3.      Incarceration Rate

Definition:  This indicator represents the number of prisoners in state prisons per 100,000 population at the end of the calendar year. The count of total state prisoners covers only those who are in a state confinement facility and are sentenced to a year or longer. The data exclude persons who are being held for short periods in local jails. It also does not include federal incarcerations. Some states classify 16 and 17 year-olds as adult offenders. The data presented below include these individuals. South Carolina defines adult offenders as 17 and older.

Significance: The incarceration rate illustrates the demand on a state’s correctional facilities. This is affected by a state’s crime rate, arrest rate, and the judicial system’s sentencing philosophy.   

Historical/Trend Analysis, Incarceration Rate

Data reflect South Carolina (SC) average, United States (US) average, and Southeast (SE)  average.  The southeast region consists of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Source:  United States Department of Justice

To learn more about South Carolina’s average daily inmate population, visit:

South Carolina Department of Corrections

Selected State Rankings, 2009, (“1” represents state with highest incarceration rate)

Rev. 04.13.2011