Statistics about the Maine Correctional System

from a report by The Pew Center on the States

Population

• 1 in 81 adults in Maine is under correctional control [1,2]
• Growth over time: in 1982, the figure was 1 in 167 adults [1,2]
• Percent behind bars: at year end 2007, 36 percent of the correctional population was in prison or jail (national rank: 23); the figure for 1982 was 34 percent (national rank: 18 [1]

Population, Rates and Ranks (year end 2007)

Total Correctional Population

Costs

• $153 million spent on corrections [6]
• Share of general fund: 4.9 percent in fiscal year 2008 [6]
• Ratio of spending: For every dollar Maine spent on prisons in 2008, it spent 10 cents on probation and parole [5]
• Ratio of costs: 1 day of prison ($119.49) = 38 days of probation and parole [5]

Correction Costs

Sources

1. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Correctional Surveys (U.S. Department of Justice)
2. U.S. Census, State Population Estimates
3. Administrative Office of U.S. Courts
4. Bureau of Prisons (U.S. Department of Justice)
5. Pew, Original Data
6. National Association of State Budget Officers, State Expenditure Reports

Download the full report and explanatory notes from The Pew Center on the States