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The Gender Divide:

Tracking women's state prison growth

a Prison Policy Initiative Report
by Wendy Sawyer
January 9, 2018

 

Table 2:
Changes in state prison populations since 2009, by sex

State Gender 2009 state prison population 2015 state prison population Change in prison population count 2009-2015 Percent change in prison population 2009-2015
Alabama Women 2,319 2,433 114 5%
Alabama Men 28,404 27,329 -1,075 -4%
Alaska Women 192 175 -17 -9%
Alaska Men 2,316 2,086 -230 -10%
Arizona Women 3,441 3,638 197 6%
Arizona Men 35,088 37,314 2,226 6%
Arkansas Women 1,058 1,388 330 31%
Arkansas Men 14,086 16,268 2,182 15%
California Women 10,735 5,731 -5,004 -47%
California Men 159,396 123,474 -35,922 -23%
Colorado Women 2,101 1,842 -259 -12%
Colorado Men 20,694 18,199 -2,495 -12%
Connecticut Women 712 577 -135 -19%
Connecticut Men 12,754 10,643 -2,111 -17%
Delaware Women 190 225 35 18%
Delaware Men 3,781 3,963 182 5%
Florida Women 7,283 6,943 -340 -5%
Florida Men 96,632 94,481 -2,151 -2%
Georgia Women 3,727 3,573 -154 -4%
Georgia Men 51,789 48,127 -3,662 -7%
Hawaii Women 441 355 -86 -20%
Hawaii Men 3,678 3,414 -264 -7%
Idaho Women 744 928 184 25%
Idaho Men 6,656 6,327 -329 -5%
Illinois Women 2,590 2,675 85 3%
Illinois Men 42,571 43,565 994 2%
Indiana Women 2,506 2,540 34 1%
Indiana Men 26,282 24,794 -1,488 -6%
Iowa Women 723 800 77 11%
Iowa Men 8,090 8,016 -74 -1%
Kansas Women 565 777 212 38%
Kansas Men 8,076 8,801 725 9%
Kentucky Women 2,126 2,587 461 22%
Kentucky Men 18,546 19,110 564 3%
Louisiana Women 2,616 2,046 -570 -22%
Louisiana Men 37,164 34,301 -2,863 -8%
Maine Women 135 132 -3 -2%
Maine Men 1,845 1,622 -223 -12%
Maryland Women 1,001 868 -133 -13%
Maryland Men 20,867 19,540 -1,327 -6%
Massachusetts Women 425 405 -20 -5%
Massachusetts Men 9,645 8,549 -1,096 -11%
Michigan Women 1,755 2,273 518 30%
Michigan Men 43,723 40,355 -3,368 -8%
Minnesota Women 674 771 97 14%
Minnesota Men 9,312 10,027 715 8%
Mississippi Women 1,614 1,204 -410 -25%
Mississippi Men 19,154 17,032 -2,122 -11%
Missouri Women 2,425 3,267 842 35%
Missouri Men 28,129 29,061 932 3%
Montana Women 391 390 -1 0%
Montana Men 3,214 3,295 81 3%
Nebraska Women 360 419 59 16%
Nebraska Men 4,032 4,893 861 21%
Nevada Women 949 1,166 217 23%
Nevada Men 11,533 11,778 245 2%
New Hampshire Women 167 236 69 41%
New Hampshire Men 2,564 2,661 97 4%
New Jersey Women 1,206 908 -298 -25%
New Jersey Men 24,176 19,581 -4,595 -19%
New Mexico Women 581 693 112 19%
New Mexico Men 5,739 6,301 562 10%
New York Women 2,464 2,335 -129 -5%
New York Men 55,991 49,271 -6,720 -12%
North Carolina Women 2,097 2,497 400 19%
North Carolina Men 32,766 33,026 260 1%
North Dakota Women 174 206 32 18%
North Dakota Men 1,312 1,577 265 20%
Ohio Women 3,989 4,430 441 11%
Ohio Men 47,617 47,803 186 0%
Oklahoma Women 2,526 2,995 469 19%
Oklahoma Men 21,870 25,119 3,249 15%
Oregon Women 1,121 1,307 186 17%
Oregon Men 13,244 13,923 679 5%
Pennsylvania Women 2,807 2,754 -53 -2%
Pennsylvania Men 48,509 46,824 -1,685 -3%
Rhode Island Women 91 62 -29 -32%
Rhode Island Men 2,129 2,094 -35 -2%
South Carolina Women 1,410 1,263 -147 -10%
South Carolina Men 22,076 19,129 -2,947 -13%
South Dakota Women 380 414 34 9%
South Dakota Men 3,050 3,144 94 3%
Tennessee Women 2,009 2,640 631 31%
Tennessee Men 24,956 25,532 576 2%
Texas Women 11,620 12,743 1,123 10%
Texas Men 150,566 144,508 -6,058 -4%
Utah Women 581 515 -66 -11%
Utah Men 5,943 5,973 30 1%
Vermont Women 98 83 -15 -15%
Vermont Men 1,626 1,207 -419 -26%
Virginia Women 2,903 3,236 333 11%
Virginia Men 35,156 35,167 11 0%
Washington Women 1,387 1,449 62 4%
Washington Men 16,812 16,756 -56 0%
West Virginia Women 674 865 191 28%
West Virginia Men 5,639 6,253 614 11%
Wisconsin Women 1,258 1,334 76 6%
Wisconsin Men 21,074 20,429 -645 -3%
Wyoming Women 214 267 53 25%
Wyoming Men 1,861 2,157 296 16%
State prisons nationwide Women 93,555 93,360 -195 0%
State prisons nationwide Men 1,272,133 1,204,799 -67,334 -5%

Sources and methodology

2009 state prison population
Yearend jurisdictional population with sentences greater than 1 year. Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics Corrections Statistical Analysis Tool (CSAT) - Prisoners (Custom Tables)
2015 state prison population
Yearend jurisdictional population with sentences greater than 1 year. Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics Corrections Statistical Analysis Tool (CSAT) - Prisoners (Custom Tables)
Change in prison population count 2009-2015
The difference between 2015 and 2009 yearend populations, calculated by subtracting the 2009 estimate from the 2015 estimate. A positive value indicates that the population grew; a negative value indicates that the population declined.
Percent change in prison population 2009-2015
Percent difference between 2015 and 2009 yearend populations, calculated by dividing the absolute difference by the 2009 estimate baseline, and multiplying by 100. A positive value indicates the population grew; a negative value indicates the population declined.

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