Forecasting prison populations.

• Position: STATESTATS

By 2011, America will have more than 1.7 million men and women in prison, according to a national report on and forecast of state prison populations by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Most of those--1.5 million--will be in state custody, an increase of more than 162,000 from 2006. The cost to taxpayers: an additional $27.5 billion over the next five years beyond what currently is being spent on state and federal prisons.

While 10 states are expected to see prison populations increase by 25 percent or more by 2011, seven will see 5 percent or less growth.

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Incarceration Annual Prison rate 2005 operating Population (over 100,000 cost per State 2005 residents) inmate 2005 State Total or Average 1,292,829 435 $23,876 Alabama 27,003 591 $13,019 Alaska 2,781 414 $42,082 Arizona 31,411 521 $19,795 Arkansas 13,383 479 $17,608 California 168,982 466 $34,150 Colorado 21,456 457 $26,248 Connecticut 13,121 373 $29,527 Delaware 3.972 467 $24,500 Florida 86,563 499 $22,211 Georgia 51,904 572 $17,017 Hawaii 4,422 340 $18,370 Idaho 6,818 472 $16,115 Illinois 44,919 351 $21,622 Indiana 24,416 388 $21,531 Iowa 8,737 294 $23,383 Kansas 9,068 330 $21,944 Kentucky 19,215 459 $18,170 Louisiana 36,083 797 $13,009 Maine 1,905 144 $35,012 Maryland 22,143 394 $30,244 Massachusetts 10,385 239 $43,026 Michigan 49,546 489 $28,743 Minnesota 8,874 180 $29,260 Mississippi 19,335 660 $13,428 Missouri 30,803 529 $14,183 Montana 2,625 373 $25,710 Nebraska 4,330 245 $25,079 Nevada 11,644 474 $17,676 New Hampshire 2,520 192 $28,143 New Jersey 26,746 313 $28,000 New Mexico 6,292 323 $26,971 New York 62,743 326 $42,202 North Carolina 36,620 360 $24,986 North Dakota 1,327 208 $25,692 Ohio 45,854 400 $23,011 Oklahoma 23,245 652 $16,986 Oregon 13,390 365 $24,665 Pennsylvania 42,345 340 $31,029 Rhode Island 2,767 189 $44,860...