STATISTICS COVER 1974 AND COMPARISONS OF THE PRISON POPULATION AT THE END OF EACH OF THE YEARS 1971-74. INFORMATION ON PRISONER MOVEMENT - VARIOUS TYPES OF ADMISSIONS AND DEPARTURES - IS LIMITED TO CALENDAR YEAR 1974. THE REPORT EXAMINES THE SIZE AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE PRISON POPULATION AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL AND, IN THE CASE OF THE STATE PRISON POPULATION, AT REGIONAL AND STATE LEVELS AS WELL. THE RATIO OF MALE TO FEMALE PRISONERS IS DISCUSSED. SPECIAL ATTENTION IS PAID TO YEAR-TO-YEAR CHANGE IN THE SIZE OF THE PRISON POPULATION IN TERMS BOTH OF THE ABSOLUTE NUMBER OF PRISONERS AND OF THE NUMBER OF PRISONERS PER 100,000 PERSONS IN THE GENERAL CIVILIAN POPULATION, AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH THESE CHANGES DIFFER BETWEEN THE FEDERAL AND STATE SYSTEMS IS INDICATED. IN ADDITION, THE TYPE AND VOLUME OF ADMISSIONS AND DEPARTURES THAT OCCURRED DURING 1974 ARE EXAMINED. MOVEMENT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FEDERAL AND STATE INSTITUTIONS ARE ANALYZED, AS WELL AS DIFFERENCES AMONG REGIONS AND INDIVIDUAL STATES. BEGINNING IN 1974, ALL REPORTING JURISIDCTIONS WERE REQUESTED TO PROVIDE A SEPARATE YEAR-END COUNT OF ALL PRISONERS, INCLUDING NOT ONLY THOSE SENTENCED TO A MAXIMUM TERM OF AT LEAST 1 YEAR AND 1 DAY BUT ALSO THOSE WITH A LESSER TERM AND THOSE WITHOUT SENTENCES. THE YEAR-END 1974 SIZE AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THIS LARGER GROUP ARE GIVEN IN TABULAR FORM IN APPENDIX II; HOWEVER, NO ANALYSIS OF THESE DATA WAS UNDERTAKEN. THE TABLES PRESENTED IN APPENDIX I INCORPORATE ALL DATA RECEIVED BY THE BUREAU OF CENSUS ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 25, 1976. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT) (SNI ABSTRACT)