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Article: State-prison population drops in 2nd-half of 2000; New era?: The full-year increase of 1.3% is the smallest gain since 1972
- Article from:
- Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque)
- Article date:
- August 13, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2001 Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque). Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of people behind bars in state
prisons fell during the second half of 2000 in the first decrease
since 1972, the Justice Department said Sunday.
There were more prisoners in state prisons at the end of the year
than at the beginning - 1,236,476 to 1,228,455 - and the total
number of people in state and federal prisons was up 1.3 percent
over 1999.
However, that overall rate of growth compared to the average
annual growth rate of 6 percent since 1990 and was the lowest
percentage gain since 1972. Additionally, the absolute increase of
inmates - 8,021 to state prisons and 10,170 to federal prisons - was
the smallest since 1980.
Criminologists said the slowing ...