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March 3, 2009

Study: 7.3 Million Americans Now in Prison, on Parole or Probation
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Here in this country, a new study has found the number of people in
prison, on parole or probation has reached a record 7.3 million. One in
every thirty-one adults is now in the US corrections system. Twenty-five
years ago, the rate was one in seventy-seven. The Pew Center on the
States found that corrections spending is outpacing government spending
on education, transportation and public assistance. The National
Association of State Budget Officers estimates that states spent a
record $52 billion on corrections last year—that’s one in every fifteen
general fund dollars.



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