2006 Prison/ Probation & Parole Reports

The Justice Department’s latest prison statistics report was released yesterday, indicating that 3.2% of the U.S. adult population – something like seven million men and women, or 1 in every 31 persons in the country – were in prison, jail, on probation, or out on parole by the end of 2006; an increase of 159,500 over the year.

Prison populations grew at a faster rate in 2006 than in five previous years , although the rate in Federal prisons slowed a bit, while it increased proportionately in state institutions. An increase of 5,428 prisoners (2.9%) was seen under federal jurisdiction in 2006, as opposed to 5.8% between 2000 and 2005, according to the report, while the increase of 37,504 inmates (2.8%), represented an increase of 1.5% over the same five year period.

A report on probation & parole in the U.S. was also released, showing 5, 035, 225 men and women in the U.S. on probation or parole in 2006, an increase of 87, 852 or 1.8%

798, 202 persons were on mandatory conditional release. That was an increase of 2.3%.


Reports are part of the Department of Justice’s series, a list of which can be accessed (Here )

“Prisoners in 2005”
“Probation & Parole in the U.S. (2005)”