E. Ann Carson, Ph.D., BJS Statistician

October 22, 2020    NCJ 255115

This report is the 94th in a series that began in 1926. It provides counts of prisoners under the jurisdiction of state and federal correctional authorities in 2019 and includes findings on admissions, releases, and imprisonment rates. It describes demographic and offense characteristics of state and federal prisoners.

Highlights:

• The number of prisoners under state or federal jurisdiction decreased by an estimated 33,600 (down 2%) from 2018 to 2019, and by 184,700 (down 11%) since 2009, the year that the number of prisoners peaked in the United States.
• In 2019, the imprisonment rate fell for the 11th consecutive year, hitting its lowest point since 1995.
• The imprisonment rate fell 3% from 2018 to 2019, and 17% from 2009 to 2019.
• From 2009 to 2019, the total imprisonment rate fell 29% among black residents, 24% among Hispanic residents, and 12% among white residents.

Part of the Prisoners Series

Press Release (203K)
Summary (PDF 176K)
Full report (PDF 796K)
Data tables (Zip format 46K)
Jurisdiction notes (PDF 86K)

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