Rates of Incarceration in Idaho

Idaho has had a reputation for having one highest incarceration rates in the United States, despite comparatively low crime rates. In fact, prisons in Idaho were so full that the state had to house inmates in other states.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2012, the total adult prison inmate population in Idaho numbered 7,985. Of this total, the incarceration rate of males was 6,977, and the incarceration rate of females 1,008.

In 2013, the incarceration rate of both men and women in Idaho declined. Of the total 7,549 incarcerated adults, 6,523 were adult males with remaining 1,026 inmates being adult females. This number represents a 5.5 percent decrease in total incarceration rates between the years of 2012 and 2013.

During 2013, Idaho incarcerated 6.5 percent fewer males and 1.8 percent more females than the year before.

TELL US: How Do You Feel About Voting Rights for Convicted Felons?

According to The Council of State Governments' Justice Center, Idaho ranks eighth in the country for incarcerating more of its residents than any other state.

If one includes offenders on probation or parole in addition to prison incarceration, Idaho locks up 1 in every 18 adults, which is a higher incarceration rate than every other state except for Georgia.

During 2013, the total incarceration rate in Idaho grew by approximately 7 percent, second only to Kentucky.

In 2013, Idaho ranked second in the nation for the highest incarceration rates of female inmates per 100,000 female state residents.

The highest incarceration rate across the nation for women at the close of 2013 were in the states of Oklahoma with 136 incarcerated women per 100,000 female state residents, Idaho with 127 incarcerated women per 100,000 female state residents, and South Dakota with 104 incarcerated women per 100,000 female state residents.

If a person commits a crime in Idaho, they are more than likely going to do the time.

Although these incarceration rates seem extraordinarily high, a large percentage of the inmate population comes from those who fail to meet Idaho's rider program or who violate conditions of their probation.

The rider program places approximately 84 percent of Idaho's offenders with felony convictions in a minimum security prison while the remainder of the convicted felons typically serves a two-year stint in the main prison system.

VOTE NOW: Should Convicted Felons Be Allowed to Vote?

Related Stories:

• Illegal Immigration Numbers in Idaho
• Idaho Gun Laws and How They Differ From Neighboring States