Growth in Prison and Jail Populations Slowing: 16 States Report Declines in the Number Of Prisoners

/PRNewswire / -- As of June 30, 2008, state and federal correctional authorities had jurisdiction or legal authority over 1,610,584 prisoners. Additionally, 785,556 inmates were held in custody in local jails, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, announced today.

During the six months ending June 30, 2008, the prison population increased by 0.8 percent, compared to 1.6 percent during the same period in 2007. The local jail population increased by 0.7 percent during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2008, accounting for the slowest growth in 27 years.

Sixteen states reported decreases in their prison populations. California (down 962 prisoners) and Kentucky (down 847) reported the largest decreases since yearend 2007.

While the prison populations in the remaining 34 states increased, growth slowed in 18 of these states. For these 18 states, prison populations increased by 1.6 percent in the first half of 2008 as compared to the increase of 3.1 percent in the first half of 2007. Minnesota experienced the largest growth rate (up 5.2 percent) in the first six months of 2008, followed by Maine (up 4.6 percent) and Rhode Island and South Carolina (both up 4.3 percent).

The federal prison system added 1,524 prisoners in the first six months of 2008, reaching a total of 201,142 prisoners. The 0.8 percent growth represented the smallest increase in the first six months since 1993 (when BJS began collecting data at midyear).

State and federal prisoners in private facilities increased 6.8 percent during the 12-month period, reaching 126,249 at midyear 2008. The federal system (32,712), Texas (19,851), and Florida (9,026) reported the largest number of prisoners in private facilities.

As of June 30, 2008, over 2.3 million inmates, or one in every 131 U.S. residents, were held in custody in state or federal prisons or in local jails, regardless of sentence length or conviction status. Since yearend 2000, the nation's prison and jail custody populations have increased by 373,502 inmates (or 19 percent).

Over one-third of inmates held in custody at midyear 2008 were in local jails. More than half (52 percent) were housed in the 180 largest jail facilities, with average daily populations of 1,000 inmates or more. Overall, an estimated 13.6 million inmates were admitted to local jails during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2008.

Local jails operated at about 95 percent of their rated capacity as of June 30, 2008. During the preceding 12 months, the nation's jail capacity increased by 14,911 beds, while the number of inmates increased by 5,382 persons.

Almost two-thirds (63 percent) of all jail inmates were awaiting court action or had not been convicted of their current charge, up from 56 percent in 2000. Based on jail jurisdictions that reported data, non-U.S. citizens made up 9.0 percent of their total jail population in 2008, up from 7.7 percent in 2007 and 6.1 percent in 2000.

Among inmates held in custody in prisons or jails, black males were incarcerated at 6.6 times the rate of white males. One in 21 black males was incarcerated at midyear 2008, compared to one in 138 white males. At midyear 2008, black males (846,000) outnumbered white males (712,500) and Hispanic males (427,000) among inmates in prisons and jails. About 37 percent of all male inmates at midyear 2008 were black, down 41 percent from midyear 2000.

Female incarceration rates were substantially lower than male incarceration rates at every age. Black females (with an incarceration rate of 349 per 100,000) were more than twice as likely as Hispanic females (147 per 100,000) and over 3.5 times more likely than white females (93 per 100,000) to have been in prison or jail on June 30, 2008. An estimated 207,700 women were held in prison or jails at midyear 2008, up 33 percent since midyear 2000.

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Study Focuses on Barriers to Successful Prisoner Re-Entry Into Atlanta Communities

One out of every 100 Americans is incarcerated. One in 13 adults in Georgia is either in jail or on probation and parole, and the state holds the fifth largest prison population in the nation.

Hundreds of prisoners are released and return to metro-Atlanta neighborhoods every month. For Emory's Office of University-Community Partnerships, which has worked with dozens of community groups, services organizations, policy makers and government leaders for nearly a decade, issues around incarceration are a big piece of the puzzle in developing strategies to build strong communities.

"In many ways, the success or recidivism of former inmates has a tremendous impact on the communities where they settle, but given the stigma attached, it hasn’t exactly been a cause championed by many. But, positive reentry is a necessity, not an option, when it comes to public safety, preserving families and the development and stability of neighborhoods," said assistant professor of political science Michael Leo Owens, coauthor of the study "Prisoner Reentry in Atlanta: Understanding the Challenges of Transition from Prison to Community."

The report was recently completed by OUCP, and its authors hope their findings spark conversation and action among government leaders, service providers and community organizations to address the challenges of facilitating the positive integration of former prisoners back into communities. In addition to Owens, an OUCP senior faculty fellow, the study was compiled by Michael Rich, OUCP executive director and associate professor of political science, Sam Marie Engle, OUCP senior director, and Moshe Haspel, OUCP's director of research and Evaluation.

The immensely detailed and comprehensive reentry report analyzes data showing where people go in metro-Atlanta when they get out of prison, what support services, such as job training, mental health and substance abuse counseling, are there for them, and the availability of affordable housing and jobs. OUCP's study is part of the Urban Institute's national Reentry Mapping Network, which covers a dozen metropolitan areas around the country.

The study tracked nearly 5,000 people released from state prisons into probation and parole in 2004 and 2005 (as provided by the Georgia Department of Corrections and Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles) who took up residence in the five core metro-Atlanta counties: Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb and Clayton. About a fifth settled in the city of Atlanta. While the greatest concentration was in and around Atlanta neighborhoods, prisoner reentry affects the entire metro-area. More than 80 percent of the former prisoners were non-violent offenders.

Focus groups with former prisoners, service providers and faith-based and government organizations filled in the picture of what issues former prisoners and communities face. Surveys also provided insight on public attitudes toward former prisoners.

Outside of access to services, securing jobs and affordable housing posed the biggest challenges to successful reentry for ex-offenders.

Gaining employment was hindered by multiple obstacles: In addition to low levels of education and work experience, and the reluctance of employers to hire someone who has served time in prison, they also lacked the personal networks to help them identify and secure jobs. Those findings echoed the experiences of government and community-based reentry service providers.

However, "housing was identified as the most central issue and need people faced immediately upon their return or move to Atlanta," said Owens. "For those released from prison without obtaining a guaranteed bed at a transitional house or shelter, and possessing only their $25 in 'gate money,' finding a place to stay that was secure, decent and accessible was often impossible."

The study also found differences in the types of programs offered by secular agencies and faith-based groups but overall they were often not in the geographic area where they are needed most.

"One thing we heard again and again from service providers was: 'I wish I knew what everyone else was doing,'" says Engle. "We hope that an outcome of this study will be a stronger network and coordination to provide the services that are needed."

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