceration rates that only include prisons and jails. Details on the data are available in States of Incarceration: The Global Context. We also have a version of this graph focusing on the incarceration of women.
People of color are overrepresented in prisons and jails
See also our detailed graphs about Whites and Blacks in North Carolina prisons and jails.
North Carolina's criminal justice system is more than just its prisons and jails
Our other articles about North Carolina
- The Harm of Prison Gerrymandering, Or is Bernie Madoff Really a Resident of Granville County School Board District 3?, by Drew Kukorowski, December 19, 2012
- North Carolina prison construction September 2003
Other resources
- Research on North Carolina in our Research Library
