Trends in the New York State Prison Population, 2008-2023

Drawing on public data from the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, this research note highlights 15-year trends in the size and composition of New York State’s prison population.

From 2008 to 2023, the prison population declined by nearly half—though it increased for the first time in 15 years in 2023. The population is increasingly sentenced in upstate counties; includes sharply declining numbers re-incarcerated on parole revocations; and contains a growing share of violent felonies balanced by a declining share of nonviolent drug felonies.

In 2023, the statewide incarceration rate was 8.5 times higher for Black than white people and 2.8 times higher for Hispanic than white people. The research note includes overall, regional, and county-specific incarceration rates by race/ethnicity for both 2008 and 2023.