Washington, DC: According to the latest Justice Department report entitled “Prisoners in 2001,” as of January 1, 2002, 2,100,146 Americans were incarcerated in jails and prisons across the country. The number of state prisoners increased by 3,193 men and women (0.3% increase), while the federal prisoners increased by 11,577 inmates (8.0% increase).
Prisoners sentenced for drug offenses constituted the largest group of federal inmates — 57% — in year 2000.
The full report can be accesed at http://www.csdp.org/research/p01.pdf
Remarkably, the report does not provide an estimate of the number of citizens incarcerated on marijuana-related charges.
NORML estimates there are over 45,000 marijuana-related prisoners in the US prison system.
For additional information, contact Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano at (202) 483-8751.