learn more about issues surrounding incarceration in florida
Learn more about incarceration in Florida and the obstacles formerly incarcerated people face by checking out the facts and figures below.
The bigger picture
More about incarceration in the state of Florida
facts about florida's prisoners
Learn about Florida-specific facts below
Florida has the third largest prison population in the US with over 87,000 in state prison. Thousands more are incarcerated in Florida jails.
Florida’s incarceration rate of 662 inmates per 100,000 adult residents is substantially higher than the national average of 537.
Inmates serve 5 years in state prison on average.
Racial and ethnic minorities are overrepresented in the prison population: African American males make up nearly half of the prison population.
Over 58% of Florida state prisoners are serving time for violent offenses; 14% of state inmates are imprisoned for the sale, manufacture, purchase, trafficking or possession of drugs. These figures are consistent with the national average.
The majority of inmates are under-educated: 72% of state prisoners test at or below GED (9th grade) level.
Inmates with mental health problems are a significant part of the state’s prison population with almost 17% receiving ongoing mental health care.
It costs $24,265 per year on average to house a Florida state prisoner.
Over 30,000 Florida prisoners are released annually and reenter our communities.
76% are rearrested for a new crime within five years which contributes to victimization and drains community resources.
Above stats source
Facts and figures above were sourced from https://www.project180reentry.org/
National Figures
Learn more about national facts and figures below
Over 1.4 million inmates are held in state or federal prison and local jails (2019).
Approximately 1 in every 40 US adult residents is under some form of correctional control (in prison or jail or on probation or parole).
93% of state and federal prisoners are male.
The incarceration rate for White males is 214 per 100,000 White residents.
The incarceration rate for Hispanic males is 525 per 100,000 Hispanic residents.
The incarceration rate for Black males is 1,096 per 100,000 Black residents.
According to Forbes, more than 70 million people in this country—one in three adults—have a criminal record. Most of them—about 45 million—have a misdemeanor conviction.
Over 60% of people who previously spent time behind bars are out of work for at least a full year after their release.
Children of incarcerated parents are 5 times more likely to go to prison.
The risk of homelessness increases for people with multiple convictions. The Prison Policy Initiative found that people who have been incarcerated more than once are 13 times more likely than the general public to experience homelessness, whereas people who have been incarcerated once are 7 times more likely.
Above stats source
Facts and figures above were sourced from:
project180reentry.org
Forbes.com
Statista.com
Prisonpolicy.org
Myflorida.gov
Criminology.fsu.edu
Rutgers University
Programs make a difference
Community-based programs have been proven to help individuals stay out of the criminal justice system, and reintegrate back into the work-force and society with greater success.
Community-based programs
Individuals who participated in prison-based treatment followed by a community-based program post incarceration were 7 times more likely to be drug free and 3 times less likely to be arrested for criminal behavior than those not receiving treatment.
Education and substance abuse programs impact
Both education and substance abuse programs have been shown to decrease recidivism.
GED programs impact
Inmates who earn a GED are 8.7% less likely to recidivate than those who do not complete a program.
Vocational Certificates
Inmates with a Vocational Certificate at release were 14 percent less likely to recidivate than inmates overall.