State governments spent a combined $55 billion on corrections in 2020, with most of the spending going toward operating state-run prisons. There were more than 1.2 million people in prison[1] in 2020, according to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Spending per prisoner varies widely across states, from about $18,000 per prisoner in Mississippi to $135,978 per prisoner in Wyoming in 2020. States spent an average of $45,771 per prisoner for the year.
Money allocated to corrections departments in each state primarily goes toward prison operations and paying correctional officers. Some states may also fund additional rehabilitation programs, drug treatment centers, and juvenile justice initiatives through these state agencies.
