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PA PRISON FACTS
- 1 in 138 U.S. citizens were in prison or jail as
of mid 2004 and growing at a rate of 1,000 inmates per week.
In 2006, Pennsylvania’s inmate population, just in the state prison
system, was over 45,000 inmates. This is an increase of more than
20% of the population of 36,000 inmates in 2000.
- In Pennsylvania, we have 26 state prisons.
Twenty-five years ago there were only eight.
- Pa.’s inmate population has grown by more than
1000 inmates per year for the last three years and will soon exceed
44,000 in state prison or 1 of out 273 Pennsylvanians in state
prisons. That rate doesn’t include the federal prisons and county
jails.
- There are over 12,700 inmates in Pennsylvania'
nine federal prisons.
- Sixty three of the 67 Pennsylvania counties have
prisons holding in excess of a total of 30,000 inmates on any given
day.
- The U. S. has 5% of the world's population but 25%
of the world's incarcerated population, more than any other country.
- Pennsylvania citizens must annually pay out about
$40,000 for each state prisoner and about $18,000 for those in
county prisons. 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 show 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 2006, the Pennsylvania Department of
Corrections released 16,087 inmates from state prisons.
Approximately 19% of these inmates were released at their maximum
sentence dates with no supervision during re-entry. Based on recent
trends, approximately two out of three will be reincarcarated within
three years.
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