According to a new report by the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the total number of offenders under supervision by adult correctional systems in the nation declined by 1.4% during 2011. This marked the third consecutive year of declines, and the population dropped below 2004 levels. The report tracks inmates in state, local, and federal custody; probationers; and parolees.
At the end of 2011, 1 in 34 U.S. adults, or 2.9%, were under correctional supervision, down from 1 in 31 in 2007. The total number of offenders under supervision in 2011 was 6.98 million.
