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Article: Total State Prison Population Dropped for 6 Months Last Year
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- August 13, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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For the first time since the nation's prison boom began, the state
prison population declined for six months last year, the Justice
Department announced yesterday. Thirteen states -- including Texas
and New York -- housed fewer prisoners on Dec. 31 than they did when
the year began.
The combined population of state and federal prisons grew slightly
when calculated for the entire year, but the 1.3 percent increase was
the smallest since 1972. The numbers continue a trend underway since
1994, when the explosive prison growth rate crested. At year's end,
2.07 million people were behind bars in the United States.
Justice Department statistician Allen J. Beck said the six-month
decline is the ...