The current U.S. incarceration rate is well above historical levels: Inmates per 100,000 in total population, 1880–2018
| Year | Prisoner rate | Prisoner rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 117 | |
| 1890 | 131 | |
| 1904 | 118 | |
| 1910 | 139 | |
| 1923 | 107 | |
| 1933 | 168 | |
| 1940 | 208 | |
| 1950 | 174 | |
| 1960 | 192 | |
| 1970 | 160 | |
| 1980 | 226 | 226 |
| 1981 | 246 | |
| 1982 | 269 | |
| 1983 | 283 | |
| 1984 | 296 | |
| 1985 | 319 | |
| 1986 | 341 | |
| 1987 | 363 | |
| 1988 | 397 | |
| 1989 | 449 | |
| 1990 | 472 | |
| 1991 | 495 | |
| 1992 | 517 | |
| 1993 | 550 | |
| 1994 | 586 | |
| 1995 | 595 | |
| 1996 | 611 | |
| 1997 | 640 | |
| 1998 | 659 | |
| 1999 | 678 | |
| 2000 | 713 | |
| 2001 | 714 | |
| 2002 | 732 | |
| 2003 | 745 | |
| 2004 | 755 | |
| 2005 | 770 | |
| 2006 | 783 | |
| 2007 | 790 | |
| 2008 | 787 | |
| 2009 | 777 | |
| 2010 | 764 | |
| 2011 | 749 | |
| 2012 | 738 | |
| 2013 | 730 | |
| 2014 | 725 | |
| 2015 | 703 | |
| 2016 | 696 | |
| 2017 | 688 | |
| 2018 | 675 |
Source: Authors' analysis of Schmitt, Warner, and Gupta, 2010 & Corrections Populations in the United States series and Prisoners series from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau population estimates, accessed on February 16, 2021.