| Recently the Federal Bureau of Prisons released | | | | high security prisons. 18.7% are serving time in |
| an update of their prison population, which included | | | | minimum-security locations. While the news |
| breakdowns of race, sex, sentences and | | | | routinely talks about how the government is soft |
| offenses. Currently, there are 189,984 inmates in | | | | on immigration, the stats provided by the Federal |
| the United States federal prison system. The | | | | Bureau of Prisons show that at least some |
| breakdown of the information is at times typical | | | | enforcement is happening. There are 18,886 |
| and yet surprising other times. Did you know that | | | | (10.8%) inmates in the federal system doing time |
| the average age of a federal inmate is 38? | | | | for immigration related offenses.A strong majority |
| Federal prisons, as you might know, are located all | | | | of inmates are serving time for drug related |
| around the United States. The prisons are divided | | | | offenses. Weapons, Explosives and Arson |
| into minimum, low, medium and high (also known | | | | offenses are a distant second. Just over half of |
| as maximum) security.By far men are convicted | | | | the entire federal inmate population is being |
| of more crimes than women. Women account for | | | | incarcerated for drug related offenses. Most of |
| just 6.7% of the entire federal prison population. | | | | those incarcerated are serving between 5 and 15 |
| They do make up 27.6% of the federal prison | | | | years. Only 3.1% of the population has a life |
| staff. The most common race of federal inmates | | | | sentence and a miniscule 38 have death |
| is Black, followed by Hispanic (classified as white) | | | | sentences. 5-10 years is the most common |
| and white non-Hispanic. Native Americans account | | | | sentence. Close to 30% of the inmates are |
| for 1.8% of the population and Asians round out | | | | serving a sentence of this length.There are 3,657 |
| the list at 1.6%. There are currently 31,891 | | | | sex offenders serving time in federal prisons. |
| Mexican citizens serving time in the federal prison | | | | Countless others get out and renege on their |
| system.The majority of inmates are locked up in | | | | obligations of release. Only 72.8% of those held in |
| low and medium security prisons. Only 10.3% of | | | | federal prisons are American citizens. |
| the federal inmate population is serving time in | | | | |