Last updated October 28, 2026. Every statistic below names its source and data date.
Reentry is shaped by the practical work that follows incarceration: staying connected, meeting supervision requirements, finding stable work and housing, accessing care, and rebuilding community support. These figures offer context for that work. They are not a substitute for a person’s own circumstances or for local program availability.
National correctional-system context
5.53 million
People were under adult correctional supervision
At year-end 2023, this total included people in prison or jail and people supervised in the community. It is a national estimate, not a count of unique service needs.
U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Correctional Populations in the United States, 2023 ↗Data year: 2023. Report published: September 2025.
3.772 million
People were supervised in the community
More than two-thirds of people under adult correctional supervision were on probation or parole at year-end 2023.
U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Correctional Populations in the United States, 2023 ↗Data year: 2023. Report published: September 2025.
1.853 million
People were incarcerated in prisons or local jails
This national year-end estimate covers people in state and federal prisons and local jails.
U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Correctional Populations in the United States, 2023 ↗Data year: 2023. Report published: September 2025.
1.254 million
People were in state or federal prison
Correctional authorities had jurisdiction over this many people at year-end 2023, up 2% from the previous year.
U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoners in 2023 ↗Data year: 2023. Report published: September 2025.
664,200
People were held in local jails
The national local-jail population at midyear 2023 was similar to the prior year and 9% lower than a decade earlier.
U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Jail Inmates in 2023 ↗Data point: midyear 2023. Report published: April 2025.
7.6 million
Admissions were recorded by local jails in one year
From July 2022 through June 2023, local jails nationwide recorded 7.6 million admissions. Admissions are events, not a count of individual people.
U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Jail Inmates in 2023 ↗Data period: July 2022 to June 2023. Report published: April 2025.
What the available follow-up data says
The following figures describe a defined group of people released from state prison in 2012 across 34 states. They show why consistent, practical support after release matters, while also showing why national estimates should not be treated as an outcome forecast for any one person, program, or community.
62%
Were arrested within three years of release
This finding applies to state prisoners released across 34 states in 2012. An arrest is not the same as a conviction.
U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 34 States in 2012 ↗Release cohort: 2012. Follow-up: 2012 to 2017. Report published: July 2021.
71%
Were arrested within five years of release
This finding applies to the same 2012 state-prison release cohort across 34 states. It should not be read as a current Maryland-specific rate.
U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 34 States in 2012 ↗Release cohort: 2012. Follow-up: 2012 to 2017. Report published: July 2021.
46%
Returned to prison within five years
Nearly half of the 2012 release cohort returned to prison for a probation or parole violation or a new sentence within five years.
U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 34 States in 2012 ↗Release cohort: 2012. Follow-up: 2012 to 2017. Report published: July 2021.
Maryland and Baltimore context
Nearly 4,000
People were estimated to return to Maryland each year
A statewide 2019 reentry report estimated that nearly 4,000 people leave correctional facilities for Maryland communities each year, with almost half returning to Baltimore City and Baltimore County. This is an older planning estimate, not a current count.
Maryland Alliance for Justice Reform, Cooperating for Effective Statewide Reentry ↗Report published: October 2019.
FLSU works in Baltimore with returning citizens, families, and referral partners who are sorting through immediate needs and longer-term goals. For direct help, visit Baltimore reentry programs and support, explore FLSU’s reentry navigation program, or review the broader Baltimore and Maryland resource list.
Sources and methodology
This page brings together public statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics and one Maryland reentry planning report. Figures are kept in the source’s original scope and timeframe. National correctional-system counts are not Maryland counts. Follow-up findings describe the specific release cohorts named above and do not measure the impact of any one reentry program.
- U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Correctional Populations in the United States, 2023, Data year: 2023. Report published: September 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoners in 2023, Data year: 2023. Report published: September 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Jail Inmates in 2023, Data period: July 2022 to June 2023. Report published: April 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 34 States in 2012, Release cohort: 2012. Follow-up: 2012 to 2017. Report published: July 2021.
- Maryland Alliance for Justice Reform, Cooperating for Effective Statewide Reentry, Report published: October 2019.
Cite this page
First Line Strategies Unlimited, Inc. “Reentry Statistics: U.S. and Maryland Context.” Updated October 28, 2026. https://firstlinestrategiesunlimited.com/reentry-statistics.
When citing a number, please also link to the original source shown with that statistic.