Bursting at the Seams
The United States imprisons significantly more people than any other nation in the world. In fact, the Pew Center on the States reported in 2008 that an astounding one in every 100 adults in the U.S. now lives behind bars!
Because we’ve been trying to “incarcerate our way” out of crime for so long, federal and state prisons and county jails are experiencing near-crisis levels of overcrowding. At the same time, operating budgets have been severely cut, as has funding to build new facilities. And over the next two years, researchers predict the situation will get even worse.
Based on current projections, by 2011 the U.S. prison population will increase by 13% – which is triple the growth of the entire population as a whole – to more than 1.7 million . Supporting that increase in incarcerated people will cost American taxpayers and local/state budgets an estimated $27.5 billion. At that time, another 4 million people will also be on probation or parole.
The net effect is that states, counties, courts, sheriffs, and administrators are actively looking for ways to:
- Trim incarcerated populations
- Remain fiscally solvent
- Continue protecting public safety
Learn More about jail and prison overcrowding statistics.
Jail and Prison Overcrowding Statistics
- Each year, over 600,000 people are admitted to state and federal prisons, and over 10 million are incarcerated in local jails
- Adding prison, jail, and probation populations together, the U.S. corrections population exceeds 7 million people – or 1 in every 32 U.S. adults
- Approximately 40% of offenders committing technical violations of parole conditions are sent back to jail – taking up valuable space that could be better used for those committing more serious crimes
- The average annual operating cost per state was $23,876 − or $65.41/day
- Among facilities operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, it was $23,429 per inmate − or $64.19/day
- By 2011, the Western U.S. states will experience the greatest prison population increases (18%), while the Northeast will experience the lowest (7%)
- Jails populations are rising at a higher rate than prison populations, and the number of people in jails has doubled since 1990
Sources
“Public Safety, Public Spending” (2008), The Pew Charitable Trusts
“Prisoners in 2007” (2008), Bureau of Justice Statistics
“Jailing Communities” (2008), Justice Policy Institute
Driving Forces
At the heart of the jail overcrowding problem is the combination of rising crime rates with a growing national population. Research also shows that as the national economy declines, crime rates and the incidence of alcohol-related crime also increase.
Other key factors that affect jail and prison overcrowding are:
Demographic Factors Affecting Jail Overcrowding
- The U.S. is experiencing a rise in “at-risk” populations
- Typically younger males aged 15-25
- In particular, of African American or Hispanic descent
- Our aging prison population, which is growing because of longer sentences and various sentencing policies
- An older inmate population contributes to higher health care expenses
- A higher female prison population, which has increased by 57% since 1995 (vs. 34% for males)
- Female prisoners may require specialized programs and services, which also leads to higher operating costs
- 60% of the jail population suffers from a mental health disorder, compared with 10.6% of the general population
Sources
“Public Safety, Public Spending” (2008), The Pew Charitable Trusts
“Prisoners in 2006” (2007), Bureau of Justice Statistics
“Prisoners in 2007” (2008), Bureau of Justice Statistics
State Policies on Sentencing and Corrections
- Movement from indeterminate to determinate sentencing
- Adoption of truth-in-sentencing requirements
- Lower parole grant rates
- “Three strikes” laws
- Litigation delays
- New sentencing guidelines
- Prisoners are less likely to be released pre-trial, and jails are filled with people who have not yet been convicted of their crime
Rising Costs of Incarceration
- Prison operating costs will increase by $2.5 billion/year to as much as $5 billion/year by 2011
- By 2011, the price tag for housing the projected 192,000 new prisoners could add an additional $27.5 billion to taxpayer costs – with $15 billion in operating costs and $12.5 billion in new construction costs
- Operational costs (the day-to-day expenses, including personnel salaries, medical services, and programs) is almost thirty times that of capital costs
- Capital costs (land, construction, and renovations of existing facilities) are also increasing
- For states, prisons are the fourth-largest budget item – behind health, education, and transportation
- High turnover among prison employees and low salaries make it difficult to recruit qualified staff, especially for prisons located in economically-depressed rural areas
- Prison beds each cost between $25,000 and $100,000, depending on inmate security levels
- Incarceration costs are $21.403/pp annually, compared with $2,198 for community-based substance abuse treatment and $3,296 for intensive community supervision
Sources
“Public Safety, Public Spending” (2008), The Pew Charitable Trusts
“Prisoners in 2006” (2007), Bureau of Justice Statistics
“Prisoners in 2007” (2008), Bureau of Justice Statistics
Alcohol and Crime
From a criminal justice standpoint, alcohol offenders are overwhelming our system and contributing to unwieldy court dockets, burdensome caseloads, and overcrowded jails and prisons. Data gathered from courts shows that alcohol plays a significant role as a contributing factor in the crimes that put a large percentage of the prison population behind bars.
Research has found that using incarceration as a sanction for alcohol offenders is not only expensive, but is minimally effective because it doesn’t help them address the core of their problem – alcohol addiction. For many of these offenders, they serve their time behind bars but once they return to their old environments with the same drinking triggers, a high percentage of them recidivate if their addiction hasn’t been treated and resolved. For example, the number of people sentenced to substance abuse or mental health programs outside of jail dropped 25% between 2005 and 2006.1
These problems are exacerbated by the fact that there are no national standards for:
- Identifying offenders with alcohol misuse issues (screening, assessment, and evaluation tools and programs)
- Sanctioning alcohol offenders for criminal activity
- Providing them with the treatment they need to make better decisions
- Monitoring them to ensure rehabilitation
Learn more about how alcohol is contributing to the rise in jail populations. View statistics »
1Jailing Communities (2008), Justice Policy Institute
Alcohol Offenders are Overcrowding Jails and Prisons
- 36% − adults under correctional supervision who were drinking at the time of their conviction offense
- 40% − state prisoners convicted of violent crimes who were under the influence of alcohol at the time
of their offense
- 25% − state prisoners who tested positive in a standard questionnaire that screens for alcoholism
- $100 billion/day – what U.S. agencies surpassed in spending to incarcerate individuals with serious
addiction problems
Source
Jailing Communities (2008), Justice Policy Institute