Data / Rankings / Female imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) / US states

US states by female imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners)

Oklahoma had the highest female imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) of 50 states in 2016, at 171 per 100,000 people. Rhode Island had the lowest, at 12 per 100,000 people. The median was 56 per 100,000 people and the figure for the United States was 64 per 100,000 people. Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics.

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Highest171Oklahoma
Lowest12Rhode Island
Median5650 states
United States64History

Map of states, 2016

Alabama: 88 per 100,000 peopleAlaska: 30 per 100,000 peopleArizona: 106 per 100,000 peopleArkansas: 90 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia: 29 per 100,000 peopleColorado: 69 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut: 31 per 100,000 peopleDelaware: 41 per 100,000 peopleFlorida: 64 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia: 70 per 100,000 peopleHawaii: 50 per 100,000 peopleIdaho: 113 per 100,000 peopleIllinois: 40 per 100,000 peopleIndiana: 65 per 100,000 peopleIowa: 52 per 100,000 peopleKansas: 55 per 100,000 peopleKentucky: 130 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana: 83 per 100,000 peopleMaine: 22 per 100,000 peopleMaryland: 26 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts: 13 per 100,000 peopleMichigan: 44 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota: 28 per 100,000 peopleMississippi: 82 per 100,000 peopleMissouri: 107 per 100,000 peopleMontana: 79 per 100,000 peopleNebraska: 43 per 100,000 peopleNevada: 83 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire: 34 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey: 18 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico: 66 per 100,000 peopleNew York: 22 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina: 48 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota: 57 per 100,000 peopleOhio: 77 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma: 171 per 100,000 peopleOregon: 63 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania: 43 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island: 12 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina: 54 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota: 116 per 100,000 peopleTennessee: 79 per 100,000 peopleTexas: 92 per 100,000 peopleUtah: 27 per 100,000 peopleVermont: 26 per 100,000 peopleVirginia: 72 per 100,000 peopleWashington: 45 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia: 95 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin: 48 per 100,000 peopleWyoming: 100 per 100,000 people
  • Under 28
  • 28 to 43
  • 43 to 56
  • 56 to 76
  • 76 to 91
  • 91 and over
  • No data
per 100,000 people, 2016. Hatched areas have no value for this period. Source: BJS, National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced female prisoners per 100,000 female U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2016

Oklahoma: 171 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma171Kentucky: 130 per 100,000 peopleKentucky130South Dakota: 116 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota116Idaho: 113 per 100,000 peopleIdaho113Missouri: 107 per 100,000 peopleMissouri107Arizona: 106 per 100,000 peopleArizona106Wyoming: 100 per 100,000 peopleWyoming100West Virginia: 95 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia95Texas: 92 per 100,000 peopleTexas92Arkansas: 90 per 100,000 peopleArkansas90Alabama: 88 per 100,000 peopleAlabama88Nevada: 83 per 100,000 peopleNevada83Louisiana: 83 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana83Mississippi: 82 per 100,000 peopleMississippi82Tennessee: 79 per 100,000 peopleTennessee79Montana: 79 per 100,000 peopleMontana79Ohio: 77 per 100,000 peopleOhio77Virginia: 72 per 100,000 peopleVirginia72Georgia: 70 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia70Colorado: 69 per 100,000 peopleColorado69New Mexico: 66 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico66Indiana: 65 per 100,000 peopleIndiana65Florida: 64 per 100,000 peopleFlorida64Oregon: 63 per 100,000 peopleOregon63North Dakota: 57 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota57Kansas: 55 per 100,000 peopleKansas55South Carolina: 54 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina54Iowa: 52 per 100,000 peopleIowa52Hawaii: 50 per 100,000 peopleHawaii50Wisconsin: 48 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin48North Carolina: 48 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina48Washington: 45 per 100,000 peopleWashington45Michigan: 44 per 100,000 peopleMichigan44Pennsylvania: 43 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania43Nebraska: 43 per 100,000 peopleNebraska43Delaware: 41 per 100,000 peopleDelaware41Illinois: 40 per 100,000 peopleIllinois40New Hampshire: 34 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire34Connecticut: 31 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut31Alaska: 30 per 100,000 peopleAlaska30California: 29 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia29Minnesota: 28 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota28Utah: 27 per 100,000 peopleUtah27Vermont: 26 per 100,000 peopleVermont26Maryland: 26 per 100,000 peopleMaryland26Maine: 22 per 100,000 peopleMaine22New York: 22 per 100,000 peopleNew York22New Jersey: 18 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey18Massachusetts: 13 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts13Rhode Island: 12 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island12Oklahoma: 171 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma171Kentucky: 130 per 100,000 peopleKentucky130South Dakota: 116 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota116Idaho: 113 per 100,000 peopleIdaho113Missouri: 107 per 100,000 peopleMissouri107Arizona: 106 per 100,000 peopleArizona106Wyoming: 100 per 100,000 peopleWyoming100West Virginia: 95 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia95Texas: 92 per 100,000 peopleTexas92Arkansas: 90 per 100,000 peopleArkansas90Alabama: 88 per 100,000 peopleAlabama88Nevada: 83 per 100,000 peopleNevada83Louisiana: 83 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana83Mississippi: 82 per 100,000 peopleMississippi82Tennessee: 79 per 100,000 peopleTennessee79Montana: 79 per 100,000 peopleMontana79Ohio: 77 per 100,000 peopleOhio77Virginia: 72 per 100,000 peopleVirginia72Georgia: 70 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia70Colorado: 69 per 100,000 peopleColorado69New Mexico: 66 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico66Indiana: 65 per 100,000 peopleIndiana65Florida: 64 per 100,000 peopleFlorida64Oregon: 63 per 100,000 peopleOregon63North Dakota: 57 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota57Kansas: 55 per 100,000 peopleKansas55South Carolina: 54 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina54Iowa: 52 per 100,000 peopleIowa52Hawaii: 50 per 100,000 peopleHawaii50Wisconsin: 48 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin48North Carolina: 48 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina48Washington: 45 per 100,000 peopleWashington45Michigan: 44 per 100,000 peopleMichigan44Pennsylvania: 43 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania43Nebraska: 43 per 100,000 peopleNebraska43Delaware: 41 per 100,000 peopleDelaware41Illinois: 40 per 100,000 peopleIllinois40New Hampshire: 34 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire34Connecticut: 31 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut31Alaska: 30 per 100,000 peopleAlaska30California: 29 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia29Minnesota: 28 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota28Utah: 27 per 100,000 peopleUtah27Vermont: 26 per 100,000 peopleVermont26Maryland: 26 per 100,000 peopleMaryland26Maine: 22 per 100,000 peopleMaine22New York: 22 per 100,000 peopleNew York22New Jersey: 18 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey18Massachusetts: 13 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts13Rhode Island: 12 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island12
per 100,000 people. Source: BJS, National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced female prisoners per 100,000 female U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2016
per 100,000 people		Change on 2015
1Oklahoma171+19.3 pts
2Kentucky130+15.3 pts
3South Dakota116+19 pts
4Idaho113+1.7 pts
5Missouri107+1.9 pts
6Arizona106+1 pts
7Wyoming100+7.2 pts
8West Virginia95+1.9 pts
9Texas92+0.2 pts
10Arkansas90-1.9 pts
11Alabama88-9.3 pts
12Nevada83+3.1 pts
13Louisiana83-2.9 pts
14Mississippi82+4.3 pts
15Tennessee79+1.7 pts
16Montana79+3.2 pts
17Ohio77+2.6 pts
18Virginia72-3.4 pts
19Georgia70+2.3 pts
20Colorado69+1.2 pts
21New Mexico66+0.1 pts
22Indiana65-10.2 pts
23Florida64-2 pts
24Oregon63-1 pts
25North Dakota57+1.5 pts
26Kansas55+1.3 pts
27South Carolina54+4.3 pts
28Iowa52+0.9 pts
29Hawaii50+0.3 pts
30Wisconsin48+2.5 pts
31North Carolina48-0.3 pts
32Washington45+4.6 pts
33Michigan44-0.7 pts
34Pennsylvania43+0.9 pts
35Nebraska43-1.2 pts
36Delaware41-5.3 pts
37Illinois40-0.9 pts
38New Hampshire34-1.5 pts
39Connecticut31-0.9 pts
40Alaska30-19.3 pts
41California29+0.2 pts
42Minnesota28-0.1 pts
43Utah27-7.7 pts
44Vermont26+0.1 pts
45Maryland26-2 pts
46Maine22+3 pts
47New York22-0.8 pts
48New Jersey18-1.7 pts
49Massachusetts13-2.1 pts
50Rhode Island12+1.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Sentenced female prisoners (sentence of more than 1 year) under the jurisdiction of state or federal correctional authorities on December 31, per 100,000 female residents. 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.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. 1 states with data in other periods have no value for 2016 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced female prisoners per 100,000 female U.S. residents (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 female prisoners per 100,000 female U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables) (US states by female imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), 2016) [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 female prisoners per 100,000 female U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables), US states by female imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), 2016. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 20 Feb. 2026, https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/female-imprisonment-rate/us-states?period=2016. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Bureau of Justice Statistics. 2026. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced female prisoners per 100,000 female U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). US states by female imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), 2016. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/female-imprisonment-rate/us-states?period=2016.

Harvard

Bureau of Justice Statistics (2026) National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced female prisoners per 100,000 female U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables), US states by female imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), 2016 [Dataset]. Available at: https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/female-imprisonment-rate/us-states?period=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_us_states_by_female_2016,
  author = {{Bureau of Justice Statistics}},
  title = {{National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced female prisoners per 100,000 female U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables): US states by female imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), 2016}},
  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/rankings/female-imprisonment-rate/us-states?period=2016. Publisher attribution: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced female prisoners per 100,000 female U.S. residents (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 female prisoners per 100,000 female U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables): US states by female imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), 2016
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/rankings/female-imprisonment-rate/us-states?period=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/female-imprisonment-rate/us-states?period=2016.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced female prisoners per 100,000 female U.S. residents (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

Which state has the highest female imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners)?

Oklahoma, with 171 per 100,000 people in 2016, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Which state has the lowest female imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners)?

Rhode Island, with 12 per 100,000 people in 2016.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced female prisoners per 100,000 female U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). Retrieved 2026-10-12. 1 states have no value for 2016 and are not ranked.

US states: more rankings