The inmate population in New York State facilities increased by 1,220 inmates (a 1.2-percent increase) from the end of 1995 to the end of 1996. The number of State-ready inmates stood at 1,239 at the close of 1996 compared to 944 at the close of 1995, up 295 (31.3 percent). At the close of the Office of Court Administration's 12th term of 1996, pending felony dispositions stood at 20,451. The number of felons convicted but still awaiting sentence was 10,575. Total admissions for calendar year 1996 were 32,166, 2,547 lower than in 1995 (7.3-percent decline). Court commitments decreased by 1,787 (7.8-percent decrease). Returned parole violators increased by 367 (5.3-percent increase). Conditional release violators increased by 70 (7.4- percent increase). Other admissions declined from 3,923 to 2,726 (30.5-percent decline). The 12-month average of admissions increased in the returned-parole-violator category and conditional-release-violator category, and new court commitments and other admissions declined. There were 30,962 inmates released during 1996, a decrease of 6.2 percent from the previous year. Paroles accounted for 21,334 of the releases, compared to 22,409 for 1995. Extensive tabular and graphic data