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West Virginia has an incarceration rate of 674 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 West Virginia and why.

11,000 people from West Virginia are behind bars

Additionally, the number of people impacted by county and city jails in West Virginia is much larger than the graph above would suggest, because people cycle through local jails relatively quickly. Each year, at least 34,000 different people are booked into local jails in West Virginia.

Rates of imprisonment have grown dramatically in the last 40 years

Also see these West Virginia graphs:

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

This graph excludes people held for state or federal authorities from the total count of people held in West Virginia jails. Because a significant proportion (31%) of the population in West Virginia’s jails is held for the state prison system and the U.S. Marshals Service, this graph likely overstates the convicted population and understates the pre-trial population.

Today, West Virginia’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

West Virginia'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 West Virginia'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

• West Virginia prisons charge people $3.00 to see a healthcare provider.
• West Virginia makes medications for opioid use disorder available in its prisons. Why is getting treatment for substance use disorders so difficult across the US carceral system?
• West Virginia decreased its prison population during the pandemic and continued to cut its prison population between 2021 and 2023.
• People incarcerated in West Virginia prisons must abide by a list of around 100 prison rules, making “misconduct” nearly inevitable
• People on probation in West Virginia are saddled with onerous rules and conditions they must follow every day or risk incarceration.
• Prisons in West Virginia 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 674 per 100,000 residents, West Virginia locks up a higher percentage of its people than any independent democratic country on earth.
• After the Dobbs’ decision, striking down Roe v. Wade, West Virginia totally banned abortion, putting access to the service effectively out of reach for the 2,390 women on probation or parole in the state who also face travel restrictions.
• Prisons in West Virginia force incarcerated people and their families — some of the most vulnerable members of society — to subsidize mass incarceration.
• 56% of people in West Virginia 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?
• West Virginia releases roughly 37,097 men and 12,997 women from its prisons and jails each year. What is it doing to support them upon reentry?
• West Virginia is home to two of the worst prison gerrymanders in the nation.
• Black people in West Virginia are incarcerated at a rate 4.4 times higher than white people.
• West Virginia'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 12% of people in West Virginia prisons are over the age of 55. Why is the state keeping so many older people locked up?
• West Virginia makes it difficult or even risky for incarcerated journalists to tell their stories.
• In West Virginia, 11,000 people are incarcerated and another 9,200 are on probation or parole.
• Jails in West Virginia charge up to $3.15 for a 15-minute phone call, reaping profits for companies, while prisons charge 45¢ for a 15-minute call.
• West Virginia prisons are replacing incarcerated people's personal mail with scans, stifling family contact
• Bail companies in West Virginia have a track record of avoiding accountability, our report All Profit, No Risk and review of state-by-state evidence show
• West Virginia prisons don’t define indigence so it is unclear whether indigent people in West Virginia must pay for basic hygiene items.
• West Virginia prisons charge families a $2.75 fee to transfer $20 to an incarcerated loved one.
• We gave West Virginia a failing grade in September 2021 for its response to the coronavirus in prisons.
• West Virginia hurts jury diversity by excluding people with felony records
• How many COVID-19 cases in West Virginia communities can be linked to outbreaks in correctional facilities? (data from our report Mass Incarceration, COVID-19, and Community Spread)
• We graded the parole release systems of all 50 states - West Virginia gets a D
• West Virginia incarcerates women at a rate of 179 per 100,000 residents — higher than any democratic country on earth.
• People in West Virginia prisons earn as little as 4¢ an hour for their work.
• Why is West Virginia the federal prison capital of the country?

Other resources

• Research on West Virginia in our Research Library
• Fixing prison-based gerrymandering in West Virginia