States' incarceration costs skyrocket.

• Position: News & Numbers

For the first time, more than one in every 100 adults in the United States is confined in a jail or prison, according to a recent report from the Pew Center for the States, One in 100: Behind Bors in America 2008. The number has grown steadily for thirty years, costing states a combined $49 billion last year, up from $12 billion in 1987. And that cost is expected to grow to $74 billion by 2011.

The costs vary widely by state, but the average operating cost per prisoner was $23,876 hr 2005, according to the study, with Rhode Island spending the most per inmate--$44,860--and Louisiana spending the least--$13,009.

Incarceration rates continue to increase, although some states--Texas, California, New York, and Michigan--have seen a slight decline. Other states [nay be seeing reductions soon, according to the report, which cites stretched budgets and increased awareness of research-backed strategies for community corrections. States "are encouraging policy makers to diversify their states' array of criminal sanctions with options for low-risk offenders that save tax dollars but still hold offenders accountable for their actions," the report says.

The growth in incarceration is not...