Today, 6.98 million men and women are under correctional supervision. A
total of 4.8 million individuals are monitored in the community on probation
and parole and 2.2 million are incarcerated in prisons or jail. The nation
continues to maintain the highest rate of incarceration in the world at 716 people in
prison per 100,000 population. The scale of incarceration varies substantially by
state, resulting from a mix of crime rates and legislative and administrative policies.
Lawmakers continue to face challenges in funding state correctional systems.