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February 14, 2007
Public Safety, Public Spending: Forecasting America’s Prison Population 2007-2011
Public Safety, Public Spending: Forecasting America’s Prison Population 2007-2011. Prepared for the Pew Charitable Trusts by the JFA Institute. February 2007.
http://www.pewtrusts.com/pdf/PSPP_prison_projections_0207.pdf
By 2011 one in every 178 U.S. residents will live in prison. America will have more than 1.7 million men and women in prison, an increase of more than 192,000 from 2006. That increase could cost taxpayers as much as $27.5 billion over the next five years beyond what they currently spend on prisons.
Among the report’s projections for 2011:
Without policy changes by the states, the nation’s incarceration rate will reach 562 per 100,000, or one of every 178 Americans.
The new inmates will cost states an additional $15 billion for prison operations over the five-year period. Construction of new prison beds will cost as much as $12.5 billion.
Unless Montana, Arizona, Alaska, Idaho and Vermont change their sentencing or release practices, they can expect to see their prison systems grow by one third or more. Similarly, barring reforms, Colorado, Washington, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah and South Dakota can expect their inmate populations to grow by about 25 percent.
Connecticut, Delaware and New York are projected to see no change in their prison populations. Maryland will see a 1 percent increase in prison population.
The number of women prisoners is projected to grow by 16 percent, while the male population will increase 12 percent.
Though the Northeast boasts the lowest incarceration rates, it has the highest costs per prisoner, led by Rhode Island ($44,860 per prisoner). Louisiana spends the least per prisoner ($13,009).
State by state projections of the number of men and women incarcerated, crime rates, costs.
Posted by lois at February 14, 2007 08:56 PM