Reported State and Federal Prison Capacities and Custody Populations, 2015

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Bureau of Justice Statistics
Prison facility capacity, custody population, and percent capacity, December 31, 2015
Author(s): E. Ann Carson
Data source(s): National Prisoner Statistics Program
Refer questions to: [email protected] or 202-307-0765
Date of version: 9/23/2016
Prison facility capacity, custody population, and percent capacity, December 31, 2015
Type of capacity measure Custody population as a percent of—
Jurisdiction Rated Operational Design Custody population Lowest capacity/a Highest capacity/a
Federal/b 134,461 … … 160,946 119.7 % 119.7 %
Alabama/c … 25,763 13,318 24,814 186.3 96.3
Alaska/d … 5,352 … 5,247 98.0 98.0
Arizona 37,238 43,747 37,238 35,733 96.0 81.7
Arkansas 16,194 16,233 15,382 15,784 102.6 97.2
California/c … 127,482 87,287 116,569 133.5 91.4
Colorado … 14,584 14,584 15,972 109.5 109.5
Connecticut / / / 15,500 / /
Delaware/c 5,500 5,210 4,161 6,437 154.7 117.0
Florida/e … 105,351 … 99,485 94.4 94.4
Georgia/e 59,332 53,961 … 52,002 96.4 87.6
Hawaii … 3,527 2,491 4,073 163.5 115.5
Idaho/e,f 6,903 … … 7,238 104.9 104.9
Illinois/f 31,864 31,864 27,981 46,240 165.3 145.1
Indiana … 30,020 … 26,586 88.6 88.6
Iowa/g 7,322 7,322 7,322 8,230 112.4 112.4
Kansas 9,180 9,514 9,164 9,533 104.0 100.2
Kentucky/f 14,349 14,349 14,349 11,959 83.3 83.3
Louisiana/e 18,121 15,524 16,764 18,447 118.8 101.8
Maine 2,256 2,478 2,478 2,190 97.1 88.4
Maryland/h … 23,025 … 20,921 90.9 90.9
Massachusetts … … 7,728 9,493 122.8 122.8
Michigan/c 44,734 43,996 … 42,628 96.9 95.3
Minnesota … 9,454 … 9,578 101.3 101.3
Mississippi/e … 23,516 … 13,967 59.4 59.4
Missouri/c … 32,241 … 32,295 100.2 100.2
Montana 1,692 … … 1,686 99.6 99.6
Nebraska/c … 4,094 3,275 5,133 156.7 125.4
Nevada/i / / / 13,235 / /
New Hampshire 2,583 2,700 1,966 2,661 135.4 98.6
New Jersey 17,427 18,605 23,152 17,431 100.0 75.3
New Mexico 7,093 7,882 7,882 4,078 57.5 51.7
New York 51,480 51,676 50,957 51,485 101.0 99.6
North Carolina … 43,815 37,503 36,888 98.4 84.2
North Dakota … 1,353 1,353 1,345 99.4 99.4
Ohio/j 34,986 … … 46,190 132.0 132.0
Oklahoma 16,529 19,497 16,529 19,875 120.2 101.9
Oregon/j … … 14,997 14,655 97.7 97.7
Pennsylvania 48,025 48,025 48,025 48,241 100.4 100.4
Rhode Island 3,989 3,774 3,973 2,982 79.0 74.8
South Carolina … 23,156 … 20,457 88.3 88.3
South Dakota/c … 3,594 … 3,514 97.8 97.8
Tennessee 15,836 15,416 … 14,628 94.9 92.4
Texas/c 160,017 153,789 160,017 138,199 89.9 86.4
Utah … 7,191 7,431 4,831 67.2 65.0
Vermont/j 1,681 1,681 1,322 1,509 114.1 89.8
Virginia … 29,633 … 30,430 102.7 102.7
Washington … 16,828 … 17,222 102.3 102.3
West Virginia 5,159 5,987 5,159 5,925 114.8 99.0
Wisconsin … 22,896 17,181 22,914 133.4 100.1
Wyoming 2,288 2,288 2,407 2,133 93.2 88.6
…Not available. Specific type of capacity is not measured by state.
/Not reported.
a/Population counts are based on the number of inmates held in custody of facilities operated by the jurisdiction. Excludes inmates held in local jails, other states, or private facilities unless otherwise stated. Lowest capacity represents the minimum capacity estimate submitted by the jurisdiction, while highest capacity represents the maximum capacity estimate. When a jurisdiction could only provide a single capacity estimate, it was used as both lowest and highest capacities.
b/Due to differences in the dates when data were extracted, the federal custody count reported for the calculation of capacity includes 258 inmates compared to the yearend custody reported in National Prisoner Statistics (NPS).
c/State defines capacity in a way that differs from BJS’s definition. See Jurisdiction notes.
d/State did not report 2015 capacity data to NPS. Estimates derived from a report to the state legislature and represent 2014 capacity. See Methodology.
e/Private facilities included in capacity and custody counts.
f/State has changed reporting methodology, so 2015 custody counts are not comparable to those published for earlier years.  See Jurisdiction notes for details.
g/Both capacity and custody counts exclude inmates in community-based work release facilities.
h/Capacity estimate includes some beds used for pretrial inmates not reflected in custody count.
i/State did not submit 2015 NPS custody or capacity data.
j/State did not submit 2015 NPS capacity data. Estimates are from 2014. See Jurisdiction notes.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics, 2015.