The Bureau of Justice Statistics announced on December 15 that
in 2010 the number of people released from prison (708,677) was lower than the number of people who were incarcerated (703,798). Although the number of individuals incarcerated by states decreased by 0.8% (10,881), the number of federal inmates increased by 0.8 percent (1,653). The report puts the number of individuals incarcerated in the U.S. as 2.3 million.
The drop in the prison population correlates with a 2010 FBI Uniform Crime Report that announced, throughout America, violent crime decreased by 6 percent in 2010, while property crime was reduced by 2.7 percent.
BJS statistician Lauren E. Glaze is credited with writing the report, Correctional Population in the United States,, while 2010 (NCJ 236319), was written by BJS statistician Lauren E. Glaze, and Prisoners in 2010 (NCJ 236096) was written by BJS statisticians Paul Guerino, Paige M. Harrison, and William J. Sabol.
Highlights of the report issued by the BJS include:
Most offenders under correctional supervision (about 7 in 10 persons or nearly 4.9 million people) were supervised in the community on probation or parole at yearend 2010. About 3 in 10 (or nearly 2.3 million people) were incarcerated in state or federal prisons or local jails. The decline in the total correctional population during 2010 was mainly due to a decrease in the number of probationers during the year (down 69,500 persons) and a decrease in the number of inmates incarcerated in local jails (down 18,700 persons).
During 2010, prison releases (708,677) exceeded prison admissions (703,798). The
decrease in commitments into state prison, especially the 3.3 percent decrease in the number committed from the courts on a new sentence, was responsible for the decline in the state prison population. The time that offenders entering state prison could expect to serve on a commitment, about 2 years, remained relatively stable between 2009 and 2010, which indicates that the decline in the state prison population during the year was the result of a decrease in admissions.
Half of state departments of corrections reported decreases in their prison population during 2010. California (down 6,213) and Georgia (down 4,207) reported the largest decreases, followed by New York (down 2,031) and Michigan (down 1,365). Illinois (up 3,257) reported the largest increase, followed by Texas (up 2,400) and Arkansas (up 996).
In 2010, the U.S. imprisonment rate dropped to 497 inmates per 100,000 residents, continuing a decline since 2007, when the imprisonment rates peaked at 506 inmates per 100,000 residents. The national imprisonment rate for males (938 per 100,000 male U.S. residents) was about 14 times the imprisonment rate for females (67 per 100,000 female U.S. residents).
Among offender age groups, about 3.1 percent of black males in the nation were in state or federal prison, compared to just under 0.5 percent of white males and 1.3 percent of Hispanic males. Also, an estimated 7.3 percent of all black males ages 30 to 34 were incarcerated with a sentence of more than 1 year.
States held 2,295 inmates under age 18 in custody at midyear 2010, down from 2,779 at midyear 2009. At midyear 2010, states held 95,977 persons in custody who were not U.S. citizens, down slightly from midyear 2009 when they held 97,133.
Commenting on the report that shows the first decline in American prisoners since 1972, Tracey Valazquez, Executive Director of the Justice Policy Institute stated "These are trends to be celebrated, but there is still more to be done. Incarceration in this country is still alarmingly high. We are glad to see some states making wise fiscal decisions, diverting resources away from incarceration and toward community treatment and re-entry supports for people on parole. But the past year's successes will be lost if we do not continue our progress. The federal government continues to foolishly devote more resources toward prisons while cutting social services and juvenile justice programs that help put troubled kids back on track. We can't incarcerate our way to public safety; rather, we need to focus on those policies that improve individual and community well-being."
|
