Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) in Massachusetts

Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) in Massachusetts was 96 per 100,000 people in 2023, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics. That is up 2 pts from 2022. That is the 50th highest of 50 states in 2023.

2023, per 100,000 people96
Change on 2022+2 pts
Rank50th of 50US states ranked
Series high2052011
Series low481978

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Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) in Massachusetts, 1978 to 2023

05010015020025019781985199219992006201320231978: 48 per 100,000 people1979: 50 per 100,000 people1980: 55 per 100,000 people1981: 66 per 100,000 people1982: 73 per 100,000 people1983: 75 per 100,000 people1984: 81 per 100,000 people1985: 88 per 100,000 people1986: 91 per 100,000 people1987: 101 per 100,000 people1988: 108 per 100,000 people1989: 121 per 100,000 people1990: 133 per 100,000 people1991: 147 per 100,000 people1992: 160 per 100,000 people1993: 153 per 100,000 people1994: 171 per 100,000 people1995: 170 per 100,000 people1996: 176 per 100,000 people1997: 174 per 100,000 people1998: 171 per 100,000 people1999: 163 per 100,000 people2000: 149 per 100,000 people2001: 146 per 100,000 people2002: 139 per 100,000 people2003: 137 per 100,000 people2004: 135 per 100,000 people2005: 141 per 100,000 people2006: 146 per 100,000 people2007: 152 per 100,000 people2008: 155 per 100,000 people2009: 153 per 100,000 people2010: 153 per 100,000 people2011: 205 per 100,000 people2012: 199 per 100,000 people2013: 192 per 100,000 people2014: 188 per 100,000 people2015: 171 per 100,000 people2016: 156 per 100,000 people2017: 151 per 100,000 people2018: 146 per 100,000 people2019: 133 per 100,000 people2020: 101 per 100,000 people2021: 96 per 100,000 people2022: 94 per 100,000 people2023: 96 per 100,000 people05010015020025019781994201020231978: 48 per 100,000 people1979: 50 per 100,000 people1980: 55 per 100,000 people1981: 66 per 100,000 people1982: 73 per 100,000 people1983: 75 per 100,000 people1984: 81 per 100,000 people1985: 88 per 100,000 people1986: 91 per 100,000 people1987: 101 per 100,000 people1988: 108 per 100,000 people1989: 121 per 100,000 people1990: 133 per 100,000 people1991: 147 per 100,000 people1992: 160 per 100,000 people1993: 153 per 100,000 people1994: 171 per 100,000 people1995: 170 per 100,000 people1996: 176 per 100,000 people1997: 174 per 100,000 people1998: 171 per 100,000 people1999: 163 per 100,000 people2000: 149 per 100,000 people2001: 146 per 100,000 people2002: 139 per 100,000 people2003: 137 per 100,000 people2004: 135 per 100,000 people2005: 141 per 100,000 people2006: 146 per 100,000 people2007: 152 per 100,000 people2008: 155 per 100,000 people2009: 153 per 100,000 people2010: 153 per 100,000 people2011: 205 per 100,000 people2012: 199 per 100,000 people2013: 192 per 100,000 people2014: 188 per 100,000 people2015: 171 per 100,000 people2016: 156 per 100,000 people2017: 151 per 100,000 people2018: 146 per 100,000 people2019: 133 per 100,000 people2020: 101 per 100,000 people2021: 96 per 100,000 people2022: 94 per 100,000 people2023: 96 per 100,000 people
per 100,000 people. Source: BJS, National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). Retrieved 2026-10-12, published 2026-02-20.
All 46 values
Periodper 100,000 people
202396
202294
202196
2020101
2019133
2018146
2017151
2016156
2015171
2014188
2013192
2012199
2011205
2010153
2009153
2008155
2007152
2006146
2005141
2004135
2003137
2002139
2001146
2000149
1999163
1998171
1997174
1996176
1995170
1994171
1993153
1992160
1991147
1990133
1989121
1988108
1987101
198691
198588
198481
198375
198273
198166
198055
197950
197848

Compared with United States

Place2023
Massachusetts96
United States360

Rankings

Definition

Sentenced prisoners (sentence of more than 1 year) under the jurisdiction of state or federal correctional authorities on December 31, per 100,000 residents of all ages. Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics, with Census Bureau resident population estimates for January 1 of the following year.

Counts only prisoners sentenced to more than 1 year, so it differs from the prison population rate used for other countries (prison_population_rate), which counts everyone held in prison, pre-trial detainees included. Prisoners are counted by the jurisdiction with legal authority over them, wherever they are held, on December 31. The national figure adds the federal system to the states. Local jails are not included, except in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island and Vermont, which run one combined prison and jail system. Felons sentenced in the District of Columbia have been the responsibility of the Federal Bureau of Prisons since 2001, so the District has values only up to 2000.

How to cite

Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2026). National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables) (Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), Massachusetts, 1978 to 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables

MLA 9

National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables), Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), Massachusetts, 1978 to 2023. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 20 Feb. 2026, https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/imprisonment-rate/massachusetts. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Bureau of Justice Statistics. 2026. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), Massachusetts, 1978 to 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/imprisonment-rate/massachusetts.

Harvard

Bureau of Justice Statistics (2026) National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables), Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), Massachusetts, 1978 to 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/en/imprisonment-rate/massachusetts (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_imprisonment_rate_sentenced_prisoners_2023,
  author = {{Bureau of Justice Statistics}},
  title = {{National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables): Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), Massachusetts, 1978 to 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/imprisonment-rate/massachusetts. Publisher attribution: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Bureau of Justice Statistics
TI  - National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables): Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), Massachusetts, 1978 to 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/02/20
PB  - Bureau of Justice Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables
L2  - https://invokely.ai/en/imprisonment-rate/massachusetts
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/imprisonment-rate/massachusetts.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

What is the imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) in Massachusetts?

Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) in Massachusetts was 96 per 100,000 people in 2023, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics. That is up 2 pts from 2022. That is the 50th highest of 50 states in 2023.

Where does this figure come from?

Bureau of Justice Statistics. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). Retrieved by Invokely on 2026-10-12.

What was the highest imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) in Massachusetts?

205 per 100,000 people in 2011, the highest value since 1978 in this series.

Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) elsewhere in United States

Related statistics for Massachusetts

All statistics for Massachusetts | Massachusetts in figures