South Dakota’s prison population surged by 9% from 2022 to 2023, one of the highest percentage increases in the nation, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ latest report on U.S. prisoners.
The state had 5,873 incarcerated individuals at the end of 2022, which rose to 6,402 by the end of 2023. This growth places South Dakota behind only New Mexico and Maine in terms of percentage increase. The number of incarcerated males rose by 6.9%, while female prisoners increased by 7%, reflecting a broader national trend of rising female incarceration.
Nationwide, the total prison population grew by 2%, marking the second consecutive year of increase after a decade of decline. South Dakota’s spike stands out as part of a broader shift in state-level incarceration trends, with 39 states reporting growth in their sentenced prison populations.
The report also noted that 96% of U.S. prisoners were serving sentences longer than one year, and 33% of all sentenced prisoners were Black, 31% White, and *23% Hispanic.
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