Comparative National Statistical Interest in Executions
Relatively late development of US execution statistics reflects a US history of decentralized, relatively informal punishment by death.
Topic Collection: United States – Prisoners
Historical statistics and analysis of prisoners (federal, state, and local) in the United States by sex, with statistics and analysis of executions by sex.
Exceptional Increase in Imprisonment in U.S. Since 1980
From 1980 to 2010, the U.S. became a world leader in imprisonment, with more than six times as many prisoners per capita as in the rest of the world.
U.S. Historical Prisoner Statistics
National prisoner estimates from 1850, including prisoners in jails and in state and federal prisons, and distinguishing by sex where possible.
Imprisonment for Non-Payment of Fines in US
In 1910, non-payment of fines held 12% of prisoners (jail & prison) and generated jail commitments equal to 62% of persons committed to jail on sentence.
Prisoners in U.S. National Decennial Censuses, 1850-2010
The decennial national censuses, 1850-2010, include prisoners. Here are links to the census documents, computable prisoner statistics, and data notes.
Prisoner Statistics in the U.S. Censuses of 1860 and 1870
Comparison with U.S. Census data for 1850 indicates that the censuses of 1860 and 1870 excluded a significant number of prisoners.
Women Offenders in U.S. Non-Governmental Institutions in 1910
About 12% of women criminal offenders were held in non-governmental institutions in the U.S. in 1910.
Prisoner Count Increased Sharply in US, 1850-1860
The social and political stress that preceded the Civil War was associated with greater punishment prevalence through the criminal justice system.
US Draft Evaders in Jail During World War I
Perhaps 19,000 men were held in U.S. jails in 1917 for refusing to fight in World War I.
Sentenced Prisoners in U.S. Jails in 1922
Despite some contrary evidence and estimates, the best reading of the fragmentary data implies a time-series estimate of 65% sentenced prisoners.
US Federal and State Prisoners Annual Series from 1925
Prisoners in state and federal prisons and reformatories from 1926 are the only long-run, annual US prisoner statistics.
Seasonality in US Prisoner Statistics from Early 20th Century
Seasonality in jail populations is different from that for federal and state penal populations.
US Jail Inmate Population Data
The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Annual Survey of Jails provides data on jail populations annually from 1982, with some missing years.
Decline of Sentencing’s Importance for US Jail Populations
The prevalence of sentenced prisoners has decreased greatly since 1880. Less legally formal punishment has shifted from non-incarceration to incarceration.
Unsentenced Prisoners in US Censuses
The censuses of 1900 to 1930 did not included unsentenced prisoners in reporting on prisoners. Enumerators did, however, count unsentenced prisoners.
Punishment Prevalence Yearly by Sex in the U.S. from 1850
Prisoners and executions yearly by sex in the United States from 1850, aggregated to punishment per 100,000 of population (punishment prevalence), with sex ratio of punishment and punishment distribution (% absent from execution and % absent from being in prison).
Executions Yearly by Sex in America from 1608
Executions yearly by sex in the North American colonies and the United States from 1608 to 2010. Includes individual case data and comparison of yearly totals from official and scholarly sources.
Lynchings Yearly by Sex in the U.S. from 1882
Extrajudicial mob executions (lynchings) of persons, counted by sex and by year of lynching, in US from 1882. Subset of individual lynching instances, with state, date, county, victim race, victim name, mob race, and offense.
Lynchings Outnumbered Judicial Executions in South, 1882-1925
5057 persons were executed under judicial orders and 4497 persons were lynched in the US, 1882-1925.
Prisoners in the U.S. in the 19th-century
Prisoner totals by sex, estimated mainly from prisoner statistics in the decennial censuses. Includes prisoners in jails and houses of correction. Counts of prisoners in individual state prisons, mid-19th century.
Sex and Race in Official Execution Statistics
The formal history of official statistics on executions suggests lack of concern for men’s lives and anti-black prejudice.
Prisoners in the U.S. from 1850
Prisoners (including jail inmates), prisoners per 100,000 population (imprisonment prevalence), and prisoner sex ratio in U.S., 1850-2010 (sex ratio from 1880). Based mainly on national census data, adjusted to consistently included unsentenced prisoners.
Sex Ratio of Prisoners in U.S. Since 1880
The history of U.S. punishment suggests that democracy not encompassing prisoners skews the sex ratio of prisoners toward males.
Prisoners by State and Sex, U.S. 1880-2010
Panel data of prisoner counts by state, sex, and jurisdiction from decennial national censuses (from 1880) and yearly Bureau of Justice Statistics prisoner series (from 1977). With summary statistics for sex-ratio distributions across states.
Prisoners in the U.S. from 1900
Prisoners (including jail inmates) by sex in the U.S. from 1900, from decennial census prisoner data, adjusted for comparability, with additional Bureau of Justice Statistics yearly prisoner counts. Dataset sheets: summary: national prisoner totals (including jail inmates) by sex for decennial census years, with calculated sex ratios sex-race 2006: prisoners (including jail inmates) by sex […]
Prisoners in U.S. State and Federal Prisons, 1940
Prisoners by sex and by state, reconciled across national Census of 1940 and Bureau of Justice Statistics’ annual series of prisoners in state and federal prisons. Consistent treatment of juvenile delinquents makes the figures comparable.
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoners, 1975-2012
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoners, annual, 1975-2012; prisoner movements (admissions and releases) annually from 1977 and prisoner counts since 1925.
Prisoners Held for Drug Offense, US 1970-1997
Prisoners by offense and by state and federal prisons from 1970 to 1997, with calculated drug offense prisoner shares. Doesn’t encompass jails.
Commitments by Sex to U.S. Prisons and Jails, about 2000-2010
Counts of males and females committed to (entered into) U.S. federal prisons, state prisons, and jails for available years about 2000-2010. With calculation of commitment sex ratios.
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Jail Inmates, 1982-2012
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Jail Inmates, annual, 1982-2012, in a single downloadable archive.
U.S. Historical Population Statistics from 1790
Population yearly and by sex from 1820; population by state 1790-2010; summary data from national population censuses, 1790-2010; population by age, race, and sex from 1950. Dataset sheets: yearly: total population yearly, 1820-2010 by sex: population by sex from 1820, yearly from 1900 by state {various sheets}: population by state 1790-2010 national censuses: total population […]
The Sex Dimension of Felon Disenfranchisement
The democratic disenfranchisement of male felons goes communicatively deeper than felon disenfranchisement.