Produces annual and semiannual national and state-level data on the number of prisoners in state and federal prison facilities. Aggregate data are collected on age, race, and sex, inmates held in private facilities and local jails, system capacity, noncitizens, and persons under age 18. Findings are released in the Prisoners series. Data are from the 50 state departments of correction and from the District of Columbia (until 2001, when the District ceased operating a prison system).
On This Page |
Collection Period |
Questionnaires |
Advance Year-end Counts (NPS-1b -old) | ||
2004 PDF | ||
Population Reports Midyear Counts (NPS-1a) | ||
2010 PDF (78K) | 2009 PDF (80K) | 2008 PDF (69K) | 2007 PDF (103K) | 2006 PDF (72K) | 2005 PDF (68K) | 2004 PDF (47K) | ||
Summary of Sentenced Population Movement (NPS 1b-new) | ||
2010 PDF (78K) | 2009 PDF (98K) | 2008 PDF (102K) | 2007 PDF (102K) |
Methodology |
Collection forms for December 31 are sent to central respondents in each of the fifty state departments of correction of each year. June 30 forms were sent to the central respondents through 2010, when the midyear collection was suspended pending redesign by BJS. Forms were sent to the District of Columbia until 2001, when its prison system ceased operations. Respondents are permitted to update the previous years' data when submitting the current year. Data are submitted via mail, fax, or online at a secure site.
Changes Over Time |
The following categories were added or altered over time - admission and release categories; race and ethnicity categories (1999, 2005), inmates held in local jails due to crowding; inmates held in private facilities, local jails, and in another state (1999); person under 18 held (1998); noncitizens held (1998); HIV information (1999).
The Prisoner Population Reports Midyear Counts (NPS-1A) survey was temporarily suspended pending redesign.
Publications & Products |
Correctional Populations in the United States, 2011 Presents summary data on the number of offenders under the supervision of the adult correctional systems in the United States at yearend 2011. | |
Press Release | PDF (704K) | ASCII file (13K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format 10K) Part of the Correctional Populations in the United States Series |
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Capital Punishment, 2010 - Statistical Tables Presents characteristics of persons under sentence of death on December 31, 2010, and persons executed in 2010. | |
PDF (800K) | ASCII file (12K) | Spreadsheets (Zip format 20K) Part of the Capital Punishment Series |
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Correctional Populations in the United States, 2010 Presents statistics on the number of offenders under the supervision of adult correctional authorities in the United States at yearend 2010. | |
Press Release | PDF (595K) | ASCII file (33K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 26K) Part of the Correctional Populations in the United States Series |
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Prisoners in 2010 (Revised) Presents data on prisoners under the jurisdiction of federal and state correctional authorities on December 31, 2010, collected from the National Prisoner Statistics series. | |
Press Release | PDF (1.7M) | ASCII file (44K) | Spreadsheets (Zip format 40K) Part of the Prisoners Series |
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Prisoners in 2009 (Revised) This annual report presents data on prisoners under jurisdiction of federal or state correctional authorities on December 31, 2009, collected from the National Prisoner Statistics series. | |
Press Release | PDF (722K) | ASCII file (46K) | Spreadsheets (Zip format 54K) Part of the Prisoners Series |
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Prisoners at Yearend 2009 - Advance Counts Presents data on prisoners under jurisdiction of federal or state correctional authorities on December 31, 2009, collected from the National Prisoner Statistics series | |
Press Release | PDF (149K) | ASCII file (12K) | Spreadsheets (Zip format 5K) Part of the Prisoners Series |
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Prisoners in 2008 Presents data on prisoners under jurisdiction of federal or state correctional authorities on December 31, 2008, collected from the National Prisoner Statistics series. | |
Press Release | Acrobat file (PDF 1.6M) | ASCII file (47K) | Zip format (Spreadsheet 51K) Part of the Prisoners Series |
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Prisoners in 2007 Presents data on prisoners under jurisdiction of federal or state correctional authorities on December 31, 2007, collected from the National Prisoner Statistics series. | |
Press Release | PDF (194K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 39K) | To order paper version Part of the Prisoners Series |
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Prison Inmates at Midyear 2007 Presents data on prisoners under jurisdiction of federal or state correctional authorities on June 30, 2007, collected from the National Prisoner Statistics series. | |
Press Release | PDF (456K) | ASCII file (31K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 37K) | To order paper version Part of the Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear Series |
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Prisoners in 2006 Reports the number of persons in State and Federal prisons at yearend, compares the increase in the prison population during 2006 with the previous year, and presents prison growth rates since 2000. | |
Press Release | PDF (268K) | ASCII file (20K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 22K) | To order paper version Part of the Prisoners Series |
Prison Inmates at Midyear 2009 - Statistical Tables Presents data on prisoners under the jurisdiction of federal or state correctional authorities on June 30, 2009, collected from the National Prisoner Statistics series. | |
Press Release | PDF (419K) | ASCII file | Spreadsheet (76K) |
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Prison Inmates at Midyear 2008 - Statistical Tables Presents data on prisoners under the jurisdiction of federal or state correctional authorities on June 30, 2008, collected from the National Prisoner Statistics series. | |
Press Release | PDF (528K) | ASCII file (17K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 35K) |
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Reported number of non-U.S. citizens held in state or federal prisons, by gender, region, and jurisdiction, June 30, 2007-2008 Table 20 from Prison Inmates at Midyear 2008 - Statistical Tables | |
Download CSV file (Data Table 4 KB) |
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Reported number of inmates under age 18 held in state prisons, by gender, region, and jurisdiction, June 30, 2007-2008 Table 21 from Prison Inmates at Midyear 2008 - Statistical Tables | |
Download CSV file (Data Table 3 KB) |
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Estimated percent of sentenced prisoners under state jurisdiction, by offense, gender, race, and hispanic origin, yearend 2005 Appendix Table 11 from Prisoners in 2007 | |
Download CSV file (Data Table 0 KB) |
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Prisoners under military jurisdiction, by branch of service, yearend 2006 and 2007 Appendix Table 17 from Prisoners in 2007 | |
Download CSV file (Data Table 2 KB) |
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Prisoners in custody of correctional authorities in the U.S. Territories and Commonwealths, December 31, 2006 and 2007 Appendix Table 16 from Prisoners in 2007 | |
Download CSV file (Data Table 2 KB) |
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Number of sentenced prisoners in federal prison, by most serious offense, 2000, 2006, and 2007 Appendix Table 12 from Prisoners in 2007 | |
Download CSV file (Data Table 2 KB) |
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Number of sentenced prisoners admitted and released from state or federal jurisdiction, by region and jurisdiction, 2000, 2006, 2007 Appendix Table 4 from Prisoners in 2007 | |
Download CSV file (Data Table 6 KB) |
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Number of sentenced prisoners admitted and released from state and federal jurisdiction, 2000-2007 Table 3 from Prisoners in 2007 | |
Download CSV file (Data Table 0 KB) |
Prison Inmates at Midyear 2009 - Statistical Tables Presents data on prisoners under the jurisdiction of federal or state correctional authorities on June 30, 2009, collected from the National Prisoner Statistics series. | |
Press Release |
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Prisoners at Yearend 2009 - Advance Counts Presents data on prisoners under jurisdiction of federal or state correctional authorities on December 31, 2009, collected from the National Prisoner Statistics series. | |
Press Release |
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Prisoners at Midyear, 1995 This press release reports that the number of persons in State and Federal prisons grew almost 90,000 during the 12 months before June 30, 1995, when the total inmate population reached 1,104,074. | |
Press Release | PDF (59K) |
Related Topics |
Bureau of Justice StatisticsBJS Statistical Principals and Practices Scientific Integrity Statement OJP Freedom of Information Act |
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