• One in 28 adults in Pennsylvania was under correctional control at the end of 2007.
• Nationwide, 1 in 100 adults were behind bars in 2008, a growth from 1 in 138 from 2004.
As of June 2009, Pennsylvania’s state prison population was 117% over capacity with
over 50,000 inmates at an average cost of almost $100 for each per day.
• n Pennsylvania, we have 27 state prisons. Thirty years ago, we only had eight. From
1997 to 2007, the number of incarcerated inmates has increased 31.6%.
• There are over 14,000 inmates in Pennsylvania’s 15 federal correctional facilities.
• Sixty-three of the 67 Pennsylvania counties have jails combined holding in excess of
35,000 inmates on any given day.
• The U.S. has 5% of the world population but 25% of the world’s incarcerated population,
more than any other country.
• Pennsylvania citizens must annually pay out about $36,000 for each state prisoner and
about $20,000 for those in county jails. Prisoners who are 65 or older cost between
$65.000 and $100,000 per year for medical care.
•
More than half of the state prison inmates are classified with “non-violent “offenses who
could be diverted to less costly treatment programs that are more effective in reducing
crime.
• More than half of Pennsylvania’s prisoners have children. Children with parents in prison
have a seven times greater chance of being incarcerated.
• Estimates shows 70 to 80% of prisoners have a drug or alcohol addiction. Twenty to 25%
of inmates have some form of mental illness.
• Education is a key component to reducing crime and recidivism. However, state surveys
report 40.5% of inmates have not completed 12th grade.
• In 2007, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections released 16,832 inmates from state
prisons. Approximately 19% of these inmates were released at their maximum sentence
date with no supervision during re-entry. Based on recent trends, roughly two out of three
will be re-incarcerated within three years.
• If an offender is under state parole and violates a condition, he will be sanctioned, sent
to a treatment program or have his parole revoked and re-incarcerated. In 2008, 95% of
parolees were not convicted of a crime. As of the end of 2008, 73% of those on parole
that could work were employed. The rate for successful parole completion was 54% as of
2007/08.
Courtesy of Justice & Mercy Inc.
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