The Recession and America's Prisons

THE RECESSION AND AMERICA'S PRISONS In 2009, more than 7.2 million people in America were in prison, jail, on probation or parole. That's 500,000 more than the entire population of Washington state. Here, we break down America's prison demographics, look at President Obama's 2012 budget for prison spending, and show you which states saw a decline -- or an increase -- in prison population during the recession of 2008-09. Americans Under Correctional Supervision Over the Years PROBATION JAIL PRISON PAROLE 7 Mil. PAROLE SOURCE: Bureau of Justice Statistics 6 Mil. PRISON 5 Mil. JAIL 4 Mil. 3 Mil. 2 Mil. 1 Mil. PROBATION 1980 1990 2000 2009 4M 4M 3M 3M 3M 2M 2M 2M 1M 1M IM 1M 93.5% MALE PRISONERS FEMALE PRISONERS 6.5% What are the reasons people go to prison? LARCENY OTHER BURGLARY PROPERTY CRIME DRUG OFFENSES MURDER FRAUD MANSLAUGHTER ASSAULT PUBLIC ORDER OTHER VIOLENT OFFENSES RAPE OTHER SEXUAL ASSAULT 1.5M - 1,2M - CAR THEFT ROBBERY 8.8% PUBLIC ORDER 9M - ,6M - 21% DRUG 18% PROPERTY 3M - 52% VIOLENT 1980 SOURCE: Burcau of Justice Statistics 2006 How has the recession affected prisons? FEDERAL PRISONS ARE OPERATING 150% AT 135%= 120% 90% 60% 100% 135% 30% OF THEIR RATED CAPACITY MEANING INMATES HAVE TO DOUBLE & TRIPLE BUNK 0% OBAMA'S 2012 BUDGET INCLUDES A 10% INCREASE FOR PRISON SPENDING Which equals $8.4 BILLION +156.6 Mil. +109M +140M +32.4M +22.2M BUDGET INCREASES Re-entry programs Prison operations & inmåte care Increase staffing Capacity expansion & levels Detainee housing, medical, & transportation new prison activation The majority of states are seeing a decline in overall prisoner population % change in prison population '08-'09 FEWER PRISONERS MORE PRISONERS SOURCE: PEW Prison Count 2010 +1.7% -0.1% +1,4% +2.3% +1.6% +1.7% -1.1% +1.5% +2.8% -2,8% -0.4% -6.7% -3.2% +4.3% -0.7% -1.6% -0.2% -0.2% -0.7% 5.3% -2.1% +5.1% MA -2.2% -2.5% +1.2% +2% -0.5% 1.3% +1% +0.5% RI 9.2% +2.4% +2.1% +2.7% +3.1% -1% ст -4.6% -5.4% +3,5% +1.6% +3.6% NJ -2.3% +0.7% DE -4.2% +1.5% MD -5.6% |visual.ly