How many people are in prisons in California?
About 97.6 thousand at the end of 2022, the most recent year for which data is available. This number is down 3.8% from 2021 and includes anyone held under state jurisdiction. Prisoners sentenced to one or more years — usually for a felony conviction — make up 99.9% of this group, and the remainder includes people who are serving shorter sentences or awaiting sentencing.
Data updated March 1, 2025
97.6K
prisoners (Dec. 31, 2022)
-3.8%
change in the prison population from 2021 to 2022
In 2022, the California prison population was 28.3% lower than the 2014 peak. The biggest annual changes since 2015 were a 1.1% increase in 2013 and an 18.2% decrease in 2020.
The prison population in California has decreased by 28.3% since its peak in 2014.
Prison population on Dec. 31, 2012-2022
Between 2019 and 2020, the prison population in the US declined sharply, falling 14.6% — a trend that may be visible in some states. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) attributed some of this to COVID-19, pointing to the deaths of nearly 2,500 state and federal prisoners between March 2020 and February 2021 as well as the 37,700 prisoners across 24 states who were released early from custody.
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In California, there were 250 people per 100,000 residents serving prison sentences. That was 29.6% lower than the US rate of 355 prisoners per 100,000 residents.
In 2022, California had 250 people in prison per 100,000 residents.
Sentenced prisoners under state jurisdiction per 100K residents, 2022
California ranked #34 among states in terms of highest incarceration rates. Across the US, the rate was highest in Mississippi (661 per 100,000) and lowest in Massachusetts (94 per 100,000).
Compared to a decade ago, incarceration rates decreased in California by 29%. Over the same period, rates decreased in 46 other states and increased in 3.
Over the last decade, incarceration rates in California have decreased by 29%.
Sentenced prisoners per 100K residents vs. US rate on Dec. 31, 2013–2022
In California, state-run facilities housed all prisoners. Unlike some states or the federal prison system, California does not house prisoners in local jails or private prisons.
100% of prisoners in California were housed in state-run facilities.
As of Dec. 31, 2022
Among states, Montana relied the most on private prisons, which housed 49.4% of its prisoners. Louisiana held 52.7% of its prisoners in local jails, the largest share of any state.
Every state operates its own prisons. Forty-seven states housed the majority of prisoners in state-run facilities, and these held more than 99% of the total prison population in 15 states. These facilities are built to house a specific number of people but sometimes, the number of prisoners can exceed maximum capacity. In 2022, 3 states fit this description, but not California.
In 2022, the state-run prison system in California was operating at 16.7% below maximum capacity.
Prison occupancy vs. maximum capacity
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
US Bureau of Justice Statistics
National Prisoner Statistics
