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 2018, at 152 per 100,000 people. Massachusetts had the lowest, at 10 per 100,000 people. The median was 54 per 100,000 people and the figure for the United States was 63 per 100,000 people. Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics.

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Highest152Oklahoma
Lowest10Massachusetts
Median5450 states
United States63History

Map of states, 2018

Alabama: 54 per 100,000 peopleAlaska: 25 per 100,000 peopleArizona: 106 per 100,000 peopleArkansas: 91 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia: 29 per 100,000 peopleColorado: 71 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut: 26 per 100,000 peopleDelaware: 38 per 100,000 peopleFlorida: 62 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia: 71 per 100,000 peopleHawaii: 42 per 100,000 peopleIdaho: 123 per 100,000 peopleIllinois: 36 per 100,000 peopleIndiana: 75 per 100,000 peopleIowa: 53 per 100,000 peopleKansas: 59 per 100,000 peopleKentucky: 135 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana: 73 per 100,000 peopleMaine: 24 per 100,000 peopleMaryland: 26 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts: 10 per 100,000 peopleMichigan: 41 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota: 25 per 100,000 peopleMississippi: 82 per 100,000 peopleMissouri: 100 per 100,000 peopleMontana: 85 per 100,000 peopleNebraska: 43 per 100,000 peopleNevada: 85 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire: 34 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey: 17 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico: 71 per 100,000 peopleNew York: 21 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina: 47 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota: 51 per 100,000 peopleOhio: 72 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma: 152 per 100,000 peopleOregon: 59 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania: 44 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island: 11 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina: 48 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota: 130 per 100,000 peopleTennessee: 77 per 100,000 peopleTexas: 91 per 100,000 peopleUtah: 36 per 100,000 peopleVermont: 30 per 100,000 peopleVirginia: 70 per 100,000 peopleWashington: 45 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia: 87 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin: 52 per 100,000 peopleWyoming: 118 per 100,000 people
  • Under 27
  • 27 to 43
  • 43 to 54
  • 54 to 72
  • 72 to 90
  • 90 and over
  • No data
per 100,000 people, 2018. 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, 2018

Oklahoma: 152 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma152Kentucky: 135 per 100,000 peopleKentucky135South Dakota: 130 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota130Idaho: 123 per 100,000 peopleIdaho123Wyoming: 118 per 100,000 peopleWyoming118Arizona: 106 per 100,000 peopleArizona106Missouri: 100 per 100,000 peopleMissouri100Arkansas: 91 per 100,000 peopleArkansas91Texas: 91 per 100,000 peopleTexas91West Virginia: 87 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia87Nevada: 85 per 100,000 peopleNevada85Montana: 85 per 100,000 peopleMontana85Mississippi: 82 per 100,000 peopleMississippi82Tennessee: 77 per 100,000 peopleTennessee77Indiana: 75 per 100,000 peopleIndiana75Louisiana: 73 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana73Ohio: 72 per 100,000 peopleOhio72Georgia: 71 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia71Colorado: 71 per 100,000 peopleColorado71New Mexico: 71 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico71Virginia: 70 per 100,000 peopleVirginia70Florida: 62 per 100,000 peopleFlorida62Kansas: 59 per 100,000 peopleKansas59Oregon: 59 per 100,000 peopleOregon59Alabama: 54 per 100,000 peopleAlabama54Iowa: 53 per 100,000 peopleIowa53Wisconsin: 52 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin52North Dakota: 51 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota51South Carolina: 48 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina48North Carolina: 47 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina47Washington: 45 per 100,000 peopleWashington45Pennsylvania: 44 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania44Nebraska: 43 per 100,000 peopleNebraska43Hawaii: 42 per 100,000 peopleHawaii42Michigan: 41 per 100,000 peopleMichigan41Delaware: 38 per 100,000 peopleDelaware38Utah: 36 per 100,000 peopleUtah36Illinois: 36 per 100,000 peopleIllinois36New Hampshire: 34 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire34Vermont: 30 per 100,000 peopleVermont30California: 29 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia29Connecticut: 26 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut26Maryland: 26 per 100,000 peopleMaryland26Alaska: 25 per 100,000 peopleAlaska25Minnesota: 25 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota25Maine: 24 per 100,000 peopleMaine24New York: 21 per 100,000 peopleNew York21New Jersey: 17 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey17Rhode Island: 11 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island11Massachusetts: 10 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts10Oklahoma: 152 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma152Kentucky: 135 per 100,000 peopleKentucky135South Dakota: 130 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota130Idaho: 123 per 100,000 peopleIdaho123Wyoming: 118 per 100,000 peopleWyoming118Arizona: 106 per 100,000 peopleArizona106Missouri: 100 per 100,000 peopleMissouri100Arkansas: 91 per 100,000 peopleArkansas91Texas: 91 per 100,000 peopleTexas91West Virginia: 87 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia87Nevada: 85 per 100,000 peopleNevada85Montana: 85 per 100,000 peopleMontana85Mississippi: 82 per 100,000 peopleMississippi82Tennessee: 77 per 100,000 peopleTennessee77Indiana: 75 per 100,000 peopleIndiana75Louisiana: 73 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana73Ohio: 72 per 100,000 peopleOhio72Georgia: 71 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia71Colorado: 71 per 100,000 peopleColorado71New Mexico: 71 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico71Virginia: 70 per 100,000 peopleVirginia70Florida: 62 per 100,000 peopleFlorida62Kansas: 59 per 100,000 peopleKansas59Oregon: 59 per 100,000 peopleOregon59Alabama: 54 per 100,000 peopleAlabama54Iowa: 53 per 100,000 peopleIowa53Wisconsin: 52 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin52North Dakota: 51 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota51South Carolina: 48 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina48North Carolina: 47 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina47Washington: 45 per 100,000 peopleWashington45Pennsylvania: 44 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania44Nebraska: 43 per 100,000 peopleNebraska43Hawaii: 42 per 100,000 peopleHawaii42Michigan: 41 per 100,000 peopleMichigan41Delaware: 38 per 100,000 peopleDelaware38Utah: 36 per 100,000 peopleUtah36Illinois: 36 per 100,000 peopleIllinois36New Hampshire: 34 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire34Vermont: 30 per 100,000 peopleVermont30California: 29 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia29Connecticut: 26 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut26Maryland: 26 per 100,000 peopleMaryland26Alaska: 25 per 100,000 peopleAlaska25Minnesota: 25 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota25Maine: 24 per 100,000 peopleMaine24New York: 21 per 100,000 peopleNew York21New Jersey: 17 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey17Rhode Island: 11 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island11Massachusetts: 10 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts10
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

RankStates2018
per 100,000 people		Change on 2017
1Oklahoma152-5.1 pts
2Kentucky135+1.2 pts
3South Dakota130+7.2 pts
4Idaho123+9 pts
5Wyoming118+15.4 pts
6Arizona106+2.5 pts
7Missouri100-9.3 pts
8Arkansas91-0.8 pts
9Texas91+1.6 pts
10West Virginia87-2.9 pts
11Nevada85-0.6 pts
12Montana85+5.3 pts
13Mississippi82-1.4 pts
14Tennessee77-10.3 pts
15Indiana75+4 pts
16Louisiana73-8.7 pts
17Ohio72-2.5 pts
18Georgia71+1.1 pts
19Colorado71+3.6 pts
20New Mexico71-1.5 pts
21Virginia70-2.9 pts
22Florida62-0.7 pts
23Kansas59+1.8 pts
24Oregon59-4.3 pts
25Alabama54-15.3 pts
26Iowa53+2.1 pts
27Wisconsin52-1.1 pts
28North Dakota51-2.4 pts
29South Carolina48-1.8 pts
30North Carolina47-2.2 pts
31Washington45-1.1 pts
32Pennsylvania44+1.2 pts
33Nebraska43-0.9 pts
34Hawaii42+4.3 pts
35Michigan41-1.4 pts
36Delaware38+0.7 pts
37Utah36+4.7 pts
38Illinois36+1 pts
39New Hampshire34+0.7 pts
40Vermont30-2.8 pts
41California29-0.4 pts
42Connecticut26-0.1 pts
43Maryland26-0.7 pts
44Alaska25+3 pts
45Minnesota25-1.4 pts
46Maine24+1.4 pts
47New York21-1.7 pts
48New Jersey17-0.1 pts
49Rhode Island11-1.9 pts
50Massachusetts10-0.5 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 2018 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), 2018) [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), 2018. 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=2018. 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), 2018. 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=2018.

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), 2018 [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=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_us_states_by_female_2018,
  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), 2018}},
  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=2018. 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), 2018
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=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/female-imprisonment-rate/us-states?period=2018.
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 152 per 100,000 people in 2018, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics.

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

Massachusetts, with 10 per 100,000 people in 2018.

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 2018 and are not ranked.

US states: more rankings