NATL: Prison Population Continues to Increase
January 10, 2008 - 4:27pm
In December, 2007, the Bureau of Justice Statistics released Prisoners in 2006, its annual summary of data about the U.S. prison and jail population. At the end of 2006, the U.S. incarcerated 2,385,213 people. One in every 200 people in the U. S. was serving more than a year in prison at the end of 2006. Between 2005 and 2006, the United States prison population grew faster than it had in the previous five years.
One new part of the report covers the number of people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) prisons. While the total prison and jail population increased by 2.8% from 2005-2006, the population in ICE prisons increased 41%. Over half of these people were incarcerated for immigration law violations.
In 2006, African American men continued to make up the largest part of the prison and jail population. They were 38% of the sentenced male prisoner population at the end of the year. Thirty-four percent of the population is white men, and Hispanic men make up 21% of the prison population.
This news brief is based on the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ report, Prisoners in 2006. If the link is broken, check the web site’s archives.
One new part of the report covers the number of people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) prisons. While the total prison and jail population increased by 2.8% from 2005-2006, the population in ICE prisons increased 41%. Over half of these people were incarcerated for immigration law violations.
In 2006, African American men continued to make up the largest part of the prison and jail population. They were 38% of the sentenced male prisoner population at the end of the year. Thirty-four percent of the population is white men, and Hispanic men make up 21% of the prison population.
This news brief is based on the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ report, Prisoners in 2006. If the link is broken, check the web site’s archives.
