The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. As of 2022, there were over 2 million people incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails. This mass incarceration comes at an immense economic and social cost. In this comprehensive article, we will analyze the key statistics, reasons, and effects of mass incarceration, and discuss potential solutions.
Key Statistics on Incarceration in the U.S.
- The U.S. represents 4% of the world’s population but houses around 20% of the world’s prisoners.
- 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. has a criminal record.
- The imprisonment rate in the U.S. is 655 per 100,000 people.
- There are over 6,000 correctional facilities across the country.
- The U.S. spends over $80 billion annually on corrections.
Main Factors Driving Mass Incarceration
There are several complex factors that have contributed to the growth of mass incarceration since the 1970s:
Harsher Sentencing Laws
- Mandatory minimum sentencing laws have forced judges to deliver fixed prison terms for certain crimes regardless of context. This has increased sentence lengths.
- “Three strikes” laws require automatic life sentences after three felony convictions, no matter the crimes.
- Truth-in-sentencing laws require people to serve most or all of their prison sentence without parole.
War on Drugs
- Strict anti-drug policies have led to a surge of incarcerations for nonviolent drug offenses, even for possession. Over 450,000 people were incarcerated for drug offenses in 2016.
- Most drug offenders have no prior criminal record for violence.
- Enhanced policing in minority communities disproportionately impacts people of color.
Private Prison Industry
- Private for-profit prisons bring in $5 billion per year and lobby politicians to enact harsh sentencing to keep incarceration and profits high.
Reduced Judicial Discretion
- Mandatory sentencing laws have reduced judges’ ability to decide punishment on a case-by-case basis.
- Even when context might call for rehabilitation or probation, judges are forced to deliver lengthy sentences.
Consequences of Mass Incarceration
The over-reliance on incarceration negatively impacts individuals, communities, and taxpayers:
Impact on Individuals
- Prisoners face trauma, abuse, and isolation from family and friends.
- Overcrowded prisons increase violence and poor healthcare.
- A criminal record makes finding employment and housing tremendously difficult after release.
- Cycles of poverty, recidivism, and crime are reinforced rather than remedied.
Damage to Communities
- Billions in funding is diverted from education, healthcare, housing, and other programs to the criminal justice system.
- Mass incarceration disproportionately impacts disadvantaged minority communities.
- Families are left without spouses, parents, and children.
- High recidivism and re-arrest rates destabilize communities.
Burden on Taxpayers
- Taxpayers foot the $80+ billion annual bill for mass incarceration.
- Imprisoning too many nonviolent offenders is economically inefficient.
- Budget-strapped states channel more funds to prisons than schools.
Annual Cost of Housing a Prisoner
One major consequence of mass incarceration is the high cost incurred by taxpayers. So exactly how much does it cost per year to house an inmate in prison?
Average Cost Per Inmate Nationwide
According to research:
- The average cost per state inmate nationwide is $31,977 per year.
- The average cost for a federal inmate is $36,299 per year.
This averages out to $33,274 per inmate per year.
With over 2 million people incarcerated, this represents a significant expenditure. Reducing incarceration rates for nonviolent offenses could potentially save taxpayers billions.
Factors Affecting Cost Per Prisoner
The cost per inmate can vary based on factors like:
- Facility security level – Maximum security prisons cost much more per inmate than minimum security facilities. The average in maximum security prisons is $42,727 per inmate per year.
- State populations – States like New York and California with big prison populations achieve some economy of scale and have lower per inmate costs at around $31,000. Smaller states average closer to $37,000 per inmate.
- Healthcare and pensions – These factors cause costs per inmate to balloon in some states. In California, once healthcare and pensions are included, the cost per inmate rises to $81,000 per year.
- Private vs public facilities – For-profit private prisons often claim lower per inmate costs than government-run prisons. But private prisons may sacrifice rehabilitation programs to keep expenses down.
Cost Over Time
The high recurring costs of incarceration add up the longer someone remains imprisoned:
- 5 years in prison = $166,370 per inmate
- 10 years = $332,740 per inmate
- 20 years = $665,480 per inmate
- Life sentence = $1 million+ per inmate
Reducing average sentence lengths for nonviolent crimes could save substantial amounts over decades.
Case Study: Cost of Death Penalty vs. Life Imprisonment
One comparison that highlights the high cost of incarceration is examining death penalty vs. life imprisonment costs.
Seeking the Death Penalty Costs More
States that allow the death penalty spend millions more per case than non-death penalty cases:
- Death penalty trials average around $1.26 million per case, compared to $740,000 for non-death penalty trials.
- Death row inmate incarceration costs about $90,000 more per year on average than general prison populations.
- Death penalty appeals and execution methods drive costs higher over life sentences.
Life in Prison is Ultimately Less Expensive
Due to the complicated legal processes required for capital punishment, life imprisonment without parole generally costs less than sentencing someone to death:
- In Maryland, average death penalty case costs were $1.9 million more than non-death penalty cases.
- In California, death penalty trials cost $1.1 million more on average.
- In Kansas, death penalty cases were 70% more expensive.
- In New Jersey, eliminating the death penalty in 2007 saved $253 million in 5 years.
The fact that life imprisonment is more economically efficient is one consideration in the debate over the death penalty. There are also ethical issues to weigh.
Effects of Rehabilitation and Education Programs
Instead of purely punitive measures, some criminal justice reforms aim to rehabilitate offenders through education and training programs:
Prison Education Programs
- Inmates who participate in correctional education programs have 43% lower odds of reoffending.
- Vocational prison programs teach trades like welding, plumbing, construction, and computer coding.
- College prison programs allow inmates to work towards associate’s or bachelor’s degrees.
Benefits of Prison Education
- Each dollar invested in prison education saves $4-5 in reincarceration costs over 3 years.
- Employment after release is 13% higher for prisoners who participated in educational programs.
- Prison education improves safety, socialization, and rehabilitation.
- Maine saw its three-year return to prison rate fall to 17.2% after expanding career training.
Education and rehabilitation programs represent a small portion of most corrections budgets but can provide substantial long-term savings and societal benefits.
Solutions to Begin Reversing Mass Incarceration
There are several evidence-based policy solutions that lawmakers could enact to curb mass imprisonment:
Sentencing Reform
- Soften or repeal mandatory minimum sentencing laws to give judges back discretion.
- Classify fewer nonviolent offenses as felonies.
- Place caps on maximum sentences and ban life without parole for non-murder convictions.
Reduce Prison Populations
- Release more elderly prisoners with low recidivism risk.
- Provide “good time credits” to allow well-behaved inmates to shorten their sentences slightly.
- Place more nonviolent offenders in diversion programs rather than prison.
Improve Conditions and Care
- Invest in more programs for counseling, addiction treatment, and skills training.
- Implement rigorous healthcare standards in prisons and streamline care.
- Ban solitary confinement for juveniles and mentally ill prisoners.
Police and Drug Policy Reform
- Eliminate arrests for possession of drugs for personal use. Issuing fines or treatment is more effective.
- Legalize recreational marijuana to reduce drug convictions. Several states have done this successfully.
- Require police anti-bias and de-escalation training to reduce discriminatory targeting of minorities.
Conclusion
Mass incarceration delivers diminishing returns on public safety while costing taxpayers billions and disproportionately harming minorities and the poor. The average cost per inmate now exceeds $31,000 per year in many states. Cost-effective reforms that emphasize rehabilitation over punishment could help reverse the epidemics of overcrowded prisons and reoffending. Sentencing reform, early release, expanded vocational and education programs, drug decriminalization, and other solutions can gradually reduce incarceration and empower past offenders to become productive members of society.
Table of Notable Crimes and Cost of Incarceration
| Offender | Crime Convicted For | Sentence Received | Years Served | Approx. Cost of Incarceration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernie Madoff | Ponzi scheme fraud | 150 years | 10 years (died in prison in 2021) | $310,000 |
| Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán | Drug trafficking, organized crime | Life + 30 years | 4 years before extradition | $130,000 |
| Larry Nassar | Sexual abuse of gymnasts | 60 years | 5 years so far | $160,000 |
| Drew Peterson | Murder of 3rd wife | 38 years | 10 years so far | $330,000 |
| Jesse Friedman | Child sexual abuse | 16-30 years | 13 years (conviction overtuned) | $430,000 |
- Cost estimates based on average inmate cost of $31,000 per year
- Many inmates serve years awaiting trial; full costs higher
Quotes on Prison Sentences from Judges and Advocates
“Prisons should be for people we are afraid of, but we have made it into a warehouse for people we are mad at.” – Anonymous California judge
“When we don’t have decent wages, decent housing, access to health care and treatment, we have conditions that breed crime.” – Cory Booker
“If you build prisons, they will fill them. If you build communities, you fill them with productive citizens.” – Illinois judge Jamey McDonald
“Nothing about this case warrants sending Mr. Rosenthal to prison for a mandatory three-year term. Not the facts of the offense, not Mr. Rosenthal’s character, and not the needs of society.” – Massachusetts judge Mark Wolf on being forced to sentence a man to prison for cultivating medical marijuana.
“Prisons are needed for public safety. But they are often overused at great social cost and do little to prepare people to re-enter society and lead productive, law-abiding lives.” – Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to incarcerate someone for life?
Based on average costs per inmate of $31,000 per year, incarcerating someone for life costs over $1 million in most states. Life sentences that extend 40-50 years can cost between $1.5 million and $2 million per prisoner overall. Healthcare and housing costs continue mounting the longer inmates age in prison.
What percentage of inmates return to prison after being released?
Within 5 years of release, around 75% of ex-convicts are rearrested. Within 9 years, over 80% are rearrested at least once. High recidivism rates show the criminal justice system often fails to rehabilitate prisoners and prepare them for reentry into society. Frustratingly, around half of all released inmates return to prison over technical parole violations, not new crimes.
Why does the US have the highest incarceration rate?
Harsh sentencing laws, the War on Drugs, lack of rehabilitation programs, powerful prison lobbies, racism, poverty, and other complex factors have combined to give the US the highest imprisonment rate at 655 inmates per 100,000 people. Prioritizing punishment over rehabilitation fails to reduce crime or recidivism.
How much does death row cost per inmate?
The average death row inmate costs around $90,000 per year to house, around $30,000 more than the average prisoner. Capital punishment trials and appeals processes make death penalty cases up to 20 times more expensive than life without parole cases overall according to some studies.
How can mass incarceration be reduced in the United States?
Lawmakers could enact sentencing reforms, release more elderly prisoners, invest in rehabilitation and vocational programs, decriminalize minor drug offenses, ban solitary confinement, improve prison healthcare, and enact other measures to gradually reduce incarceration rates. Public attitudes are shifting toward recognizing mass imprisonment as economically and socially counterproductive.