Black, Hispanic, and AIAN people and men are overrepresented in U.S. prisons: Racial shares of U.S. overall and prison populations
| White | Black | Hispanic | AIAN | AAPI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of U.S. population | 60.9% | 12.2% | 19.1% | 1.0% | 5.9% |
| Share of U.S. federal/state prison population | 31.0% | 32.4% | 23.1% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
Note: Data include sentenced prisoners under the jurisdiction of state or federal correctional authorities. BJS data from 2022 do not include people incarcerated in state jails. State jail data are collected and released less frequently than state and federal prison data.
Racial demographics are for one race only. The "share of US federal/state prison population" column does not sum to 100% because the Federal Bureau of Prisons does not separate persons of two or more races or other races from the individual race categories when reporting to the National Prisoner Statistics.
Source: Population shares by race are from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS). ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates: 2022 1-year Estimates Data Profiles (Table DP05). Accessed January 13, 2025. Federal and state prison population shares are from Carson, Ann E. and Rich Kluckow. 2023. Prisoners in 2022—Statistical Tables (Table 3). Bureau of Justice Statistics, November 2023.
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