What percentage of white people have a felony?
Asked by: Alexie Morissette | Last update: February 7, 2026Score: 4.7/5 (32 votes)
White individuals comprise 34 percent of the population, but make up only 12 percent of adults arrested, 10 percent of adults arrested for a felony offense, and 7 percent of adults sentenced to prison.
What race has the most convicted felons?
Felony conviction rates range from a low of 55 percent for the white group, to 57.8 percent for the Hispanic group, and to a high of 61.8 percent for the black group.
What race is most incarcerated in the US?
Black individuals are incarcerated at disproportionately higher rates than any other race in the U.S., though white individuals make up the largest percentage of the total prison population, with significant racial disparities showing Black and Hispanic populations heavily overrepresented compared to their share of the general U.S. population, according to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and other sources. For example, while Black people are about 13% of the U.S. population, they comprise around 37% of those in jail or prison, and lifetime incarceration risk is much higher for Black men than white or Hispanic men.
What percentage of people commit a felony?
People with felony convictions more broadly account for 8 percent of the overall population and 33 percent of the African-American male population. The study includes the first estimates of the felony conviction population and maps their distribution in the states, documenting the dramatic growth since 1980.
What is the percentage of white people that go to jail?
Black, white, and people of other races are 28%, 20%, and 6%, respectively. Black people and Latino men are overrepresented among prisoners. Black men and women are 28% and 23% of prisoners, while both make up just 6% of the state's adults.
FBI Crime Data Explained: Black vs White Murder Rates in America
What country is #1 in incarceration?
The United States leads the world in incarceration rate (per capita), while China often has the largest total prison population, though the US has nearly as many or slightly more prisoners depending on the year. However, recent data (early 2026) shows El Salvador with a significantly higher rate than the US, making it a leader in per capita incarceration, with the U.S. usually ranking among the top five globally.
What is the biggest contributor to mass incarceration?
Drug offenses still account for the incarceration of over 360,000 people, and drug convictions remain a defining feature of the federal prison system. Even with recent changes to many state drug laws, police still make almost a million drug arrests each year, many of which lead to prison sentences.
What's the worst felony to get?
The "worst" felony is typically a Capital Felony, often defined as premeditated murder, treason, or espionage, carrying penalties of life imprisonment or the death penalty, though federal systems classify the most severe as Class A felonies, which also include murder, terrorism, and large-scale drug trafficking, punishable by life in prison or the death penalty. Specifics vary by state, but generally, the most serious crimes (like first-degree murder, aggravated sexual assault, arson causing death) fall into the highest categories (Class A, First Degree, Capital).
What state is #1 in crime in the USA?
Alaska often ranks #1 for violent crime rates per capita, followed closely by New Mexico, while Louisiana frequently tops lists for overall danger or homicide rates, though figures vary slightly by source and specific metrics (violent vs. property crime) for 2024/2025 data.
What US state has the most felons?
As of December 2022, there was a total of 139,631 prisoners in the state of Texas, the most out of any state. California, Florida, Georgia, and Ohio rounded out the top five states with the most prisoners in the United States.
What percentage of black men have a felony conviction?
We estimate that 3 % of the total U.S. adult population and 15 % of the African American adult male population has ever been to prison; people with felony convictions account for 8 % of all adults and 33 % of the African American adult male population.
What race are most correctional officers?
In 2023, 59.1% of the Correctional officers and jailers workforce were White, of which 22.7% were women and 77.3% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (23.8%) and Two or More Races (9.61%).
What are the odds of going to jail in your lifetime?
Using standard demographic lifetable techniques, and assuming that recent incarceration rates remain unchanged, an estimated 1 of every 20 persons (5%) can be expected to serve time in prison during their lifetime.
What race goes to jail the least?
That race and ethnicity affect one's chances of going to prison is a well-established fact in criminology. Relative to their representation in the US population, African Americans and Hispanics are far more likely than whites to be in prison.
What is the #1 race for hate crimes?
Black or African American individuals are the most frequent victims of race-based hate crimes, consistently representing the largest single group targeted by offenders motivated by racial bias, followed by anti-White and anti-Hispanic/Latino biases, according to FBI data. While these statistics highlight racial bias as the top motivation for hate crimes, anti-Jewish incidents dominate religious hate crimes, and sexual orientation remains a significant driver for other bias-motivated offenses, with specific trends changing yearly.
What race has the highest DUI?
Unadjusted national crime statistics from 2016 indicate that among all individuals arrested for a DUI, 82% were White, 23% were Latino, 14% were Black, and 2% were American Indian.
What is the safest state in America?
Safest States in the US
- Vermont. Vermont was the safest state in the US in 2022, with a total score of 69.49. ...
- Maine. With a score of 66.24, Maine was 2022's second-safest U.S. state. ...
- New Hampshire. ...
- Minnesota. ...
- Utah. ...
- Connecticut. ...
- Massachusetts. ...
- Rhode Island.
In what state do most murders occur?
Mississippi consistently ranks as the state with the highest murder rate in the U.S., often followed by Louisiana, Alabama, New Mexico, and Tennessee, with these states frequently showing rates significantly above the national average, driven by issues like poverty and concentrated violence in major cities.
What's the safest county in America?
Nassau County, New York is frequently ranked as the safest county in the U.S., particularly by U.S. News & World Report in 2024, due to low crime rates, strong public safety, and high spending on health and emergency services, though other areas like Arlington County, Virginia, and Bergen County, New Jersey, also consistently rank high in safety and overall livability. Rankings can vary slightly based on the specific metrics used (crime, health, emergency capacity) and the year of the report.
What is a type 5 felony?
A Level 5 felony is a mid-tier serious crime, ranking above the least severe felonies (like Class 6) and below more serious ones (Classes 1-4), with penalties including potential prison time, large fines, and loss of rights, though specifics vary by state, with examples including aggravated assault, grand theft, or drug offenses, and sometimes being convertible to a misdemeanor (a "wobbler") in states like Virginia.
What's worse, 2nd or 3rd degree?
For burns, 3rd-degree is much worse as it destroys all skin layers and underlying tissue, while for criminal charges (like murder or assault), 2nd-degree is generally more severe than 3rd-degree because degrees often indicate a hierarchy where lower numbers mean greater severity, though definitions vary by jurisdiction.
What's the least bad felony?
The least serious felony is typically a Class E or Class I felony, depending on the state, often involving non-violent property crimes, certain drug possession, or lower-level financial fraud, but penalties still range from probation to several years in prison, with examples including grand larceny or criminally negligent homicide in NY, or dog larceny in NC, though which specific crime qualifies depends heavily on jurisdiction and the offender's record.
What country has the best incarceration system?
Incarceration in Norway is one of the primary forms of punishment and rehabilitation for individuals convicted of criminal offenses. Norway's criminal justice system is organized around the principles of restorative justice, rehabilitation, and the normalization of daily life in prison.
What's the daily life of a prisoner?
At 6 AM, inmates are awakened and have time to shower, dress, make up their beds and prepare for breakfast. They eat in the dining hall at 6:45 and then prepare for the day's work. A correctional officer assembles the community work squad inmates who prepare their equipment and travel by prison van to their work site.
Why does the US imprison so many people?
The prison population was increased primarily by public policy changes causing more prison sentences and lengthening time served, for example through mandatory minimum sentencing, "three strikes" laws, and reductions in the availability of parole or early release.