Who is in prison?

• Males, African-Americans, Hispanics, and people under 50 are overrepresented in the prison population relative to their share of the California population. The vast majority of the state prison population is male. African-American and Hispanic males comprise 71.2 percent of the population, but only 21.7 percent of the overall California adult population. Similarly, 71.2 percent of the prison population is under 50 years of age, compared to 81.6 percent for the broader population.

• The disproportionalities in the prison population are similar to disproportionalities in other parts of the criminal justice system. For example, according to Department of Justice data, of total adult felony arrests in California in 2023, males made up 79.7 percent, African-Americans made up 20.4 percent, and Hispanics made up 44.7 percent.

• Since 2013, the number of people in prison has decreased by 30.8 percent. During this time, the share of the prison population that is Hispanic has increased by about 12.4 percent, while the share who are white or African-American has decreased. The prison population has also become older with a decrease in the share of people between 18 and 29 years of age and an increase in the share of people aged 50 or older. The gender distribution of the prison population has relatively remained stable.

• For more information on the prison population, see the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Offender Data Points.

Last Updated: January 2025