State Prison Populations – IRP Poverty Dispatch

Report finds states holding fewer prisoners, By John Schwartz, March 16, 2010, New York Times: “State prison populations, which have grown for nearly four decades, have begun to dip, according to a new report, largely because of recent efforts to keep parolees out of prison and reduce prison time for nonviolent offenders. State prisons held 1,403,091 people as of Jan. 1, nearly four-tenths of a percent fewer than a year before, the report said. Prison populations have fallen in 27 states in that period, while they have risen in 23…”
State prison population drops for 1st time since 1972; report suggests budget woes responsible, By David Crary (AP), March 17, 2010, Los Angeles Times: “Spurred by budget crises, California and Michigan together reduced their prison populations by more than 7,500 last year, contributing to what a new report says is the first nationwide decline in the number of state inmates since 1972. The overall drop was slight, according to the Pew Center on the States – just 0.4 percent – but its report suggests there could be a sustained downward trend because of keen interest by state policymakers in curtailing corrections costs…”