U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Statistics

March 2022, NCJ 303184

Rich Kluckow, DSW, and Zhen Zeng, Ph.D., BJS Statisticians

A

t yearend 2020, an estimated 5,500,600
persons were under the supervision of
adult correctional systems in the United
States, 11% fewer than at the same time the
previous year (figure 1).1 This was the first time
since 1996 that the total correctional population
dropped to less than 5.6 million. About 1 in 47
adult U.S. residents (2.1%) were under some form
of correctional supervision at the end of 2020, a
decrease from 1 in 40 (2.5%) at the end of 2019.
This report summarizes data on populations
supervised by probation or parole agencies and
those incarcerated in state or federal prisons
or in the custody of local jails. (See Terms
and definitions.)
1The total correctional, community supervision, and

incarcerated populations exclude persons with dual
correctional statuses to avoid double counting. See table 5
and Methodology.

FIGURE 1
Number of persons under the supervision of
adult correctional systems in the United States,
2010–2020
Number (in millions)
8
Total correctional population
7
6
5

Community supervision population

4
3
2

Incarcerated population

1
0

2010 ’11

’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20

Note: Estimates may differ from previously published statistics.
See Methodology for more details. See Terms and definitions for
more information and table 1 for counts.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Annual Probation Survey,
Annual Parole Survey, National Prisoner Statistics program,
2010–2020; Annual Survey of Jails, 2010–2018 and 2020; and
Census of Jails, 2019.

Highlights
ƒ About 7 in 10 persons under correctional
supervision were supervised in the community
(3,890,400) at yearend 2020, while about 3 in 10
(1,691,600) were incarcerated in a state or federal
prison or local jail.
ƒ The decline in the correctional population during
2020 was due to decreases in both the community
supervision population (down 276,700 or 6.6%)
and the incarcerated population (down 294,400
or 18.9%).
ƒ From 2010 to 2020, the correctional population
decreased 22.4% (down 1,588,400 persons).
ƒ From 2010 to 2020, the decrease in the probation
population accounted for 63.1% of the total
decline in the correctional population.

ƒ Among persons under community supervision
at yearend 2020, the majority were on probation
(3,053,700), while a smaller portion were on parole
(862,100).
ƒ During the past decade, the parole population
was the only segment of the correctional
population to increase, growing from 11.9% of
those under correctional supervision in 2010 to
15.7% in 2020.
ƒ At yearend 2020, about 2,140 per 100,000 adult
U.S. residents were under correctional supervision.
ƒ The incarceration rate dropped each year during
the last decade, from 960 per 100,000 adult
U.S. residents at yearend 2010 to 660 per 100,000
at yearend 2020.

Bureau of Justice Statistics · Statistical Tables

Correctional Populations in the
United States, 2020 – Statistical Tables

Terms and definitions
Adult—A person subject to the jurisdiction of an adult
criminal court or correctional agency. Adults are age 18
or older in most jurisdictions. Persons age 17 or younger
who were prosecuted in criminal court as if they were
adults are counted as adults, but persons age 17 or
younger who were under the jurisdiction of a juvenile
court or agency are excluded. Local jails, however, may
hold persons age 17 or younger before or after they
are adjudicated. (See Methodology for more details on
prisoners and local jail inmates age 17 or younger.)

inmates in the custody of local jails per 100,000 U.S.
residents of all ages (i.e., total incarceration rate) or U.S.
residents age 18 or older (i.e., adult incarceration rate).

Average annual percent change—The compound
annual growth rate, calculated by taking the natural
log of the ratio of current year population to base
year population, divided by elapsed time in years, and
multiplied by 100.

Local jail population—Estimated number of inmates
held in confinement facilities operated under the
authority of a sheriff, police chief, or city or county
administrator. Facilities are intended for adults but may
hold juveniles before or after they are adjudicated.
Facilities include jails, detention centers, city or county
correctional centers, special jail facilities (such as
medical or treatment centers and prerelease centers),
and temporary holding or lockup facilities that are part
of the jail’s combined function. Inmates sentenced to
jail facilities usually have a sentence of 1 year or less.

Community supervision population—Estimated
number of adults living in the community while
supervised on probation or parole.
Community supervision rate—Estimated number
of adults living in the community while supervised on
probation or parole per 100,000 U.S. residents of all ages
(i.e., total community supervision rate) or U.S. residents
age 18 or older (i.e., adult community supervision rate).
Correctional population—Estimated number of adults
living in the community while supervised on probation
or parole and adults under the jurisdiction of state or
federal prisons or in the custody of local jails.
Correctional supervision rate—Estimated number
of adults supervised in the community on probation
or parole and adults under the jurisdiction of state
or federal prisons or in the custody of local jails per
100,000 U.S. residents of all ages (i.e., total correctional
supervision rate) or U.S. residents age 18 or older (i.e.,
adult correctional supervision rate).
Dual correctional statuses—Estimated number of
persons on probation or parole who were held in
prisons or local jails, persons on parole who were also
on probation, or persons in prison who were held in
local jails.
Imprisonment rate—Estimated number of prisoners
under state or federal jurisdiction sentenced to more
than 1 year per 100,000 U.S. residents of all ages (i.e.,
total imprisonment rate) or U.S. residents age 18 or
older (i.e., adult imprisonment rate). This statistic
does not appear in this report. (See Prisoners in 2020 –
Statistical Tables, NCJ 302776, BJS, December 2021.)
Incarcerated population—Estimated number of
prisoners under the jurisdiction of state or federal
prisons and inmates in the custody of local jails.
Incarceration rate—Estimated number of prisoners
under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons and

Indian country jail population—Estimated number
of inmates held in correctional facilities operated by
tribal authorities or the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA),
U.S. Department of the Interior. These facilities include
confinement facilities, detention centers, jails, and other
facilities operated by tribal authorities or the BIA. (See
appendix table 1.)

Military prison population—Estimated number of
service personnel incarcerated under the jurisdiction
of U.S. military correctional authorities. (See appendix
table 1.)
Parole population—Estimated number of persons on
parole who are on conditional release in the community
following a prison term while under the control,
supervision, or care of a state or federal correctional
agency. Violations of the conditions of supervision
during this period may result in a new sentence of
confinement or a return to confinement for a technical
violation. Persons on parole include adults released
through discretionary or mandatory supervised release
from prison.
Prison population—Estimated number of prisoners
incarcerated in a long-term confinement facility run
by a state or the federal government and typically
holding felons and other persons with sentences of
more than 1 year, although sentence length may vary
by jurisdiction.
Prison jurisdiction population—Estimated number
of prisoners under the jurisdiction or legal authority
of state or federal correctional officials, regardless of
where the prisoner is held. This population represents
the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ official measure of
the prison population and includes prisoners held in
public or private prisons, penitentiaries, correctional
facilities, halfway houses, boot camps, farms, training
or treatment centers, and hospitals. Counts also

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Terms and definitions (continued)
include prisoners who were temporarily absent (less
than 30 days); in court or on work release; housed in
privately operated facilities, local jails, or other state
or federal facilities; and serving concurrent sentences
for more than one correctional authority.
Prison custody population—Estimated number
of prisoners held in the physical custody of state
or federal prisons regardless of sentence length or
the authority having jurisdiction. This population
includes prisoners housed for other correctional
facilities but excludes prisoners in the custody of
local jails, held in other jurisdictions, out to court,
or in transit from one jurisdiction of legal authority
to the custody of a confinement facility outside
that jurisdiction. Prisoners held in private facilities
are excluded from custody counts unless otherwise
specified. (See appendix table 2.)

Probation population—Estimated number of persons
on probation who are on a court-ordered period
of supervision in the community while under the
control, supervision, or care of a correctional agency.
The probation conditions form a contract with the
court by which the person must abide to remain in
the community, generally in lieu of incarceration. In
some cases, probation may be a combined sentence
of incarceration followed by a period of community
supervision. Often, probation entails monitoring or
surveillance by a correctional agency. In some instances,
probation may not involve any reporting requirements.
Territorial prison population—Estimated number
of prisoners in the custody of correctional facilities
operated by departments of corrections in U.S. territories
(American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and
U.S. commonwealths (the Northern Mariana Islands and
Puerto Rico). (See appendix table 1.)

List of tables

List of figures

Table 1. Number of persons supervised by adult
correctional systems in the United States, by
correctional status, 2010–2020

Figure 1. Number of persons under the
supervision of adult correctional systems in the
United States, 2010–2020

Table 2. Change in the number of persons
supervised by adult correctional systems in the
United States, 2010–20

List of appendix tables

Table 3. Composition of the adult correctional
system in the United States, by correctional status,
2010 and 2020
Table 4. Rate of persons supervised by adult
correctional systems in the United States, by
correctional status, 2010–2020
Table 5. Number of persons with dual
correctional statuses at yearend, 2010–2020

Appendix table 1. Number of persons
incarcerated by other adult correctional systems,
2010, 2019, and 2020
Appendix table 2. Custody counts of adults in
state or federal prisons or local jails, 2010, 2019,
and 2020
Appendix table 3. Standard errors for local jail
inmates at midyear, 2010–2020

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TablE 1
Number of persons supervised by adult correctional systems in the United States, by correctional status, 2010–2020
Year
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020f*
January 1
December 31
Average annual
percent change,
2010–2020
Percent change
2010–2020
2019–2020g

2,279,100
2,252,500
2,231,300
2,222,500
2,225,100
2,172,800
2,165,100
2,153,600
2,122,300
2,086,000

Incarcerateda
Prison
1,613,800
1,599,000
1,570,400
1,577,000
1,562,300
1,526,600
1,508,100
1,489,200
1,464,400
1,430,200

Local jaile
748,700 †
735,600 †
744,500 †
731,200 †
744,600 †
727,400 †
740,700 †
745,200 †
738,400 †
734,500 †

851,000
862,100

~
1,691,600

~
1,215,800

~
549,100e

-2.8%

0.3%

-3.0%

-2.8%

-3.1%

-24.7%
-8.3

2.5%
1.3

-25.8%
-18.9

-24.7%
-15.0

-26.7%
-25.2

Community supervision
Probation
4,888,500
4,055,900
4,818,300
3,973,800
4,790,700
3,944,900
4,749,800
3,912,900
4,713,200
3,868,400
4,650,900
3,789,800
4,537,100
3,673,100
4,508,900
3,647,200
4,399,000
3,540,000
4,357,700
3,492,900

Parole
840,800
855,500
858,400
849,500
857,700
870,500
874,800
875,000
878,000
878,900

6,152,800
5,500,600

4,167,100
3,890,400

3,330,200
3,053,700

-2.5%

-2.3%

-22.4%
-10.6

-20.4%
-6.6

Total correctional
populationb
7,089,000
6,994,500
6,949,800
6,899,700
6,856,900
6,740,300
6,616,200
6,549,700
6,409,200
6,343,300

Totalc

Totald

Note: Counts are rounded to the nearest 100 and include estimates for nonresponding jurisdictions. Estimates for 2019 and earlier may have been
revised based on updated reporting and may differ from previously published statistics. Probation, parole, and prison counts for 2019 and earlier are for
December 31. Details may not sum to totals due to rounding and because estimates were adjusted to exclude persons with dual correctional statuses
(persons on probation or parole who were held in prisons or local jails, persons on parole who were also on probation, or persons in prison who were
held in local jails). See table 5 and Methodology for more details. Significance testing was conducted for local jail estimates because counts are based on
a sample of jails in the Annual Survey of Jails from 2010 through 2018 and 2020. The 2019 local jails count is based on a full census of the population.
*Comparison year for local jail inmates only.
†Difference with comparison year is significant at the 95% confidence level.
~Not applicable.
aPersons who were under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons or were held in local jails.
bEstimates were adjusted to exclude persons with dual correctional statuses. See table 5 and Methodology for more details.
cEstimates were adjusted to exclude persons on parole who were also on probation. See table 5 and Methodology for more details.
dEstimates were adjusted to exclude prisoners who were held in local jails. See table 5 and Methodology for more details.
eAll jail counts are for the last weekday in June. See appendix table 3 for standard errors.
fThe total correctional population for January 1, 2020 is the sum of the total community supervision population for January 1, 2020, the total prison
population for December 31, 2019, and the total jail population on the last weekday in June 2019, adjusted for the number of persons with dual
correctional statuses as of December 31, 2019. The counts reported by community supervision agencies showed a decrease of 162,700 persons on
probation and 27,900 persons on parole between December 31, 2019 and January 1, 2020.
gThe 2019–2020 change for the community supervision population was calculated as the difference between January 1, 2020 and December 31,
2020. The change for the prison population was calculated as the difference between December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020. The change for the
jail population was calculated as the difference between the last weekday in June 2019 and the last weekday in June 2020.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Annual Probation Survey, Annual Parole Survey, National Prisoner Statistics program, 2010–2020; Annual Survey of
Jails, 2010–2018 and 2020; and Census of Jails, 2019.

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TablE 2
Change in the number of persons supervised by adult correctional systems in the United States, 2010–20
Correctional population
Total changeb
Probationc
Prisonc,d
Parolec
Local jaile

2010–20
Change in population
Percent of total changea
-1,588,400
--1,002,200
63.1%
-398,000
25.1
21,300
-1.3
-199,600
12.6

2019–20
Change in population
Percent of total changea
-652,200
--276,500
42.4%
-214,300
32.9
11,100
-1.7
-185,400
28.4

Note: Counts are rounded to the nearest 100 and include estimates for nonresponding jurisdictions. Details may not sum to totals due to rounding
and because counts used to calculate change in each correctional population included persons with dual correctional statuses (persons on probation
or parole who were held in prisons or local jails, persons on parole who were also on probation, or persons in prison who were held in local jails). See
table 5 and Methodology for more details.
--Not calculated.
aDetails do not sum to 100% because the number of persons with dual correctional statuses was excluded from the total change to avoid double
counting. See Methodology for more details.
bReflects the change in probation, prison, parole, and local jail populations minus the change in persons with dual correctional statuses to avoid
double counting. From 2010 to 2020, the number of persons with dual correctional statuses increased by 9,800. See table 5 and Methodology for
more details.
cPopulation as of December 31, except for 2019–20, when the probation and parole changes were calculated as the difference between January 1,
2020 and December 31, 2020.
dIncludes persons who were under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons.
ePopulation as of the last weekday in June.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Annual Probation Survey, Annual Parole Survey, National Prisoner Statistics program, 2010 and 2019–20; Annual
Survey of Jails 2010 and 2020; and Census of Jails, 2019.

TablE 3
Composition of the adult correctional system in the United States, by correctional
status, 2010 and 2020
Correctional population
Totala
Probationb
Prisonb,c
Paroleb
Local jaild

2010
Percent of total
Population
population
7,089,000
100%
4,055,900
57.2
1,613,800
22.8
840,800
11.9
748,700
10.6

2020
Percent of total
Population
population
5,500,600
100%
3,053,700
55.5
1,215,800
22.1
862,100
15.7
549,100
10.0

Note: Counts are rounded to the nearest 100 and include estimates for nonresponding jurisdictions. Details may
not sum to totals due to rounding and because estimates were adjusted to exclude persons with dual correctional
statuses (persons on probation or parole who were held in prisons or local jails, persons on parole who were also
on probation, or persons in prison who were held in local jails). See table 5 and Methodology for more details.
aReflects probation, prison, parole, and local jail counts minus persons with dual correctional statuses to avoid
double counting. There were 170,300 persons in 2010 and 180,100 persons in 2020 with dual correctional
statuses. See table 5 and Methodology for more details.
bPopulation as of December 31.
cPersons who were under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons.
dPopulation as of the last weekday in June.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Annual Probation Survey, Annual Parole Survey, Annual Survey of Jails, and
National Prisoner Statistics program, 2010 and 2020.

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TablE 4
Rate of persons supervised by adult correctional systems in the United States, by correctional status, 2010–2020

Year
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020

Total correctional populationa
Number
Number
Adult U.S.
supervised per
supervised per residents under 100,000 U.S.
100,000 adult
correctional
residents of
U.S. residentsc
supervision
all agesd
3,000
1 in 33
2,280
2,930
1 in 34
2,240
2,880
1 in 35
2,210
2,830
1 in 35
2,170
2,790
1 in 36
2,140
2,720
1 in 37
2,090
2,640
1 in 38
2,040
2,590
1 in 39
2,010
2,520
1 in 40
1,960
2,480
1 in 40
1,930
2,140
1 in 47
1,670

Community supervision population
Number on
Number on
probation/
probation/parole
parole per
per 100,000
100,000 adult U.S. residents of
U.S. residentsc all agesd
2,070
1,570
2,020
1,540
1,980
1,520
1,950
1,500
1,920
1,470
1,870
1,440
1,810
1,400
1,790
1,380
1,730
1,340
1,700
1,320
1,510
1,180

Incarcerated populationb
Number in
Number in
prison/local
prison/local jail
jail per
per 100,000
100,000 adult
U.S. residents
U.S. residentsc of all agesd
960
730
940
720
920
710
910
700
900
700
880
680
860
670
850
660
830
650
810
630
660
510

Note: Rates are rounded to the nearest 10. Rates include a small number of persons age 17 or younger who were under adult correctional supervision.
Estimates may have been revised based on updated reporting and may differ from numbers in past reports.
aPersons who were supervised in the community by probation or parole agencies, were under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons, or were in
the custody of local jails.
bPersons who were under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons or were held in local jails.
cRates were calculated using U.S. Census Bureau estimates of the U.S. resident population of persons age 18 or older for January 1 of the following year.
dRates were calculated using U.S. Census Bureau estimates of the U.S. resident population of persons of all ages for January 1 of the following year.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Annual Probation Survey, Annual Parole Survey, National Prisoner Statistics program, 2010–2020; Annual Survey
of Jails, 2010–2018 and 2020; Census of Jails, 2019; and U.S. Census Bureau, postcensal estimated resident populations for January 1 of each year,
2010–2020.

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Methodology
Sources of data
The statistics presented in this report include data from
several of the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) data
collections. Each collection relies on the voluntary
participation of federal, state, and local respondents. For
more information about the following data collections,
see the Data Collections page on the BJS website at
https://bjs.ojp.gov/data/data-collections/search.
Annual Probation Survey and Annual Parole
Survey. BJS’s Annual Probation Survey and Annual
Parole Survey, which began in 1980, collect data from
probation and parole agencies in the United States that
supervise adults. These data collections define adults as
persons subject to the jurisdiction of an adult court or
correctional agency. Juveniles sentenced as adults in a
criminal court are considered adults. Juveniles under
the jurisdiction of a juvenile court or correctional
agency are excluded.
The two surveys collect data on the number of adults
supervised in the community on January 1 and
December 31 each year, the number of entries to and
exits from supervision during the reporting year, and
characteristics of the population at yearend. Both
surveys cover the 50 states, the District of Columbia,
and the federal system. BJS depends on the voluntary
participation of state central reporters and separate
state, county, and court agencies for these data. For
more statistics and information, see the Probation and
Parole Populations series on the BJS website at https://
bjs.ojp.gov/data-collection/annual-probation-surveyand-annual-parole-survey.
In each collection year, respondents are asked
to provide both the January 1 and December 31
population counts for the previous year. Therefore,
while the December 31, 2019 count was collected in
2020, the January 1, 2020 count was not collected until
2021. At times, the January 1 count from a given year
may differ from the December 31 count of the prior
year, given the normal daily flow of entries and exits.
Additionally, the difference reported may have resulted
from administrative changes, such as—
ƒ implementing new information systems, leading to
data review and cleanup
ƒ reconciling records of persons on probation

ƒ reclassifying individuals, including those on
probation to parole and those with dual community
supervision statuses
ƒ including certain probation populations not
previously reported (e.g., persons supervised for
DUI or DWI, some persons on probation who had
absconded, and some on an inactive status).
The probation counts decreased by 162,700 between
December 31, 2019 and January 1, 2020. (See tables 1
and 2.) The difference between the parole population
counts for December 31, 2019 and January 1, 2020 was
a decrease of 27,900.
Estimating change in population counts
In theory, the change in probation and parole
populations from the beginning to the end of the year
should equal the difference between entries and exits
during the year. In practice, those numbers may not
be equal. Some probation and parole information
systems track the number of cases that enter and exit
community supervision, not the number of persons,
while January 1 and yearend populations represent
persons. Some persons are being supervised for more
than one charge or case simultaneously. Additionally,
all data on entries and exits may not have been logged
into the respondents’ information systems, or the
information systems may not have fully processed all
data before submission to BJS.
Annual Survey of Jails. The Annual Survey of
Jails (ASJ) has collected data from a nationally
representative sample of local jails each year since
1982, except for 1983, 1988, 1993, 1999, 2005, and
2019, when complete censuses of local jails in the
United States were conducted. The 2020 ASJ used
a stratified probability sample of 897 active jail
jurisdictions nationwide to produce national estimates.
The tables and figures in this report are based on ASJ
estimates from the last weekday in June for the local
jail population from 2010 through 2020. The ASJ
estimates for the local jail population include inmates
age 17 or younger who were held either before or after
they were adjudicated (about 2,300 at midyear 2020).
For more statistics and information, see the Prison and
Jail Inmates at Midyear series on the BJS website at
https://bjs.ojp.gov/data-collection/annual-surveyjails-asj.
Taylor Series Linearization (TSL) methods were used to
estimate the standard errors for the ASJ counts in this
report. (See appendix table 3.) The TSL method directly

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estimates variances through a linearized function
by combining variance estimates from strata used to
sample jail jurisdictions. Standard errors were produced
using a stratified without replacement design.
Census of Jails. The Census of Jails (COJ) began in
1970 and was conducted in 1972, 1978, 1983, 1988,
1993, 1999, 2005/2006, 2013, and 2019. The census is
designed to produce national and state-level estimates
of the number and characteristics of local jail inmates
through a complete enumeration of jail facilities in
the United States. The 2019 estimates on the local jail
population are based on COJ data for the last weekday
in June. The 2019 local jail population includes inmates
age 17 or younger who were held either before or
after they were adjudicated. For more statistics and
information, see the Census of Jails series on the BJS
website at https://bjs.ojp.gov/data-collection/censusjails-coj.
National Prisoner Statistics program. The National
Prisoner Statistics (NPS) program began in 1926 under
a mandate from Congress and is conducted annually. It
collects data from the nation’s 50 state departments of
corrections (DOCs) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons
(BOP). The NPS distinguishes between prisoners
in custody and prisoners under the jurisdiction of
correctional authorities. To have custody of a prisoner,
a state or the BOP must physically hold that prisoner
in one of its facilities. To have jurisdiction over a
prisoner, the state or the BOP must have legal authority
over that prisoner, regardless of where the prisoner is
incarcerated or supervised. Some states were unable
to provide counts that distinguish between custody
and jurisdiction.2 For more statistics and information,
see the Prisoners series on the BJS website at https://
bjs.ojp.gov/data-collection/national-prisonerstatistics-nps-program.
The NPS prisoner counts and rates included in figure
1 and tables 1 through 4 are based on a December 31
reference date and are consistent with the jurisdiction
counts and findings reported in Prisoners in 2020 –
Statistical Tables (NCJ 302776, BJS, December 2021).
The NPS jurisdiction counts represent BJS’s official
measure of the prison population and include persons
held in prisons, penitentiaries, correctional facilities,
halfway houses, boot camps, farms, training or
treatment centers, and hospitals. Jurisdiction counts
2To determine which states did not distinguish between custody

and jurisdiction counts, see the Jurisdiction notes for Prisoners in
2020 (NCJ 302776, BJS, December 2021) at https://bjs.ojp.gov/
library/publications/prisoners-2020-statistical-tables.

include prisoners who were temporarily absent (less
than 30 days), in court, or on work release; housed in
privately operated facilities, local jails, or other state or
federal facilities; or serving concurrent sentences for
more than one correctional authority.
The NPS prisoner custody counts are based on a
December 31 reference and are reported only in
appendix table 2. The prisoner custody counts in
appendix table 2 include all prisoners held within
state and federal facilities, including those housed for
other correctional facilities, prisoners held in privately
operated facilities, and prisoners age 17 or younger
who were serving time in a publicly or privately
operated state or federal correctional facility after being
sentenced in criminal court as if they were adults.
Also, the prisoner custody counts in appendix table 2
include persons in the six states in which prisons and
jails form an integrated system, including persons
age 17 or younger who may have been held before or
after adjudication.
Through the annual NPS collection, BJS has obtained
yearend counts of prisoners in the custody of
U.S. military authorities from the Department of
Defense Corrections Council since 1994. In 1994,
the council, consisting of representatives from each
branch of military service, adopted a standardized
form (DD Form 2720) that obtains data on prisoners
held in U.S. military confinement facilities inside and
outside of the continental United States. (See appendix
table 1.) See Prisoners in 2020 – Statistical Tables
(NCJ 302776, BJS, December 2021) for more statistics
and information.
Since 1995, through the annual NPS collection, BJS
has collected yearend counts of prisoners from DOCs
in the U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, and
the U.S. Virgin Islands) and U.S. commonwealths (the
Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico). These data
represent all prisoners in the custody of prison facilities
in the U.S. territories and commonwealths. (See
appendix table 1.) See Prisoners in 2020 – Statistical
Tables (NCJ 302776, BJS, December 2021) for more
statistics and information, including nonresponse.
Survey of Jails in Indian Country. The Annual Survey
of Jails in Indian Country (SJIC) has been conducted
annually since 1998, except in 2005 and 2006. The
SJIC collects detailed information on all adult and
juvenile confinement facilities, detention centers, jails,
and other facilities operated by tribal authorities or
the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian
Affairs. The 2020 estimate of jail inmates in Indian

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country presented in appendix table 1 is based on data
from the last weekday in June. For more statistics and
information, see the Jails in Indian Country series on
the BJS website at https://bjs.ojp.gov/data-collection/
annual-survey-jails-indian-country-sjic.
Counts adjusted for persons with dual
correctional statuses
Persons under correctional supervision may have dual
correctional statuses for several reasons:
ƒ Probation and parole agencies may not always be
notified immediately of new arrests, jail admissions,
or prison admissions.
ƒ Absconders included in a probation or parole
agency’s population in one jurisdiction may actually
be incarcerated in another jurisdiction.
ƒ Persons may be admitted to jail or prison before
formal revocation hearings and potential discharge
by a probation or parole agency.
ƒ Persons may be serving separate probation and
parole sentences concurrently.
ƒ State and federal prisons may hold prisoners in
county facilities or local jails to reduce crowding in
their prisons.
In 1998, through the Annual Probation Survey and
Annual Parole Survey, BJS began collecting data on the

number of persons on probation or parole with dual
correctional statuses. In 1999, BJS began collecting
data through the NPS on the number of prisoners
under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons who
were held in county facilities or local jails (table 5).
Table 5 includes adjustments that were made to the
total correctional population, the total community
supervision population, and all estimates of the total
incarcerated population presented in this report to
exclude persons with dual correctional statuses to avoid
double counting.
The estimates for the Annual Probation Survey
and Annual Parole Survey are based on data
from probation and parole agencies that provided
information for the reporting year. As some probation
and parole agencies did not provide data on individuals
with dual statuses, the total number of persons who
had dual correctional statuses may be underestimated.
Due to this adjustment, the sum of correctional statuses
in figure 1 and tables 1 through 4 does not equal the
total correctional population without subtracting out
the persons with dual correctional statuses. In addition,
the sum of the probation and parole populations does
not yield the total community supervision population
because the total was adjusted for persons on parole
who were also on probation. Also, the sum of the
prison and local jail populations does not equal the
total incarcerated population because prisoners held in
local jails were excluded from the total.

TablE 5
Number of persons with dual correctional statuses at yearend, 2010–2020
Year
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020

Total
170,300
169,300
168,400
170,800
176,100
174,000
180,500
206,800
211,500
193,000
180,100

Prisoners
in local jail
83,400
82,100
83,600
85,700
81,800
81,200
83,700
80,800
80,500
78,600
73,300

Persons on probation—
In state/
In local jail
federal prison
21,300
21,500
21,100
22,300
21,200
21,700
22,400
16,700
23,500
24,600
24,400
28,200
24,400
24,000
37,100
34,900
38,700
34,900
40,700
22,300
32,200
16,100

Persons on parole—
In state/
In local jail
federal prison On probation
21,400
14,400
8,300
18,000
14,900
11,000
18,500
10,700
12,700
21,800
11,800
12,500
21,800
11,600
12,900
19,600
11,200
9,400
24,500
13,000
10,800
26,400
14,400
13,300
24,500
14,100
18,900
23,400
14,000
14,100
21,500
11,500
25,400

Note: Counts are rounded to the nearest 100. Estimates for 2019 and earlier may have been revised based on updated reporting and may differ from
previously published statistics. Details may not sum to totals due to rounding.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Annual Probation Survey, Annual Parole Survey, National Prisoner Statistics program, 2010–2020; Annual Survey of
Jails, 2010–2018 and 2020; and Census of Jails, 2019.

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Nonresponse adjustments to estimated
population counts
Probation, parole, prison, and jail population counts
were adjusted to account for nonresponse across
data collections. The methods varied and depended
on the type of collection, type of respondent, and
availability of information. For more information on
the nonresponse adjustments implemented to generate
national and jurisdiction-level estimates of all four
correctional populations in 2020, see Methodology
in Probation and Parole in the United States, 2020
at https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/ppus20.pdf,
Prisoners in 2020 – Statistical Tables at https://bjs.ojp.
gov/content/pub/pdf/p20st.pdf, and Jail Inmates in
2020 – Statistical Tables at https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/
pub/pdf/ji20st.pdf. For nonresponse adjustments for
2019 estimates and prior years, see Methodology in
these source reports for each particular reference year.
Comparability of jurisdiction-level estimates
over time
All jurisdiction-level estimates included in this report
are based on data reported within the reference year.
Some jurisdictions update their population counts
after submitting their data to BJS. Updated population
counts usually include data that were not entered into
the information system before the survey was submitted
or data that were not fully processed by yearend.

Also, some jurisdictions have experienced reporting
changes for one or more correctional population
collections over time. These changes may result from
making administrative changes (such as consolidating
databases or implementing new information systems
that result in data review and cleanup), reconciling
individual records, reclassifying persons (including
changes from probation to parole and persons with dual
community supervision statuses), and including certain
subpopulations that were not previously reported.
For these reasons, comparisons between jurisdictions
and comparisons between years for the same
jurisdiction over time may not be valid. More detailed
information about updates and reporting changes
that affect the ability to make jurisdiction-level
comparisons over time may be found in the source
reports listed above in Nonresponse adjustments to
estimated population counts and on the BJS website for
particular source collections, including the Probation
and Parole Populations series and the Prisoners series
for each particular reference year.

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Appe

Other adult
correctional systems
Total
Territorial prisonsa
Jails in Indian countryb
Military facilitiesc

2010
15,800
12,410
1,910
1,480

Number of persons
2019
13,970
10,010
2,750
1,210

2020
12,730
9,660
1,890
1,180

Average annual percent
change, 2010–2020
-2.2%
-2.5
-0.1
-2.3

Note: Counts of persons in these facilities are excluded from estimates of the incarcerated populations in
figure 1 and tables 1 through 4, as these persons are not under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons or
held in confinement facilities operated under the authority of a sheriff, local police chief, or local city or county
administrator. Details may not sum to totals due to rounding. Estimates may have been revised based on updated
reporting and may differ from previously published statistics.
aThe 2019 and 2020 totals include population counts that were estimated for some territories due to
nonresponse. Estimates are based on the number of persons held on December 31 and are rounded to the
nearest 10. See Prisoners in 2020 – Statistical Tables (NCJ 302776, BJS, December 2021) for more details.
bEstimates are based on the number of persons held on the last weekday in June and are rounded to the nearest 10.
See Jails in Indian Country, 2019–2020 and the Impact of COVID-19 on the Tribal Jail Population (NCJ 300801, BJS,
October 2021) for more details.
cEstimates are based on the number of persons held on December 31 and are rounded to the nearest 10. See
Prisoners in 2020 – Statistical Tables (NCJ 302776, BJS, December 2021) for more details.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics program, 2010, 2019, and 2020, Survey of Jails in
Indian Country, 2010, 2019, and 2020; and U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Under Secretary for Defense
for Personnel and Readiness, 2010, 2019, and 2020.

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Appe

Type of facility
Total custody populationa
Federalb
Prisons
Federal facilities
Privately operated facilities
Community Corrections Centersc
State prisoners
State facilitiesd
Privately operated facilities
Local jails
Incarceration ratee
Adult incarceration ratef

Number of persons in custody
2010
2019
2020*
2,266,500
2,068,800
1,675,400
207,000
174,400
151,300
198,300
166,600
145,500
173,100
147,000
123,500
25,200
19,600
22,100
8,600
7,800
5,700
1,310,800
1,159,900
975,000
1,216,700
1,071,300
902,600
94,100
88,500
72,300
748,700 †
734,500 †
549,100
730
960

630
810

Average annual
percent change,
2010–2020
-3.0%
-3.1%
-3.1
-3.4
-1.3
-4.1
-3.0%
-3.0
-2.6
-3.1%

510
660

-3.6%
-3.7

Note: Custody counts of incarcerated persons are presented in this table and differ from the jurisdiction counts
presented in other tables in this report. Counts are rounded to the nearest 100 and include estimates for
nonresponding jurisdictions. Estimates may have been revised based on updated reporting and may differ from
previously published statistics. See Methodology for more details. Rates are rounded to the nearest 10. Details may
not to sum to totals due to rounding. Prison counts are for December 31, while jail counts are for the last weekday
in June. See Methodology for sources of incarceration data and Terms and definitions for an explanation of the
differences between the custody prison population reported in this table and jurisdiction prison population
reported in all other tables and figures in this report. Significance testing was conducted for local jail estimates
because the 2010 and 2020 counts are based on a sample of jails from the Annual Survey of Jails. The 2019 local
jails count is based on a full census of the population.
*Comparison year for local jail inmates only.
†Difference with comparison year is significant at the 95% confidence level.
aAll persons in the custody of state or federal prisons, privately operated facilities, or local jails. Excludes persons
held in U.S. territories (appendix table 1), military facilities (appendix table 1), U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement facilities, jails in Indian country (appendix table 1), or juvenile facilities.
bAfter 2001, responsibility for sentenced prisoners from the District of Columbia was transferred to the Federal
Bureau of Prisons.
cNonsecure, privately operated community corrections centers.
dExcludes prisoners held in local jails in Georgia for 2010, 2019, and 2020 to avoid double counting.
eRates are based on the total number of persons in the custody of state or federal prisons, privately operated
facilities, or local jails and were calculated using U.S. Census Bureau estimates of the U.S. resident population of
persons of all ages for January 1 of the following year.
fRates are based on the total number of persons in the custody of state or federal prisons, privately operated
facilities, or local jails and were calculated using U.S. Census Bureau estimates of the U.S. resident population of
persons age 18 or older for January 1 of the following year. An estimated 9,855 persons age 17 or younger were in
the custody of state prisons or local jails in 2010; 3,511 in 2019; and 2,613 in 2020.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics program, 2010, 2019, and 2020, Annual Survey of
Jails, 2010 and 2020, Census of Jails, 2019; and U.S. Census Bureau, postcensal estimated resident populations for
January 1 of each year, 2010, 2019, and 2020.

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Appe
Year
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020

Standard error
5,430
6,010
7,680
8,040
8,380
7,190
5,940
6,610
7,120
~
5,120

Note: Standard errors are rounded to the nearest 10. See table 1 for
counts of local jail inmates.
~Not applicable. Data are based on a full census of the population.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Annual Survey of Jails, 2010–2018
and 2020; and Census of Jails, 2019.

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The Bureau of Justice Statistics of the U.S. Department of Justice is the
principal federal agency responsible for measuring crime, criminal
victimization, criminal offenders, victims of crime, correlates of crime,
and the operation of criminal and civil justice systems at the federal, state,
tribal, and local levels. BJS collects, analyzes, and disseminates reliable
statistics on crime and justice systems in the United States, supports
improvements to state and local criminal justice information systems, and
participates with national and international organizations to develop and
recommend national standards for justice statistics. Doris J. James is the
acting director.
This report was written by Rich Kluckow and Zhen Zeng. Tracy Snell and
Danielle Kaeble verified the report.
Eric Hendrixson edited the report. Carrie Epps-Carey produced the report.
March 2022, NCJ 303184

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NCJ 303 184

Office of Justice Programs
Building Solutions • Supporting Communities • Advancing Justice
www.ojp.gov