Black men comprised 32 percent of the nation’s federal prison population
The U.S. prison population was 1,230,100 on December 31, 2022, a 2% increase from 2021, 1,205,100 led by Black men, according to preliminary U.S. Department of Justice statistics.
Black men accounted for 32 percent of the federal prison population, followed by Whites at 31 percent, Hispanics at 23 percent, and multiracial persons at 10 percent; 2 percent are American Indian or Alaska Natives, 1 percent are Asian, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islanders.
Thirty-five jurisdictions, including the federal government, increased their prison populations last year, which was led by Mississippi, whose prison population grew by 15 percent.
People of Color are overrepresented in prisons, accounting for nearly 7 in 10 people in prison, according to the Sentencing Project based on the U.S. Department of Justice statistics released the same day.