Racial Equity
Incarceration Rate
Source: Vera Institute of Justice
Incarceration Rate
2017
Arkansas County77
Ashley County90
Baxter County44
Benton County35
Boone County41
Bowie County, Texas137
Bradley County23
Calhoun County61
Carroll County39
Chicot County14
Clark County34
Clay County80
Cleburne County55
Cleveland County8
Columbia County48
Conway County42
Craighead County36
Crawford County22
Crittenden County70
Cross County55
Dallas County247
Desha County34
Drew County26
Faulkner County23
Franklin County33
Fulton County20
Garland County34
Grant County67
Greene County56
Hempstead County79
Hot Spring County4
Howard County61
Independence County37
Izard County55
Jackson County61
Jefferson County74
Johnson County33
Lafayette County59
Lawrence County22
Lee County23
Lincoln County21
Little River County33
Logan County20
Lonoke County26
Madison County12
Marion County3
Miller County93
Mississippi County64
Monroe County86
Montgomery County16
Nevada County20
Newton County2
Ouachita County92
Perry County62
Phillips County54
Pike County36
Poinsett County56
Polk County36
Pope County39
Prairie County44
Pulaski County41
Randolph County32
Saline County24
Scott County5
Searcy County30
Sebastian County59
Sevier County39
Sharp County37
St. Francis County41
Stone County25
Union County75
Van Buren County47
Washington County41
White County62
Woodruff County51
Yell County18

Source: Vera Institute of Justice
Notes: Rates are for people in local jails at the county level and in prisons and county jails at the state level. The US number is the aggregation of the 45 states reported (Alaska, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Vermont are not included in the data).




Number of Incacerated People
2017
Arkansas County85
Ashley County112
Baxter County100
Benton County601
Boone County93
Bowie County, Texas828
Bradley County15
Calhoun County20
Carroll County64
Chicot County9
Clark County51
Clay County72
Cleburne County80
Cleveland County4
Columbia County74
Conway County54
Craighead County253
Crawford County88
Crittenden County217
Cross County58
Dallas County110
Desha County24
Drew County31
Faulkner County194
Franklin County37
Fulton County14
Garland County200
Grant County78
Greene County162
Hempstead County105
Hot Spring County9
Howard County49
Independence County87
Izard County45
Jackson County68
Jefferson County335
Johnson County55
Lafayette County25
Lawrence County23
Lee County14
Lincoln County20
Little River County25
Logan County27
Lonoke County125
Madison County12
Marion County3
Miller County261
Mississippi County172
Monroe County36
Montgomery County8
Nevada County10
Newton County1
Ouachita County135
Perry County40
Phillips County60
Pike County24
Poinsett County85
Polk County42
Pope County164
Prairie County22
Pulaski County1,058
Randolph County34
Saline County183
Scott County3
Searcy County14
Sebastian County485
Sevier County41
Sharp County36
St. Francis County71
Stone County18
Union County184
Van Buren County45
Washington County642
White County314
Woodruff County20
Yell County24

Source: Vera Institute of Justice
Notes: Figures are for people in local jails at the county level and in prisons and county jails at the state level. The US number is the aggregation of the 45 states reported (Alaska, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Vermont are not included in the data).



NATIONAL RANKING
43

OUT OF 51
2015

STATE TREND

Increasing


132

2015

What does this measure?

The number of people incarcerated in prisons or jails, expressed as a rate per 10,000 residents.

Why is this important?

Incarceration serves to remove offenders from a community, but also creates hardships on families, including the loss of an income or a caregiver, in addition to long-term effects on mental health for all involved. After incarceration, people often encounter challenges in obtaining meaningful employment, leading to reductions in long-term productivity, recidivism and widespread effects on a community's social, health and educational systems.

How is Arkansas doing?

In 2015 (the latest year for which national and state comparative data is available), the incarceration rate was 132 per 10,000, up 26% since 2006. This makes Arkansas 43rd in the nation on this indicator. In addition, nationally, incarceration of people in county jails and state prisons was lower (96 per 10,000) and falling (-6% since 2006). Arkansas' rates were much higher for blacks/African Americans - 276% of the white rate - while the rate for Latinos was about half the white rate. Males were jailed at a rate 5 times above that for females.

Among Arkansas counties, data from 2017 indicates that incarceration rates varied widely - below 10 per 10,000 in Scott, Marion, Hot Springs, Newton and Cleveland - and above 100 per 10,000 in Dallas and Bowie.

What contributes to racial and ethnic disparities?

Disparities in incarceration are the result of racialized stereotypes, policies and practices and community conditions. Stereotypes that portray Black and Latino people, especially males, as inherently dangerous, criminal, and violent lay the foundation for police surveillance and disparate and harsher treatment by the criminal justice system. Communities of color are more likely to be under surveillance and policies such as stop and frisk perpetuate increased police contact. Punitive drug laws have had a disproportionate impact on Black and Latino communities. Even though Blacks and whites have similar rates of drug use, Black people are more likely to be arrested and experience harsher sentences. In general, whites experience less harsh sentences when convicted of similar crimes as Black and Latinos. Given economic disparities, people of color are less likely to experience pre-trial release after arrest. The concentration of Black and Latino communities in highly segregated communities with limited economic opportunities and ineffective schools may also foster crime involvement.

Notes about the data

Rates are for people in local jails at the county level and in prisons and county jails at the state level. Rates for subgroups at the state level only include the county jail population, not state prisons.




Source: Vera Institute of Justice


Incarceration Rate
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015
Arkansas97101105106108106105109113116122121114129133132
United States99989910110210310410510510410210099999896

Source: Vera Institute of Justice
Notes: Rates are per 10,000 residents






Source: Vera Institute of Justice


Incarceration Rate by Race/Ethnicity
AsianBlack or African AmericanLatinoNative AmericanWhite
Arkansas7.294.016.510.334.2
Benton County13.0484.29.012.719.7
Craighead County23.0152.1102.429.1
Crittenden County93.714.542.9
Faulkner County13.758.816.218.916.7
Jefferson County93.726.543.4
Miller County71.8186.997.4146.869.1
Mississippi County97.347.551.9
Phillips County66.9103.666.3
Pulaski County69.234.225.2
Saline County82.83.321.1
Sebastian County14.0109.135.256.149.0
St. Francis County38.65.831.4
Union County131.846.847.7

Source: Vera Institute of Justice
Notes: Rates are per 10,000 residents




Number of Incarcerated People by Race/Ethnicity
AsianBlack or African AmericanLatinoNative AmericanWhite
Arkansas272,942216174,840
Benton County10156244239
Craighead County215832158
Crittenden County157159
Faulkner County25951114
Jefferson County255280
Miller County113483137
Mississippi County100586
Phillips County51227
Pulaski County68051351
Saline County451135
Sebastian County6653910293
St. Francis County37122
Union County114474

Source: Vera Institute of Justice
Notes: Figures are for the total jail population. The total jail population is the average daily population.





Source: Vera Institute of Justice


Incarceration Rate by Gender
FemaleMale
Arkansas13.871.0

Source: Vera Institute of Justice
Notes: Rates are per 10,000 residents




Number of Incarcerated People by Gender
FemaleMale
Arkansas1,3326,736

Source: Vera Institute of Justice
Notes: Figures are for the total jail population. The total jail population is the average daily population.









INDICATORS
Education: Access to Quality Slots for Infants and Toddlers
Education: Access to Quality Child Care Slots for Preschoolers
Education: Grade 3 Reading
Education: Grade 8 Math
Education: Graduation Rate
Education: Remediation Rate
Education: Adults with a High School Degree
Education: Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher
Education: Adults Pursuing Further Education
Education: Imagination Libraries
Health: Low Birth Weight Babies
Health: Early Prenatal Care
Health: Overweight or Obese Students
Health: Overweight or Obese Adults
Health: Physically Inactive Adults
Health: Smoking Rate
Health: Insurance Coverage Rates
Health: Oral Health
Health: Life Expectancy
Health: Routine Check-ups
Health: Overdose Deaths
Families: Teen Births
Families: Children Living in Poverty
Families: People Living in Poverty
Families: Elderly Living in Poverty
Families: Median Household Income
Families: Unemployment Rate
Families: Homeownership Rate
Families: Child Abuse and Neglect
Families: Access to Financial Services
Families: Food Insecurity
Families: Food Deserts
Families: Homelessness
Families: Change in Total Jobs
Families: Cost of Homeownership
Families: Households Below ALICE Threshold
Families: Overall Housing Cost Burden
Families: Child Care Costs for Toddlers
Families: Medical Debt
Families: Households Receiving SNAP
Families: Incarceration Rate
Community: Voter Participation Rate
Community: Charitable Giving
Community: Volunteering
Community: Group Participation
Community: Connection to Neighbors
Community: Local Voting
Demographics: Change in Population
Demographics: Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity
Demographics: Change in Population by Age
Racial Equity: Remediation Rate
Racial Equity: Adults with a High School Degree
Racial Equity: Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher
Racial Equity: Adults Pursuing Further Education
Racial Equity: Low Birth Weight Babies
Racial Equity: Early Prenatal Care
Racial Equity: Overweight or Obese Students
Racial Equity: Overweight or Obese Adults
Racial Equity: Physically Inactive Adults
Racial Equity: Smoking Rate
Racial Equity: Insurance Coverage Rates
Racial Equity: Oral Health
Racial Equity: Life Expectancy
Racial Equity: Routine Check-ups
Racial Equity: Teen Births
Racial Equity: Children Living in Poverty
Racial Equity: People Living in Poverty
Racial Equity: Elderly Living in Poverty
Racial Equity: Median Household Income
Racial Equity: Unemployment Rate
Racial Equity: Homeownership Rate
Racial Equity: Child Abuse and Neglect
Racial Equity: Food Insecurity
Racial Equity: Homelessness
Racial Equity: Cost of Homeownership
Racial Equity: Medical Debt
Racial Equity: Households Receiving SNAP
Racial Equity: Incarceration Rate
Racial Equity: Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity








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