Prison Brief for United States of America

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Country

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Ministry responsible

Department of Justice

Prison administration

Federal Bureau of Prisons, state and local correctional authorities

Contact address

320 First Street N.W, Washington DC 20534

Telephone/fax/website

Web: http://www.bop.gov

Head of prison administration

(and title)

Harley G Lappin

Director of Federal Bureau of Prisons

Prison population total

(including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners)

2,304,115

at 31.12.2008 (U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics)

Prison population rate

(per 100,000 of national population)

753

based on an estimated national population of 305.8 million at end of 2008 (U.S. Census Bureau)

Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners

(percentage of prison population)

21.4%

(30.6.2008 - 62.9% of local jail inmates)

Female prisoners

(percentage of prison population)

9.0%

(30.6.2008)

Juveniles / minors / young prisoners

incl. definition (percentage of prison population)

0.4%

(30.6.2007)

Foreign prisoners

(percentage of prison population)

5.9%

(30.6.2007)

Number of establishments /

institutions

5,069

(2000 - 3,365 local jails, 1,558 state facilities, 146 federal facilities)

Official capacity of prison system

2,093,021

(828,413 in local jails at 30.6.2008, 1,142,129 in state prisons at 31.12.2008, 122,479 in federal prisons at 31.12.2008)

Occupancy level (based on official

capacity)

110.1%

(94.8% in local jails at 30.6.2008, 115.6% in state prisons at 31.12.2008, 162.0% in federal prisons at 31.12.2008)

Recent prison population trend

(year, prison population total, prison population rate)

1992	1,295,150	(505)
1995	1,585,586	(600)
1998	1,816,931	(669)
2001	1,961,247	(685)
2004	2,135,335	(723)
2007	2,298,041	(758)