Regular readers know that I have been closely watching COVID-era changes in the federal prison population because of dramatic declines in the federal Bureau of Prisons' weekly updated "Total Federal Inmates" numbers. At the start of the COVID era, the reported federal prison population was around 175,000. As detailed in a series of prior posts, BOP's weekly reporting showed that most weeks through much of the spring the federal prison population shrunk around or over 1,000 persons per week. Into and through the summer months, weekly declines continued but at a rate closer to about 500. In early September, as reported in this post, the BOP reported that the "Total Federal Inmates" count was down to 155,483; but then, as noted here, the BOP reported federal prison population ticked up a few hundred persons the following week for first time in COVID era.
In recent weeks the total population seemed to be creeping down again, and checking today the new BOP numbers at this webpage report "Total Federal Inmates" at a new modern low of 154,894. Though weekly federal prison population declines are no longer consistent or dramatic, we still seem to be experiencing small decreases many weeks and thus it now seems quite that we have not yet hit "the bottom" as to COVID-era federal prison population declines.
I have wondered repeatedly in these posts whether COVID-delayed sentencings or stalled federal prison transfers or any number of other factors may largely account for these declines. Helpfully, as noted in this post, the US Sentencing Commission finally released some COVID-era sentencing data, and these data showed that the number of federal sentences imposed between April and June 2020 dropped about 40% from the usual rate. The reduction in number of sentences imposed surely accounts in part for fewer persons entering federal prisons during the COVID era, though I suspect a lot of other factors have also contributed to the overall prison population declines.
A few of many prior related posts:
- Federal prison population, thanks in part to the FIRST STEP Act, hits lowest level in over 15 years (from July 2019)
- Federal prison population, due seemingly to COVID responses, hits another modern low (which is still very high) (from April 2020)
- Federal prison population drops below 170,000 for first time in nearly two decades (from May 2020)
- "Total Federal Inmates," as reported by BOP, drops below 165,000 (from June 2020)
- Federal prison population, per BOP report of "Total Federal Inmates," drops below 160,000 (from early July 2020)
- Federal prison population now down to 155,483 according to BOP reporting (from Sept 10, 2020)
- BOP reported federal prison population ticks up for first time in COVID era (from Sept 17, 2020)
- US Sentencing Commission releases data revealing COVID's impact on federal sentencings
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