NCJ Number
174745
Date Published
1996
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This report presents statistics on incarceration within Texas, the impact on the overall State crime rate, and how Texas compares with other States.
Abstract
The Texas adult incarceration rate continued to be the highest in the country in 1995. This rate reflected the more punitive policies the state adopted toward violent offenders, thus making them serve longer in prison. Texas added more than 90,000 beds to correctional capacity between 1989 and 1995 to accommodate its incarceration rate and eliminate the county jail overcrowding caused by the backlog of State offenders. The Texas crime rate decreased from the third highest in the Nation in 1989 to the 15th highest in 1995. Despite having the largest percentage increase in incarceration rate in the country, Texas violent crime rate during 1989-1995 did not change significantly. Texas was ranked 17th in the Nation in violent crime rate in 1995. Texas national property crime ranking declined from the third highest in 1989 to 14th highest in 1995, and Texas ranked first among all States in the property crime rate decrease for 1995.