NCJ Number
238734
Date Published
November 2011
Length
48 pages
Annotation
This report from the Iowa Department of Human Rights, Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning, presents data on the State's prison population forecast for fiscal year (FY) 2011-2012.
Abstract
Short-term projections on Iowa's prison population indicate that the State's prison population is expected to rise slightly between the end of FY 2011 and FY 2012; women's facilities are expected to hold about 115 more inmates than capacity while men's facilities are expected to hold about 1,500 more inmates than capacity; the level of crowding at men's facilities is expected to remain unchanged by the end of FY 2011; and by FY 2012, an increase is expected in the number of 70 percent inmates and those inmates with special sentence revocations. The analysis found that these projections were significantly affected by a recent State supreme court decision that resulted in a surge in the number of prisoners released from prison during 2011. Projected prison populations over the long-term indicate that if current trends continue, the State's prison population is expected to increase by 29 percent over the 10-year period ending June 30, 2021; and the women's population is expected to gradually decrease over the 10-year period ending June 30, 2021, while the men's prison population is expected to increase by 32 percent during the same period. Several factors were identified that might influence growth in Iowa's prison population: a continuing drop in paroles; changes in average time served prior to release; an increase in the number of probation revocation admissions to prison; an increase in the number of class B felons expected to be in the population in the 10 years; and an underestimation in the expected number of special sentence revocations in the population. Tables, figures, and appendix