U.S. Prison Population Trends 1999-2015: Modest Reductions with Significant Variation.

Prison Population Change in state and federal prison populations Jurisdiction Peak Year to 2015 Peak Year Trends 1999-2015: New Jersey -34.9% 1999New York -29.2% 1999 Modest Reductions with Alaska -27.4% 2006California -25.7% 2006 Vermont -25.2% 2009 Significant Variation Connecticut -22.1% 2007Michigan -17.4% 2006 While states and the federal government have modestly reduced Maine -16.2% 2007 the. [...] In addition, 12 states have continued Louisiana -9.5% 2012 to expand their prison populations even though most have shared Federal -9.3% 2011 in the nationwide crime drop. [...] Indiana -8.6% 2013 Utah -8.3% 2013 Six states have reduced their prison populations by over 20% Georgia -6.9% 2009 since reaching their peak levels: Illinois -6.3% 2012 • New Jersey (35% decline since 1999) Iowa -6.1% 2010 • New York (29% decline since 1999) Alabama -5.3% 2012 • Alaska (27% decline since 2006) US total -4.9% 2009 Texas -4.5% 2010 • California (26% decline since 2006, though partly. [...] Delaware -0.3% 2007 Washington 0.0% 2010 The pace of decarceration has been very modest in most states, Jurisdiction 2010 to 2015 Peak Year especially given that nationwide violent and property crime rates Ohio 1.0% 2015 have fallen by half since 1991. [...] Arizona 6.6% 2015 West Virginia 7.2% 2015 Just as mass incarceration has developed primarily as a result of Minnesota 10.2% 2015 changes in policy, not crime rates, so too have declines reflected Oklahoma 14.7% 2015 changes in both policy and practice.