Relative Captivity: Prisoners and Families Facts

As reported in November 2007, from a Report on U.S. prisons by the JFA Institute:

Number of people currently in federal and state prisons: 1.5 million+

In U.S. jails: 750,000

Number of people in prison now v. in 1973: eight times more

Crime rate now v. in 1973: the same

At current rates, one-third of all black males, one-sixth of Latino males, and one in 17 white males will go to prison during their lives.

As reported in December 2006:

Rank of the U.S. in the world for number of people in prison: 1

Nation that ranks second: China

Third: Russia

Rank of the U.S. in the world in percentage of population in prison: 1

As reported in November 2006:

Number of Americans behind bars, on probation or parole: 7 million

Percentage increase of men in prison: 1.9

Percentage increase of women in prison: 2.6

Percentage of black males age 25-29 in prison, of total
black males: 8.1
Of Hispanic men: 2.6
Of white men: 1.1

By the end of 2005, black women were more than twice as likely as Hispanics and over three times as likely as white women to be in prison.

Percentage of increase in prison population
due to drug convictions from 1995 to 2003: 49%

As of June 30, 2006:

Total number of Americans in prison or jail…2,245,189
Men: 1,445,115
Women: 111,403
Black males per 100,000: 3,145
Hispanic males per 100,000: 1, 244
White males per 100,000: 471


A study projecting current trends to 2011 finds:

Proportion of Americans living in prison……1 out of every 178
Growth in male prison population: 12%
Growth in female prison population: 16%
Additional cost, above costs now: $15 billion

In the late 1990s, federal studies of prisoners and families found:

More than half of state and federal prisoners had a child under age 18.

The number of inmates with minor children had grown
by 55% in 8 years. (This was more than eight years ago.)

Fewer than half of these incarcerated parents had weekly visits with their children. About a quarter of mothers and a fifth of fathers had at least monthly visits with their children.

A majority of state prisoners had never had a visit with their children.

More than 60% of prisoners reported that their families lived more than 100 miles from their prison.

A presentation by a North Carolina Department of Corrections Family Services Administrator said:

One in five families in the U.S. has been touched by the criminal justice system.

In addition to the 1.5 million children with a parent behind bars, another 8 million children have had a parent in prison or jail at some point in their lives.

On any given day, one million fathers are behind bars.

Most incarcerated fathers had regular contact with their children before being imprisoned, even if they weren't living with them.

Percentage of women in prison who have children: 75%

Percentage of these women with children under 18: 75%

Who lived with their children before imprisonment: 72%