Don't look now, but the US prison population is growing again

According to the Department of Justice, after the US prison population declined for four straight years from 2009 to 2012, it started growing again in 2013.

The new DOJ report (compiled by the Bureau of Justice Statistics) shows that 1,574,741 people were incarcerated in state and federal prison in 2013. That's up from 1,570,397 in 2012 — which is an increase of just .3 percent. But after four straight years of decline — and a growing consensus that America needs to reduce its dependence on mass incarceration — what's noteworthy is that it's increasing at all.

The decline over the last four years was led by state prisons — not federal ones. Now, it's state prisons that are driving the increase:

States incarcerate the overwhelming majority of US prisoners (there were over six times more people in state prisons than federal ones in 2013). And states have been the ones driving the reduction in the national prison population over the last several years, as they've taken steps to reduce overcrowding, and reformed mandatory minimums and other harsh sentencing policies that require offenders to spend years and years in prison.

The state prison population started declining in 2009 — driving the total prison population to drop as well. Federal prison lagged a little behind: this new report is actually the first one to show that the federal prison population is dropping (though it's still higher in 2013 than it was in 2010). But it appears that as federal prison has caught up to the prison-reform trend, states have backed off.

Contributions are a key part of the future of Vox

Readers rely on Vox for clear, nuanced coverage that not only illuminates the issues, but poses solutions, too. And we rely on help from our readers: Advertising and grants cover the majority of our costs, but we count on contributions to help us close the gaps in our budget. In fact, we’re looking to reach 95,000 individual contributions before the end of the year. Will you make the next contribution right now? Our average gift is just $20 — and it goes a long way in helping us keep our work free. Vox is here to help everyone understand what’s shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. Join that mission by making a contribution today.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$5/month

$10/month

$25/month

$50/month

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $5/month

Yes, I'll give $5/month

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via