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South Carolina has an incarceration rate of 606 per 100,000 people (including prisons, jails, immigration detention, and juvenile justice facilities), meaning that it locks up a higher percentage of its people than any independent democratic country on earth. Read on to learn more about who is incarcerated in South Carolina and why.

32,000 people from South Carolina are behind bars

Additionally, the number of people impacted by county and city jails in South Carolina is much larger than the graph above would suggest, because people cycle through local jails relatively quickly. Each year, at least 89,000 different people are booked into local jails in South Carolina.

Rates of imprisonment have grown dramatically in the last 40 years

Also see these South Carolina graphs:

• total numbers rather than rates.
• Women’s prisons: Incarceration Rates | Total Population
• Men’s prisons: Incarceration Rates | Total Population

Today, South 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

South Carolina's criminal justice system is more than just its prisons and jails

See detailed data on incarceration and supervision numbers and rates by state.

Reports and briefings about South Carolina's criminal legal system:

Filter to show Most recent All Big picture Collateral consequences Communication Exploitation Health Jails & bail Parole and probation Policing Poverty Prison gerrymandering Racial justice Women, gender, & families

• People on probation in South Carolina are saddled with onerous rules and conditions they must follow every day or risk incarceration.
• Prisons in South Carolina have tablets, but they may be being used to restrict incarcerated people’s access to books and sap them of the little money they have.
• With an incarceration rate of 606 per 100,000 residents, South Carolina locks up a higher percentage of its people than any independent democratic country on earth.
• After the Dobbs’ decision, striking down Roe v. Wade, South Carolina severely restricted abortion, putting access to the service effectively out of reach for the 6,170 women on probation or parole in the state who also face travel restrictions.
• Prisons in South Carolina force incarcerated people and their families — some of the most vulnerable members of society — to subsidize mass incarceration.
• 73% of people in South Carolina jails have not been convicted of a crime, meaning they're legally innocent. There are simple steps the state can take to reduce this number. Why isn't it?
• South Carolina releases roughly 147,975 men and 40,138 women from its prisons and jails each year. What is it doing to support them upon reentry?
• South Carolina is home to one of the worst prison gerrymanders in the nation.
• People on parole in South Carolina can be sent back to prison for "associating" with anyone who has a felony or misdemeanor conviction — even loved ones who are trying to support them
• The parole board in South Carolina is releasing 69% fewer people and holding 15% fewer hearings since the pandemic started
• Black people in South Carolina are incarcerated at a rate 3.8 times higher than white people.
• South Carolina's choice to criminalize "failure to appear" may be hurting public safety
• The cost of incarcerating older people is incredibly high, and their risk of reincarceration is incredibly low, yet 13% of people in South Carolina prisons are over the age of 55. Why is the state keeping so many older people locked up?
• South Carolina makes it difficult or even risky for incarcerated journalists to tell their stories.
• South Carolina has one of nation's highest rates of HIV in prison and legally criminalizes people with HIV.
• South Carolina is one of 20 states that locks up some people convicted of sex offenses in shadowy "civil commitment" facilities, long after their sentences are over — and often indefinitely
• In South Carolina, 32,000 people are incarcerated and another 27,900 are on probation or parole.
• South Carolina charges up to 25¢ for an e-message to or from prison.
• Jails in South Carolina charge up to $3.15 for a 15-minute phone call, reaping profits for companies, while prisons charge 83¢ for a 15-minute call.
• Bail companies in South Carolina have a track record of avoiding accountability, our report All Profit, No Risk and review of state-by-state evidence show
• South Carolina suspended its $5 medical copays in prisons at the beginning of the pandemic for flu related medical visits — but should eliminate them completely.
• People in South Carolina prisons must pay for hygiene items and other basics like shoes if they have more than $6.42 in their account.
• South Carolina prisons charge families up to a 20% fee to transfer money to an incarcerated loved one.
• We gave South Carolina a failing grade in September 2021 for its response to the coronavirus in prisons.
• South Carolina hinders jury diversity by excluding people with felony records and some prior misdemeanors
• How many COVID-19 cases in South Carolina communities can be linked to outbreaks in correctional facilities? (data from our report Mass Incarceration, COVID-19, and Community Spread)
• Cruel and unusual punishment: When South Carolina prisons don't provide air conditioning
• We graded the parole release systems of all 50 states — South Carolina gets an F
• New data: Low incomes — but high fees — for people on probation in South Carolina
• The hidden costs in South Carolina's "no-cost" prison tablet contract
• South Carolina incarcerates women at a rate of 125 per 100,000 residents — higher than almost any democratic country on earth.
• People in South Carolina prisons earn nothing for their work inside prisons and as little as 35¢ an hour for industry jobs.

Other resources

• Research on South Carolina in our Research Library
• Fixing prison-based gerrymandering in South Carolina