Blacks, Hispanics make up larger shares of prisoners than of U.S. population U.S. adult population and U.S. prison population by race and Hispanic origin, 2017
The racial and ethnic makeup of U.S. prisons continues to look substantially different from the demographics of the country as a whole. In 2017, blacks represented 12% of the U.S. adult population but 33% of the sentenced prison population. Whites accounted for 64% of adults but 30% of prisoners. And while Hispanics represented 16% of the adult population, they accounted for 23% of inmates.
Blacks, Hispanics make up larger shares  | of prisoners than of U.S. population  | U.S. adult population and U.S. prison population  | by race and Hispanic origin, 2017  | White 64%  | Black 33%  | White 30%  | Hispanic 23%  | Hispanic 16%  | Black 12%  | Share of U.S.  | Share of U.S  | adult population  | prison population  | Note: Whites and blacks include those who report being only  | one race and are non-Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race  | Prison population is defined as inmates sentenced to more  | than a year in federal or state prison.  | Source: U S Census Bureau, Bureau of Justice Statistics  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 