Men in Prison: Rate Surged in 1980s

The number of men imprisoned in state and federal correctional institutions in the United States grew from 125,000 in 1930 to more than 1.4 million in 2011. Lest you think this increase is due to simple population growth, take a look at the rate of imprisonment among males since 1930 (number of men in prison per 100,000 males in U.S. population)...

2011: 932
2010: 948
2000: 915
1990: 575
1980: 275
1970: 191
1960: 230
1950: 211
1940: 252
1930: 200

Source: Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics Online