Incarcerated Felon Population by Type of Crime Committed, 1974-2012
As of 2012, there were 1,511,497 people incarcerated in US state and federal prisons and 744,500 people incarcerated in US county jails.
Felons with a sentence of one year or less normally serve their term of incarceration in county jails along with other inmates convicted of misdemeanors.
I. Combined State & Federal: Number of SentencedPrisoners
Percentage of State and Federal Prisoners
Offense
1974
1986
1997
2000
2008
2010
2012
Violent
52.5%
64.2%
46.4%
47.2%
47.3%
47.7%
47.7%
Property
33.3%
22.9%
14%
19.1%
17.0%
16.7%
17.1%
Drug
10.4%
8.8%
26.9%
25.3%
22.4%
21.7%
20.5%
Public-order
1.9%
3.3%
8.9%
7.8%
11.9%
13.4%
13.8%
Other/unspecified
2.0%
0.9%
3.7%
0.4%
1.2%
0.6%
0.7%
Total Number of State and Federal Prisoners
Offense Category
2000 (% of total)
2008 (% of total)
2010 (% of total)
2012 (% of total)
Violent
633,740 (47.2%)
730,833 (47.3%)
740,000 (47.7%)
721,200 (47.7%)
Property
256,135 (19.1%)
262,880 (17.0%)
259,800 (16.7%)
258,300 (17.1%)
Drug
338,076 (25.3%)
346,479 (22.4%)
336,300 (21.7%)
309,100 (20.5%)
Public-order
104,725 (7.8%)
185,198 (11.9%)
207,500 (13.4%)
209,000 (13.8%)
Other/unspecified
5,363 (0.4%)
19,194 (1.2%)
9,000 (0.6%)
11,200 (0.7%)
Totals:
1,338,039
1,544,634
1,552,600
1,511,497
II. State Jurisdiction: Number of Sentenced Prisoners
Offense Category
2000
2008
2010
2012
Violent a
620,000 (51.4%)
715,400 (52.4%)
725,000 (53.2%)
707,500 (53.8%)
Property b
246,000 (20.4%)
251,800 (18.4%)
249,500 (18.3%)
247,100 (18.8%)
Drug
263,800 (21.9%)
251,400 (18.4%)
237,000 (17.4%)
210,200 (16.0%)
Public-order c
72,400 (6%)
125,900 (9.2%)
142,500 (10.5%)
140,200 (10.7%)
Other/unspecified d
4,100 (0.3%)
17,800 (1.3%)
7,900 (0.6%)
10,000 (0.8%)
Total State Prisoners:
1,206,300
1,362,300
1,361,900
1,314,900
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
2012
Violent a
13,740 (10.4%)
15,483 (8.5%)
15,000 (7.9%)
13,700 (10.2%)
Property b
10,135 (7.7%)
11,080 (6.0%)
10,300 (5.4%)
11,200 (7.4%)
Drug
74,276 (56.4%)
95,079 (52%)
95,079 (52%)
98,900 (56.0%)
Public-order c
32,325 (24.5%)
59,298 (32.5%)
59,298 (32.5%)
68,800 (25.8%)
Other/unspecified d
1,263 (1.0%)
1,394 (1.0%)
1,394 (1.0%)
1,200 (0.6%)
Total Federal Prisoners:
131,739
182,334
190,700
193,861
Notes:
a Includes murder, negligent, 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
The United States Department of Justice (USDOJ), "Prisoners in 2013," (1.8 MB), bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov, Sep. 2014
State Felon Voting Laws
Number of People by State Who Cannot Vote Due to a Felony Conviction
Video: Should felons who have completed their sentence (incarceration, probation, and parole) be allowed to vote?
Incarcerated Felon Population by Type of Crime Committed, 1974-2012
Jail, Prison, Parole, and Probation Populations in the US, 1980-2013
International Comparison of Felon Voting Laws
Major Legal Cases Affecting Felon Voting
Opinion Polls/Surveys
Top 10 Pro & Con Arguments
, bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov, Dec. 2010
, bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov, Sep. 2014
