South Carolina profile
38,000 people from South Carolina are behind bars today
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
See also our detailed graphs about Whites, Hispanics, and Blacks in South Carolina prisons and jails.
South Carolina's criminal justice system is more than just its prisons and jails
Our other articles about South Carolina
- Fixing prison-based gerrymandering after the 2010 Census: South Carolina, Prison Policy Initiative, March 2010
Other resources
- Research on South Carolina in our Research Library
