Race and Incarceration in the United States

Human Rights Watch Press Backgrounder, February 22, 2002

Minority Proportion of the Incarcerated Population by State

34.8%
Alabama 64.0%

14.9%
38.9% White Percentage of
Alaska
43.5%
Incarcerated
Arizona 48.9% Population
47.9%
Arkansas 51.7%
31.0%
California 64.8% Minority (Black and
45.6%
49.6%
Latino) Percentage of
Colorado
26.5%
Incarcerated
Connecticut 72.6% Population
34.4%
Delaware 65.1%
2.6%
District of Columbia 96.9%
37.9%
Florida 61.3%
34.3%
Georgia 65.0%
14.9%
Hawaii 19.7%
77.2%
Idaho 16.8%
26.8%
Illinois 72.5%
56.2%
Indiana 41.5%
69.2%
Iowa 26.2%
53.1%
Kansas 42.5%
59.2%
Kentucky 39.6%
23.6%
Louisiana 75.9%
89.0%
Maine 6.6%
26.0%
Maryland 73.8%
45.2%
Massachusetts 52.4%
42.6%
Michigan 53.6%
50.2%
Minnesota 37.2%
23.8%
Mississippi 75.4%
53.6%
Missouri 43.7%
70.3%
Montana 7.1%
55.7%
Nebraska 38.4%
51.9%
Nevada 43.7%
82.1%
New Hampshire 14.8%
20.3%
New Jersey 79.4%
23.2%
New Mexico 67.1%
19.8%
New York 81.0%
32.2%
North Carolina 64.7%
66.1%
North Dakota 8.3%
46.1%
Ohio 52.9%
51.5%
Oklahoma 37.8%
71.5%
Oregon 22.0%
37.9%
Pennsylvania 61.3%
47.7%
Rhode Island 56.6%
29.7%
South Carolina 69.6%
65.4%
South Dakota 10.5%
47.1%
Tennessee 51.5%
31.1%
Texas 68.2%
65.5%
Utah 26.2%
87.8%
Vermont 8.7%
34.4%
Virginia 64.3%
63.4%
Washington 29.1%
61.0%
West Virginia 38.3%
51.4%
Wisconsin 44.2%
77.7%
Wyoming 15.9%
37.29%
National 60.1%