Incarcerated Felon Population by Type of Crime Committed, 1974-2010
As of 2010, there were 2,270,100 people incarcerated in the United States. That number includes all prisoners housed in state and federal prisons, as well as county jails.
The charts below show the total number of convicted felons housed in state and federal prisons and do not include any felons sentenced to one year or less. Felons with a sentence of one year or less serve their term of incarceration in county jail along with other inmates convicted of misdemeanors.
As of 2010, the US Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that 748,728 people were incarcerated in US county jails.
I. Combined State & Federal: Number of SentencedPrisoners
Percentage of State and Federal Prisoners
Offense
1974
1986
1997
2000
2008
2010
Violent
52.5%
64.2%
46.4%
47.2%
47.3%
47.7%
Property
33.3%
22.9%
14%
19.1%
17.0%
16.7%
Drug
10.4%
8.8%
26.9%
25.3%
22.4%
21.7%
Public-order
1.9%
3.3%
8.9%
7.8%
11.9%
13.4%
Other/unspecified
2.0%
0.9%
3.7%
0.4%
1.2%
0.6%
Total Number of State and Federal Prisoners
Offense Category
2000 (% of total)
2008 (% of total)
2010 (% of total)
Violent
633,740 (47.2%)
730,833 (47.3%)
740,000 (47.7%)
Property
256,135 (19.1%)
262,880 (17.0%)
259,800 (16.7%)
Drug
338,076 (25.3%)
346,479 (22.4%)
336,300 (21.7%)
Public-order
104,725 (7.8%)
185,198 (11.9%)
207,500 (13.4%)
Other/unspecified
5,363 (0.4%)
19,194 (1.2%)
9,000 (0.6%)
Totals:
1,338,039
1,544,634
1,552,600
II. State Jurisdiction: Number of Sentenced Prisoners
Offense Category
2000
2008
2010
Violent a
620,000 (51.4%)
715,400 (52.4%)
725,000 (53.2%)
Property b
246,000 (20.4%)
251,800 (18.4%)
249,500 (18.3%)
Drug
263,800 (21.9%)
251,400 (18.4%)
237,000 (17.4%)
Public-order c
72,400 (6%)
125,900 (9.2%)
142,500 (10.5%)
Other/unspecified d
4,100 (0.3%)
17,800 (1.3%)
7,900 (0.6%)
Total State Prisoners:
1,206,300
1,362,300
1,361,900
Notes:
a Includes murder, manslaughter, non-negligent manslaughter, rape, other sexual assault, robbery, assault, and other violent crimes.
b Includes burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, fraud, and other property crimes.
cIncludes weapons, drunk driving, court offenses, commercialized vice, morals and decency offenses, liquor law violations, and other public-order offenses.
d Includes juvenile and other unspecified offense categories.
III. Federal Jurisdiction: Number of Sentenced Prisoners
Offense Category
2000
2008
2010
Violent a
13,740 (10.4%)
15,483 (8.5%)
15,000 (7.9%)
Property b
10,135 (7.7%)
11,080 (6.0%)
10,300 (5.4%)
Drug
74,276 (56.4%)
95,079 (52%)
99,300 (52.1%)
Public-order c
32,325 (24.5%)
59,298 (32.5%)
65,000 (34.1%)
Other/unspecified d
1,263 (1.0%)
1,394 (1.0%)
1,100 (0.6%)
Total Federal Prisoners:
131,739
182,334
190,700
Notes:
a Includes murder, neglient, and non-negligent manslaughter, robbery, and other violent crimes.
b Includes burglary, fraud, and other property crimes.
cIncludes immigration, weapons, and other public-order offenses.
d Includes offenses not classified.
IV. Sources
Jeff Manza, PhD, and Christopher Uggen, PhD, Locked Out: Felon Disenfranchisement and American Democracy, 2006
The United States Department of Justice (USDOJ), "Prisoners in 2009" (777 KB), bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov, Dec. 2010
The United States Department of Justice (USDOJ), "Prisoners in 2011" (863 KB), bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov, Dec. 2012
As of 2010, there were 2,270,100 people incarcerated in the United States. 
, bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov, Dec. 2010