NCJ Number
239528
Date Published
June 2012
Length
65 pages
Annotation
This report examines the duration of prison sentences and stays in 35 States.
Abstract
This report measures the average prison sentence for prisoners, the average time served, and the increased costs associated with keeping criminals incarcerated for longer. Results show that the length of time served in prison has increased markedly over the last two decades. Prisoners released in 2009 served an average of 9 additional months in custody, or 36 percent longer, than offenders released in 1990. The amount of time the Nation's criminals spend in prison has risen steadily for two decades. As prison stays have increased, so have the costs. According to the report, the States with the longest average prison stays, ranging from 3.1 years per inmate to 4.3 years, grew the most in the past two decades. In 8 of the 11 states listed, average time served increased 32 percent or more. The average increased 83 percent in Oklahoma and nearly doubled in Virginia. Of these States, 8 were among the 15 with the largest increases. This report also analyzes the costs resulting from increased prison stays into three major types of crime. Figures, tables, appendixes, and endnotes