More people are incarcerated in the United States than any other country, with 1,808,100 prisoners, and the fifth-highest incarceration rate at 541 per 1,000 people, just barely below Turkmenistan, Rwanda, Cuba, and El Salvador. For comparison, the United Kingdom has an incarceration rate of 144, and Canada’s is 127. America has more prisoners than China, which has four times the population of the United States.
More than 56% of the prison population in the United States is serving a sentence of more than 10 years, and the population and their time in prison is increasing rapidly. A large portion of the prison population is being held pre-trial, meaning they are still innocent and have not yet been sentenced by a court, but are too poor to pay for bail, perpetuating the cycle of poverty that leads to crime. Others are kept long after their sentence is completed because the private prisons are paid by the government for the number of prisoners they hold, meaning they have little incentive to release their prisoners.
These prisoners are then loaned to private companies as cheap labor (see: slaves), where they are paid pennies per hour. Companies that make use of slave labor in the United States include Walmart, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Starbucks, Compaq, and Verizon, among others.
The huge number of prisoners and the abysmal facilities provided for them and their treatment at the hands of private prison companies have been called human rights atrocities. The United States has been repeatedly chastised for its human rights violations in its prisons.
Unfortunately, human history and repeated studies have shown that high incarceration rates do not correlate with low crime rates or safer cities. On the contrary, countries with high rates of incarceration are usually ideologically oppressive and extremely corrupt, and it always increases poverty and income inequality. In the United States, this corruption and ideology takes different forms in different states, since each state is able to police its own population, to an extent, in the way it sees fit. But which state is toughest on crime?
For this list, we compare the incarceration rate, prison population, and public safety ranking of every state. States are ranked by incarceration rate.
#50 Massachusetts
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 241
- Total prison population: 16,789
This is as low as it gets in the United States. Even this tiny little state has a bigger prison population than some other developed nations and a higher rate than most of the world. That being said, Massachusetts is also implementing some new programs to help lower the rate and reduce crime at the same time.
#49 Vermont
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 245
- Total prison population: 1,583
Naturally, the state that elected Bernie Sanders to Congress would have a low crime rate and low incarceration rate. Vermont is in the top ten states for rates of volunteerism, was named the smartest state in the country in 2005 and 2006, and has the lowest rate of students to teachers in the country.
#48 Rhode Island
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- Incarceration rate: 254
- Total prison population: 2,779
In 2009, Rhode Island was called the safest state in the entire country after it made large strides to decriminalize non-violent crimes and activities.
#47 New Jersey
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 270
- Total prison population: 25,016
New Jersey is one of the most diverse states in the country, with almost 25% of the state being born outside the United States, and around 500,000 (6.2% of population) undocumented immigrants.
#46 Maine
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 272
- Total prison population: 3,777
Black people in Maine are 9.2 times more likely to be arrested in Maine than white people. At the same time, Maine has made it easier for people to vote and is among the more progressive and safest states in the Union.
#45 New Hampshire
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 278
- Total prison population: 3,886
Interestingly, New Hampshire is the least religious state in the country. People in New Hampshire are far less religious in general; around 52% of the population identify as “nonreligious”. Only 54% say they are “absolutely certain there is a god” whereas the rate for the United States as a whole is 71%. This makes sense, as higher levels of fundamental Christianity also correlate with higher prison populations.
#44 New York
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 317
- Total prison population: 62,339
New York police have made a reputation for themselves for being overzealous, oppressive, violent, wildly incompetent, corrupt, and lazy. Yet it still doesn’t break into the highest incarceration rates of the country, proving that huge police budgets and violent police forces don’t lead to lower crime rates.
#43 Minnesota
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 323
- Total prison population: 18,457
Of the prison population in Minnesota, around 67% are in prison waiting for their trial date, meaning they are innocent yet missing work, family, and life because Minnesota’s prison population is too big for the state to handle effectively.
#42 Connecticut
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 326
- Total prison population: 11,747
Around three times the number of people in prison are people who are on probation or parole. This is true for most states in the country, where the number of people who are on parole or probation is many times the prison population.
#41 Hawaii
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 367
- Total prison population: 5,283
Crime in Hawaii has increased mostly due to the skyrocketing cost of living caused by people from the mainland moving to Hawaii and purchasing land that the native Hawaiians can’t afford, or that was taken from them by force. Hotels and resort companies often force locals off their land, driving them into poverty and homelessness.
#40 Washington
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 373
- Total prison population: 29,065
Around 73% of the prison population in Washington has not yet had their trial, and are being held awaiting their trial date.
#39 Utah
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 396
- Total prison population: 13,381
Black people in Utah are 9.1 times more likely to be sentenced to prison than white people, this is in a state that is overwhelmingly white (78%) and overwhelmingly Mormon (60% in 2019) — a religion that includes racist and prejudiced views and doctrines against minorities.
#38 Illinois
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 433
- Total prison population: 54,474
Illinois is famous for having its laws and government run by a handful of corrupt political families, who have themselves spent time in the Illinois prison system. Mismanagement and corruption have continued to plague Illinois and Chicago in particular.
#37 Maryland
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 475
- Total prison population: 29,304
Maryland is one of the most densely populated and culturally diverse states in the country and is one of only six states where non-whites are a majority of the population.
#36 California
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 494
- Total prison population: 192,694
Much like the rest of the country, California’s prison population exploded after 1980 during America’s “War on Drugs” which only worked to incarcerate millions of black people.
#35 Oregon
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 494
- Total prison population: 20,942
Around 15% of the prison population in Oregon is over the age of 55, and many more are awaiting trial or are on probation.
#34 Michigan
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 538
- Total prison population: 53,683
Much of the crime and poverty in Michigan is due to private auto companies abandoning the company towns they created, leaving thousands of people without jobs, income, or homes. A problem that persists until today.
#33 Delaware
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 539
- Total prison population: 5,492
Most of the crime in Delaware is related to corporate fraud and tax avoidance because Delaware is an on-shore tax haven for companies in the United States, with 90% of all companies that went public in 2021 being incorporated in Delaware. You won’t see these people in the Delaware prison system for some reason, however.
#32 Iowa
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 550
- Total prison population: 17,595
In Iowa, prisoners are fined if they break minor rules, meaning that an already poor population is being exploited while serving their time.
#31 Colorado
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 556
- Total prison population: 32,495
#30 North Carolina
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 559
- Total prison population: 59,753
#29 North Dakota
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 560
- Total prison population: 4,363
Around 74% of the incarcerated population are awaiting trial.
#28 Pennsylvania
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 589
- Total prison population: 76,355
#27 Nebraska
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 591
- Total prison population: 11,635
#26 South Carolina
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 606
- Total prison population: 32,038
#25 Nevada
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 610
- Total prison population: 19,370
#24 Wisconsin
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 615
- Total prison population: 36,199
#23 Ohio
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 621
- Total prison population: 72,989
Even though Ohio’s prisons (like most other states) are filled beyond capacity, and violent crime rates have been dropping, its prison population continues to rise.
#22 New Mexico
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 647
- Total prison population: 13,637
New Mexico has the second-highest rate of violent crime (behind Alaska) and the highest rate of property crime. One would wonder why it is not at the top of this list.
#21 Kansas
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 648
- Total prison population: 19,022
#20 West Virginia
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 674
- Total prison population: 11,954
#19 Virginia
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- Incarceration rate: 679
- Total prison population: 58,917
Like the rest of the country, violent crime has been decreasing in Virginia in recent decades, and crime rates in Virginia are lower than in similar neighboring states, yet Virginia continues to incarcerate higher numbers of people.
#18 Arizona
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 710
- Total prison population: 52,329
#17 Missouri
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 713
- Total prison population: 44,016
#16 Idaho
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 720
- Total prison population: 13,965
#15 Indiana
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 721
- Total prison population: 49,241
The crime rate in Indiana is 18.5 per 1,000 residents, which is below the national average, and yet it ranks high on incarceration, meaning that most people are in prison for non-violent reasons.
#14 Alaska
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 744
- Total prison population: 5,456
Alaska has an unusually high crime rate, with some of the highest rates of domestic violence, suicide, and sexual assault.
#13 Texas
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 751
- Total prison population: 225,480
The prison system in Texas has been described as a human rights atrocity, and state lawmakers often go out of their way to make it as inhumane as possible. This includes refusing to pay for air conditioning during the summer, suing a prisoner so they don’t have to give him a blanket, and more.
#12 Montana
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 785
- Total prison population: 8,508
#11 Wyoming
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 785
- Total prison population: 4,568
#10 Florida
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 795
- Total prison population: 157,000
You can take the Confederacy out of America, but you can’t take America out of the Confederacy. Of the top 10 most oppressive states in the country, 8 of them were members of the Confederate States of America. These states continued to try to oppress and exploit African Americans well into the 1900s and today through gerrymandering, segregation, prison labor, and other racist policies.
#9 South Dakota
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 812
- Total prison population: 7,386
Even though South Dakota has had a stable and relatively low crime rate, that hasn’t stopped it from filling up its prisons.
#8 Tennessee
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 817
- Total prison population: 57,625
Tennessee has regularly had the highest rate of gun violence and gun crime in the country. Memphis and Jackson both rank among the most dangerous cities in the United States.
#7 Georgia
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 881
- Total prison population: 96,171
In the years after the Civil War, more people were lynched in Georgia than in any other state, with 586 confirmed murders taking place, with most of the guilty parties not being punished. This trend continues today as white people receive lighter sentences than black people convicted of a similar crime.
#6 Kentucky
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 889
- Total prison population: 40,107
#5 Alabama
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 898
- Total prison population: 45,573
The prison homicide rate in Alabama is nine times higher than in the rest of the country, often perpetuated and encouraged by prison guards.
#4 Oklahoma
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 905
- Total prison population: 36,388
Oklahoma was called the “world’s prison capital” by global publications and had the highest incarceration rate in 2018, which means it had a higher rate than any other country in the world. That remains true today.
#3 Arkansas
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 912
- Total prison population: 27,795
Along with its high prison population, Arkansas also perpetuates harmful and discriminatory policies like banning abortion, weakening labor unions, banning same-sex marriage, allowing the use of the electric chair, and more. A state as backward as Arkansas deserves to be nowhere else but the top three on this list.
#2 Mississippi
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 1,020
- Total prison population: 29,980
Mississippi is ranked as the fourth-hardest state to vote in.
#1 Louisiana
A photo of a prison in America.
- Incarceration rate: 1,067
- Total prison population: 48,973
Louisiana had a higher murder and manslaughter rate than any other state in 2023.
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