The New York prison population has declined more than 50 percent since its peak in 1999. In particular, the state prison population decreased more than 25 percent during the pandemic—between April 2020 and April 2021. However, the population started to rise in 2022 as the state resumed court hearings. In addition, racial disparities persist, and the prison population continues to grow older as more people serve longer sentences.

Most people incarcerated in New York prisons are Black or Hispanic, and about 15 percent of incarcerated people are 55 years or older. One in five incarcerated people are serving sentences of 10 years or longer.

The prison population declines when the number of people released from prison exceeds the number of people sent to prison. Continuing to reduce the state prison population requires “front-end” efforts, such as leveraging alternatives to incarceration, as well as “back-end” initiatives, such as increasing the number of parole approvals.

Incarceration affects every county. Although most attention is paid to New York City, smaller counties across the state continue to show the most pronounced incarceration rates and racial disparities.