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Nation's Correctional Population Tops 5 Million

NCJ Number
182448
Author(s)
Darrell Gilliard; Allen Beck
Date Published
August 1995
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This article reports on the Nation's correctional population as of the end of 1994.
Abstract
More than 5.1 million Americans-almost 2.7 percent of the adult population-were under some form of correctional supervision in 1994. Almost three-quarters of those men and women were being supervised in the community on probation or parole; the others were confined in jail or prison. The number of adults incarcerated or under supervision in the community increased 3.9 percent during 1994. Since 1980 the number almost tripled, growing at an average annual rate of 7.6 percent. Overall, the State and Federal probation and parole populations rose by 2.0 percent during 1994. Half of all offenders on probation in 1994 were on probation for a felony. One-quarter were on probation for a misdemeanor. Approximately 21 percent of the nation's probationers were women, as were 10 percent of the parolees. About 58 percent of the adults on probation were white, and 32 percent were black. Ninety percent of adults on parole were men. Fifty-one percent of adults on parole were white; 45 percent were black.