Criminal Record Statistics in the Land of the Free

Damjan Jugovic Spajic

Updated: July 14, 2023

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With more than two million people behind bars, the United States imprisons a larger share of its population than any other country. It might be the land of the free on paper, as over 70 million Americans have been arrested or convicted of a crime. 

Prospects of a second chance are dim for those with a criminal record. A closer look at the country’s criminal record statistics reveals that race is another critical variable in mass incarceration. 

Read on to find out current statistics on the U.S. criminal records, crime, and imprisonment rates as of 2023.

Key US Criminal Records Statistics

• Over 80 million American adults (one in every three) have a criminal record. 
• About 1.68 million people were incarcerated in the U.S. in January 2023.
• The US has the world’s largest prison population of over two million.
• The average bail bond in the US is $10,000.
• African Americans convicted of murder are 50% more likely to be innocent than other convicted murderers. 
• As of January 2023, the incarceration rate in the United States is the sixth highest globally, at 505 per 100,000 people. 
• More than 27% of those with a criminal record are unemployed.
• 5.17 million Americans were forbidden from voting in 2020 due to a felony conviction.
• 33% of US adults hold a criminal record as of 2023.

General US Criminal Record Statistics for 2023

How many Americans have been arrested or convicted? What is the crime rate in the U.S.? How many have criminal records as of 2023?

Let’s check what U.S. criminal record statistics say on the topic. 

1. Over 80 million adults in the US have a criminal record.

(Techjury)

One in three American adults has been arrested or convicted of a crime at some point. Around 10% of them (8.0 million) have been imprisoned at least once in their lifetime. 

2. There were more than 2.3 million arrests in the US in 2022. 

(Texas Tribune)

The U.S. federal authorities made more than 2.3 million arrests during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2022, exceeding last year’s record of more than 1.7 million arrests.

As high as these numbers are, criminal arrest records reveal that the arrest rate for all offenses in the US has declined since the 1990s. For example, in 1997, more than 15.2 million people were arrested. By 2017, that figure had dropped to slightly more than 10.5 million, translating into 3,152.6 arrests per 100,000 residents.

3. Almost half of all black males are arrested at least once by the time they turn 23.

(Crime and Delinquency)

A study published in the academic journal, Crime and Delinquency examined the cumulative arrest histories of males from different races between the ages of 18 and 23. Excluding arrests for minor traffic violations, the study found that 30% of black males are arrested at least once by age 18. That figure climbs to 49% when black American males turn 23.

By comparison, 38% of white males are arrested by age 23, and 22% experience at least one arrest by the time they turn 18. Regarding Hispanic males, 26% are arrested by 18 and 44% by 23. These arrests can impede employment opportunities and affect access to housing as criminal records show up during background checks.

Wrongful Conviction Statistics 2023

Sometimes, the entire system, which ensures truth and justice and includes police, prosecutors, and judges, fails to fulfill its responsibilities. These failures often result in wrongful convictions and ruined lives. Below are some alarming statistics on wrongful convictions.

4. The state of Texas had the highest number of exonerations (363) in the US over the last 30 years.

(Neal Davis Law Firm)

Texas is tough on crime but also leads the nation in the number of wrongful convictions. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, Illinois is in second place with 303 wrongful convictions between 1989 and 2019. New York and California also have a high number of dismissals. Over the last three decades, an estimated 2,468 people in the US collectively lost more than 21,000 years in prison due to wrongful convictions.     

5. African Americans convicted of murder are 50% more likely to be innocent than other convicted murderers.

(University of California Irvine)

With all the progress made to curb racism worldwide, you’d think race no longer plays a role in the American justice system. Unfortunately, it does. African-Americans convicted of murder in the US are 50% more likely to be wrongfully accused than others convicted. Moreover, the percentage of murder exonerees of all races convicted of killing white victims is even higher (52%).

6. A black person doing time for sexual assault is 3½ times more likely to be innocent than his white counterparts.

(University of California Irvine)

According to criminal justice statistics, African-American males in jail for sexual assault are 3½ times more likely to have been wrongfully accused and convicted than white males sentenced for the same crime. One of the main culprits behind this racial disparity is mistaken eyewitness identification by white victims of violent crimes who implicate black individuals.

Incarceration Statistics for 2023

We’ve already touched on the fact that the US has the largest prison population in the world. The following states offer a further breakdown of those numbers.

7. As of 2023, US prisons, jails, and other detention facilities house more than two million people.

(Statista, Prison Policy Initiative)

The US has 639 prisoners for every 100,000 residents. They are spread throughout 1,566 state prisons, 102 federal prisons, 1,510 juvenile correctional facilities, 2,850 local jails, 186 immigration detention facilities, and 82 Indian Country jails, as well as in military prisons, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals, and detention facilities in US territories.

8. For every 100,000 black adults in the US, there are 1,501 black prisoners.

(Pew Research Center)

Some more recent data show the number of African American inmates per 100,000. Black adults have declined significantly in recent years. In 2006, there were 2,261 black inmates per 100,000 black adults. However, these numbers exclude people sentenced to one year in prison or shorter periods and those held in local jails still awaiting sentencing. 

Meanwhile, the imprisonment rate among the Hispanic community is 797 inmates for every 100,000 adults. The rate among whites is 268 prisoners per 100,000 adults.  

9. The average felony bail bond in the US is $10,000.

(Prison Policy Initiative)

This amount is roughly eight months of income for an average defendant. In most cases, low-income individuals cannot post bail and spend time in pretrial detention. To avoid jail, some end up going into debt.  

Crime Statistics by States in 2023

Some states are safer than others. And even though the pandemic ushered in a wave of violent and property crimes, the hyperlocal nature of crime means that this phenomenon affects different parts of the country differently. Here are some stats that paint a clearer picture.

10. Mississippi has the highest number of homicides as of 2023.

(World Population Review)

The number of homicides has spiked across the US in recent years. Louisiana is currently the state with the highest murder rate in the US, with a speed of 20.50 homicides per 100,000 people.

Coming second is Louisiana, with a speed of 19.9 homicides per 100,000 people, then Alabama, with the third-highest murder rate in the United States. Alabama’s murder rate is 14.2 murders per 100,000 residents.

11. Maine has the lowest reported violent crime rate in the US as of 2023.

(Statista) 

Violent crimes are offenses where a perpetrator uses or threatens to use force against the victim. Unfortunately, a lot of these crimes aren’t reported to authorities. According to data on crime rates per state, Maine has the lowest reported violent crime rate in the United States, with 108.6 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in 2020. New Hampshire and Vermont rank second and third, with 146.4 and 173.4 crimes per 100,000, respectively.

Conversely, the District of Columbia tops the list with 999.8 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. 

12. More than 130,000 violent crimes are committed in Texas yearly as of 2023.

(Neighborhoodscout) 

Texas is another state with a high violent crime rate. Another is California. Violent crimes committed in the Lone Star state in 2023 amounted to 134,372 at a crime rate of 4.55 per 1,000 residents. If you live in Texas, the chances of falling victim to a violent crime are 1 in 222.

Property crimes are even more significant, with about 647,101 crimes committed at 21.91 per 1,000. 

US Crime Statistics in 2023

Given the worrying law and order situation in the US, there is plenty of online sources offering data on crime. But the most reliable and accurate figures come from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Their records show that many violent and property crimes go unsolved. 

13. Less than half of all crimes committed are reported.

(Pew Research Center)

In 2019, only 40.9% of violent crimes and 32.5% of property victimizations were reported to the police. That’s according to criminal justice stats compiled by the BJS.

The Bureau notes several reasons why victims do not report crimes. Some fear reprisals, and others don’t want to get the offender in trouble. Sometimes the victims feel the police won’t or can’t offer any help. That’s not exactly surprising when we consider the performance of law enforcement in areas such as identity theft, where a tiny percentage of criminals are identified and caught.

14. Property crime is more common than violent crime.

(FBI)

Property crime includes burglary, arson, vandalism, and motor vehicle theft. FBI records show that in 2019, there were 2,109 property crimes per 100,000 persons. Meanwhile, the number of violent crimes committed per 100,000 people was 379.4. 

In the digital age, many are rightfully focused on shielding their private information online. But it’s equally important to avoid becoming a victim of property crime by using protective devices and our common sense.    

The second and third most common types of crimes committed in the country are drug-related and alcohol-related crimes, identity thefts, and  cybercrimes.

15. Only 19% of reported property crimes are solved and closed.

(Legal Jobs)

According to criminal record statistics, only 1 in 3 property crimes in the US are reported, as the Bureau of Justice can only record 35% of the property crimes committed in the US. These crimes are challenging to solve, so unsurprisingly, only 19% of reported property crimes are solved and closed.

16. The most frequently solved violent crimes are homicides.

(Pew Research Center)

Police cleared 61.4% of homicide cases in 2019. That’s six out of ten murders and non-negligent manslaughters.

Crime conviction statistics show significantly lower clearance rates for other types of crimes, including aggravated assault (52.3%), rape (32.9%), and robbery (30.5%).

Felony Statistics for 2023

Felonies are crimes typically involving violence and are considered more severe than misdemeanors. Kidnapping, murder, rape, burglary, and arson can all result in felony charges. Here are some interesting stats on felonies.

17. During the 2020 presidential election, 5.17 million Americans were not allowed to vote due to felony convictions.

(The Sentencing Project)

The US Constitution states that the right to vote must not be denied or abridged to anyone who is 18 years of age or older. However, according to criminal record statistics, about 5.17 million US citizens faced disenfranchisement because they had previously been convicted of a felony. 

To be disenfranchised means to be deprived of the right to vote. The millions prevented from voting in 2020 account for roughly 2.3% of the American electorate.

18. An estimated 900,000 Floridians remain disenfranchised despite having completed sentences for felony convictions.

(The Sentencing Project)

Despite the promises of a 2018 ballot referendum to restore their voting rights and despite having served their sentences, there are still an estimated 900,000 residents in Florida who cannot vote due to felony convictions.

This makes Florida America’s disenfranchisement leader, with over 1.1 million Floridians banned from any voting activity. Many of those simply can’t afford to pay court-ordered monetary sanctions. Furthermore, the state is not obligated to tell them how much their sanction costs.

19. An estimated 15% of the African-American male population spent time in prison.

(University of Georgia)

When examining felony convictions, those percentages are even higher, with 33% of the African-American male population convicted of a felony. The findings by the University of Georgia also reveal that the felony conviction population in the US has grown dramatically since 1980.  

Criminal Record Employment Statistics 2023

Being convicted of a crime and having a criminal record attached to your name makes it hard to find a job in the US. And these days, there are several tools that your neighbors and acquaintances can use to dig up information about your past. 

Employment isn’t the only challenge for those with a criminal record. Housing options may also be limited if you’ve been convicted of a crime. The following section offers criminal record stats that are related to employment.

20. 14% of HR managers would not hire someone with a criminal record.

(Society for Human Resource Management)

About 14% of human resource professionals are unwilling to employ individuals with criminal records. However, nearly 50% wouldn’t mind, as they do not consider someone’s criminal history a critical factor in the recruitment process. 

When criminal records are considered during the hiring process, the focus should be on how the organization’s environment (customers/clients, competitors, and employees) would react and industry regulations. It is not a reflection of the applicant’s abilities. HR professionals are even more open to hiring people with criminal records when they receive documents about education and training.

21. More than 27% of those with a criminal record are unemployed.

(Prison Policy Initiative)

Essential criminal record statistics on employment show that more than 27% of formerly incarcerated people are unemployed. That number is higher than any unemployment rate in the US at any time in history, including the Great Depression. It’s roughly five times higher than the unemployment rate among the general public.

This underscores that those with criminal records want to work, but finding jobs can be difficult. The challenge is even more significant when formerly incarcerated persons are black, Hispanic, or women.

22. Substance-related felonies are more likely to be overlooked by hiring managers than other crimes.

(Society for Human Resource Management)

Some crimes hiring managers are more likely to overlook when dealing with people who have criminal records. Substance-related felonies are at the top of the list.

65% of managers and 78% of HR professionals are forgiving regarding DUIs and drug-related crimes. For misdemeanors such as vandalism and shoplifting, 67% of managers and 70% of HR professionals wouldn’t mind hiring such an employee.

23. Six states offer rehabilitation certificates to people with a criminal history.

(Society for Human Resource Management)

Hiring managers examine multiple factors when considering candidates with criminal histories. They look at the applicant’s performance record and references. But it’s also essential to have a certificate of rehabilitation, which is now being offered by six states: California, Nevada, Arizona, New Jersey, New York, and Illinois.

A certificate of rehabilitation significantly improves an applicant’s chances of getting a job. Giving people with a criminal record a second chance is a great way to enhance the grim crime statistics in the United States.

24. Criminal records involving violent felonies, sexual offenses, or financial crimes are least likely to be overlooked by employers.

(Society for Human Resource Management)

While some managers and HR professionals tend to overlook minor offenses, they aren’t always ready to accommodate those who spent time in prison. 

Only 19% of managers and 16% of HR professionals are willing to hire individuals convicted of financial crimes. Regarding individuals found guilty of sexual assault, only 11% of managers and 9% of HR professionals are open to considering applications. Meanwhile, 28% of managers and 20% of HR professionals said they would consider hiring individuals convicted of violent felonies like domestic violence.

Conclusion

Based on the above stats, it’s safe to argue that the US has a unique mass incarceration problem. This has increased unemployment rates, a disproportionate incarceration rate of minorities, the restriction of suffrage, and the world’s largest prison population.