Adults in prison system at record-high 6.9 million

WASHINGTON – A record 6.9 million adults were incarcerated or on probation or parole last year, nearly 131,000 more than in 2002, according to a Justice Department study.

Put another way, about 3.2 percent of the adult U.S. population, or 1 in 32 adults, were incarcerated or on probation or parole at the end of last year.

A record 4.8 million adults were on probation or parole in 2003, about 73,000 more than the year before. About 70 percent of adults involved in federal, state or local corrections systems fall into this category. California and Texas together accounted for about 1 million.

The report, released Sunday, focused most on the characteristics of those on probation or parole. Its findings include:

• Almost half of all probationers were convicted of a felony, with 25 percent convicted of a drug violation.

• Washington state had the highest number of people on probation per 100,000 population, at 3,767. New Hampshire had the lowest rate at 426.

• About 95 percent of those on parole had been convicted of a felony.

• Of the 470,500 parolees discharged from supervision last year, 38 percent went back to jail for a new crime or a rule violation, with 9 percent becoming fugitives.