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

US states by male imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners)

Louisiana had the highest male imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) of 50 states in 2015, at 1,500 per 100,000 people. Maine had the lowest, at 249 per 100,000 people. The median was 692 per 100,000 people and the figure for the United States was 865 per 100,000 people. Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics.

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Highest1,500Louisiana
Lowest249Maine
Median69250 states
United States865History

Map of states, 2015

Alabama: 1,161 per 100,000 peopleAlaska: 539 per 100,000 peopleArizona: 1,092 per 100,000 peopleArkansas: 1,110 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia: 635 per 100,000 peopleColorado: 659 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut: 609 per 100,000 peopleDelaware: 863 per 100,000 peopleFlorida: 946 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia: 963 per 100,000 peopleHawaii: 476 per 100,000 peopleIdaho: 757 per 100,000 peopleIllinois: 691 per 100,000 peopleIndiana: 760 per 100,000 peopleIowa: 515 per 100,000 peopleKansas: 608 per 100,000 peopleKentucky: 875 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana: 1,500 per 100,000 peopleMaine: 249 per 100,000 peopleMaryland: 672 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts: 336 per 100,000 peopleMichigan: 827 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota: 366 per 100,000 peopleMississippi: 1,175 per 100,000 peopleMissouri: 973 per 100,000 peopleMontana: 631 per 100,000 peopleNebraska: 517 per 100,000 peopleNevada: 806 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire: 403 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey: 449 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico: 611 per 100,000 peopleNew York: 514 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina: 673 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota: 406 per 100,000 peopleOhio: 840 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma: 1,295 per 100,000 peopleOregon: 693 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania: 748 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island: 408 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina: 799 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota: 724 per 100,000 peopleTennessee: 791 per 100,000 peopleTexas: 1,053 per 100,000 peopleUtah: 393 per 100,000 peopleVermont: 391 per 100,000 peopleVirginia: 852 per 100,000 peopleWashington: 464 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia: 688 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin: 712 per 100,000 peopleWyoming: 721 per 100,000 people
  • Under 450
  • 450 to 610
  • 610 to 690
  • 690 to 800
  • 800 to 960
  • 960 and over
  • No data
per 100,000 people, 2015. Hatched areas have no value for this period. Source: BJS, National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced male prisoners per 100,000 male U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2015

Louisiana: 1,500 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana1,500Oklahoma: 1,295 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma1,295Mississippi: 1,175 per 100,000 peopleMississippi1,175Alabama: 1,161 per 100,000 peopleAlabama1,161Arkansas: 1,110 per 100,000 peopleArkansas1,110Arizona: 1,092 per 100,000 peopleArizona1,092Texas: 1,053 per 100,000 peopleTexas1,053Missouri: 973 per 100,000 peopleMissouri973Georgia: 963 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia963Florida: 946 per 100,000 peopleFlorida946Kentucky: 875 per 100,000 peopleKentucky875Delaware: 863 per 100,000 peopleDelaware863Virginia: 852 per 100,000 peopleVirginia852Ohio: 840 per 100,000 peopleOhio840Michigan: 827 per 100,000 peopleMichigan827Nevada: 806 per 100,000 peopleNevada806South Carolina: 799 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina799Tennessee: 791 per 100,000 peopleTennessee791Indiana: 760 per 100,000 peopleIndiana760Idaho: 757 per 100,000 peopleIdaho757Pennsylvania: 748 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania748South Dakota: 724 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota724Wyoming: 721 per 100,000 peopleWyoming721Wisconsin: 712 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin712Oregon: 693 per 100,000 peopleOregon693Illinois: 691 per 100,000 peopleIllinois691West Virginia: 688 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia688North Carolina: 673 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina673Maryland: 672 per 100,000 peopleMaryland672Colorado: 659 per 100,000 peopleColorado659California: 635 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia635Montana: 631 per 100,000 peopleMontana631New Mexico: 611 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico611Connecticut: 609 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut609Kansas: 608 per 100,000 peopleKansas608Alaska: 539 per 100,000 peopleAlaska539Nebraska: 517 per 100,000 peopleNebraska517Iowa: 515 per 100,000 peopleIowa515New York: 514 per 100,000 peopleNew York514Hawaii: 476 per 100,000 peopleHawaii476Washington: 464 per 100,000 peopleWashington464New Jersey: 449 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey449Rhode Island: 408 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island408North Dakota: 406 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota406New Hampshire: 403 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire403Utah: 393 per 100,000 peopleUtah393Vermont: 391 per 100,000 peopleVermont391Minnesota: 366 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota366Massachusetts: 336 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts336Maine: 249 per 100,000 peopleMaine249Louisiana: 1,500 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana1,500Oklahoma: 1,295 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma1,295Mississippi: 1,175 per 100,000 peopleMississippi1,175Alabama: 1,161 per 100,000 peopleAlabama1,161Arkansas: 1,110 per 100,000 peopleArkansas1,110Arizona: 1,092 per 100,000 peopleArizona1,092Texas: 1,053 per 100,000 peopleTexas1,053Missouri: 973 per 100,000 peopleMissouri973Georgia: 963 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia963Florida: 946 per 100,000 peopleFlorida946Kentucky: 875 per 100,000 peopleKentucky875Delaware: 863 per 100,000 peopleDelaware863Virginia: 852 per 100,000 peopleVirginia852Ohio: 840 per 100,000 peopleOhio840Michigan: 827 per 100,000 peopleMichigan827Nevada: 806 per 100,000 peopleNevada806South Carolina: 799 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina799Tennessee: 791 per 100,000 peopleTennessee791Indiana: 760 per 100,000 peopleIndiana760Idaho: 757 per 100,000 peopleIdaho757Pennsylvania: 748 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania748South Dakota: 724 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota724Wyoming: 721 per 100,000 peopleWyoming721Wisconsin: 712 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin712Oregon: 693 per 100,000 peopleOregon693Illinois: 691 per 100,000 peopleIllinois691West Virginia: 688 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia688North Carolina: 673 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina673Maryland: 672 per 100,000 peopleMaryland672Colorado: 659 per 100,000 peopleColorado659California: 635 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia635Montana: 631 per 100,000 peopleMontana631New Mexico: 611 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico611Connecticut: 609 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut609Kansas: 608 per 100,000 peopleKansas608Alaska: 539 per 100,000 peopleAlaska539Nebraska: 517 per 100,000 peopleNebraska517Iowa: 515 per 100,000 peopleIowa515New York: 514 per 100,000 peopleNew York514Hawaii: 476 per 100,000 peopleHawaii476Washington: 464 per 100,000 peopleWashington464New Jersey: 449 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey449Rhode Island: 408 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island408North Dakota: 406 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota406New Hampshire: 403 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire403Utah: 393 per 100,000 peopleUtah393Vermont: 391 per 100,000 peopleVermont391Minnesota: 366 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota366Massachusetts: 336 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts336Maine: 249 per 100,000 peopleMaine249
per 100,000 people. Source: BJS, National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced male prisoners per 100,000 male U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2015
per 100,000 people		Change on 2014
1Louisiana1,500-77.2 pts
2Oklahoma1,295+27.3 pts
3Mississippi1,175+27.6 pts
4Alabama1,161-43.6 pts
5Arkansas1,110-14.5 pts
6Arizona1,092+5.3 pts
7Texas1,053-26.3 pts
8Missouri973+5.6 pts
9Georgia963-25.7 pts
10Florida946-26.9 pts
11Kentucky875+23 pts
12Delaware863+1.6 pts
13Virginia852+12.6 pts
14Ohio840+8 pts
15Michigan827-18.8 pts
16Nevada806+18.8 pts
17South Carolina799-27.2 pts
18Tennessee791-25.3 pts
19Indiana760-50.5 pts
20Idaho757-94.2 pts
21Pennsylvania748-14.4 pts
22South Dakota724-18 pts
23Wyoming721+15.1 pts
24Wisconsin712+10.2 pts
25Oregon693-3.6 pts
26Illinois691-26.6 pts
27West Virginia688+25 pts
28North Carolina673-11.3 pts
29Maryland672-11.5 pts
30Colorado659-30.4 pts
31California635-32.8 pts
32Montana631-9.3 pts
33New Mexico611+11.7 pts
34Connecticut609-24 pts
35Kansas608-0.8 pts
36Alaska539+44.4 pts
37Nebraska517-5.6 pts
38Iowa515-5.1 pts
39New York514-7.7 pts
40Hawaii476+12 pts
41Washington464-2.5 pts
42New Jersey449-22.2 pts
43Rhode Island408+54.2 pts
44North Dakota406+36.9 pts
45New Hampshire403-3.1 pts
46Utah393-33.1 pts
47Vermont391-63.5 pts
48Minnesota366+2.5 pts
49Massachusetts336-36.4 pts
50Maine249-41 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Sentenced male prisoners (sentence of more than 1 year) under the jurisdiction of state or federal correctional authorities on December 31, per 100,000 male 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 2015 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 male prisoners per 100,000 male 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 male prisoners per 100,000 male U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables) (US states by male imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), 2015) [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 male prisoners per 100,000 male U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables), US states by male imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), 2015. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 20 Feb. 2026, https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/male-imprisonment-rate/us-states?period=2015. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Bureau of Justice Statistics. 2026. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced male prisoners per 100,000 male U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). US states by male imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), 2015. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/male-imprisonment-rate/us-states?period=2015.

Harvard

Bureau of Justice Statistics (2026) National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced male prisoners per 100,000 male U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables), US states by male imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/male-imprisonment-rate/us-states?period=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_us_states_by_male_2015,
  author = {{Bureau of Justice Statistics}},
  title = {{National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced male prisoners per 100,000 male U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables): US states by male imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), 2015}},
  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/male-imprisonment-rate/us-states?period=2015. Publisher attribution: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced male prisoners per 100,000 male 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 male prisoners per 100,000 male U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables): US states by male imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), 2015
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/male-imprisonment-rate/us-states?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/male-imprisonment-rate/us-states?period=2015.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced male prisoners per 100,000 male 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 male imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners)?

Louisiana, with 1,500 per 100,000 people in 2015, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics.

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

Maine, with 249 per 100,000 people in 2015.

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 male prisoners per 100,000 male U.S. residents (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). Retrieved 2026-10-12. 1 states have no value for 2015 and are not ranked.

US states: more rankings