Alabama prison sentencing data
In the latest Alabama Department of Corrections public release loaded into Justice Audit, 26,948 people were held in Alabama state prisons. Their median sentence is 10 years (the longest sentence from each person's most recent sentencing, not counting life or death sentences). 45% are serving 20 years or more, and life sentences are not marked in this state's file.
Race: prison population vs. state population
| Group | People | Share of prison | Share of state (U.S. Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 14,722 | 55% | 27% |
| White | 11,873 | 44% | 65% |
| Hispanic/Other | 338 | 1.3% | 4.6% |
Most common offenses
By the longest sentence from each person's most recent sentencing. Life and death sentences are not included in the median.
| Offense | People | Median sentence (years) |
|---|---|---|
| Poss/Rec Control Substance - Classd | 2,181 | 3 |
| Robbery I | 1,870 | 20 |
| Murder | 1,693 | 25 |
| Dist Control Substance | 1,421 | 5 |
| Burglary Iii | 840 | 8 |
| Manslaughter | 823 | 20 |
| Theft Of Property I | 750 | 7 |
| Rape I | 592 | 21.5 |
| Offenses-Public Health/Morals ("B" Fel) | 557 | 15 |
| Assault I | 534 | 15 |
| Assault Ii | 475 | 10 |
| Violation Of Sex Off Regis Law | 462 | 11 |
| Offenses - Other (Class "B" Felony) | 460 | 5 |
| Attempted Murder | 440 | 20 |
| Parolee Dunks | 403 | 0 |
Sentencing by county
County where the person's longest sentence was imposed. Counties with 20+ people have their own page.
| County | People | Median sentence (years) | Serving 20+ years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson | 2,657 | 10 | 57% |
| Mobile | 2,497 | 15 | 56% |
| Madison | 1,649 | 15 | 49% |
| Montgomery | 1,503 | 20 | 66% |
| Houston | 1,289 | 10 | 39% |
| Tuscaloosa | 1,194 | 10 | 46% |
| Etowah | 1,177 | 10 | 36% |
| Morgan | 889 | 10 | 39% |
| Lee | 791 | 15 | 52% |
| Calhoun | 741 | 10 | 40% |
| Bessemer | 637 | 5 | 43% |
| St. Clair | 615 | 4 | 24% |
| Baldwin | 587 | 12 | 47% |
| Talladega | 574 | 10 | 40% |
| Russell | 470 | 15 | 49% |
| Limestone | 442 | 5 | 27% |
| Elmore | 420 | 10 | 31% |
| Shelby | 413 | 15 | 47% |
| Lauderdale | 410 | 10 | 44% |
| Marshall | 377 | 10 | 29% |
| Escambia | 351 | 15 | 40% |
| Covington | 339 | 10 | 37% |
| Jackson | 314 | 10 | 25% |
| Pike | 293 | 10.5 | 46% |
| Cullman | 283 | 10 | 41% |
| Dekalb | 270 | 8 | 32% |
| Coffee | 261 | 7 | 33% |
| Winston | 260 | 7 | 19% |
| Marion | 259 | 8 | 21% |
| Walker | 257 | 19 | 58% |
| Colbert | 257 | 8 | 41% |
| Dale | 242 | 10 | 41% |
| Tallapoosa | 240 | 9 | 43% |
| Autauga | 225 | 10 | 40% |
| Blount | 225 | 10 | 35% |
| Chilton | 206 | 7.5 | 30% |
| Franklin | 187 | 6 | 27% |
| Cherokee | 174 | 8 | 36% |
| Lawrence | 172 | 5 | 27% |
| Dallas | 172 | 19.5 | 67% |
| Chambers | 168 | 10 | 51% |
| Geneva | 163 | 6 | 31% |
| Fayette | 149 | 15 | 36% |
| Barbour | 135 | 14 | 50% |
| Butler | 126 | 15 | 48% |
| Pickens | 121 | 15 | 37% |
| Randolph | 120 | 9.5 | 42% |
| Clarke | 111 | 15 | 41% |
| Lamar | 109 | 14 | 16% |
| Marengo | 108 | 10 | 39% |
| Macon | 92 | 25 | 76% |
| Henry | 91 | 19 | 58% |
| Crenshaw | 73 | 6.5 | 45% |
| Lowndes | 65 | 20 | 57% |
| Clay | 65 | 5 | 23% |
| Bullock | 65 | 5 | 45% |
| Bibb | 61 | 19.5 | 61% |
| Cleburne | 58 | 6.5 | 48% |
| Choctaw | 54 | 17.5 | 57% |
| Washington | 51 | 15 | 37% |
| Conecuh | 48 | 10 | 58% |
| Sumter | 48 | 11 | 56% |
| Monroe | 46 | 19.5 | 67% |
| Coosa | 44 | 15 | 48% |
| Greene | 38 | 15 | 45% |
| Hale | 36 | 18 | 69% |
| Wilcox | 23 | 24.5 | 78% |
| Perry | 21 | 26 | 90% |
| Out-Of-State | fewer than 10 | – | – |
About this data
Source: Alabama Department of Corrections public inmate records. Counts are people currently in state prison custody, one record per person, using the longest sentence from each person's most recent sentencing. People on parole, probation or in local jails are not included. Criminal history is not in the data. Search individual records in Justice Audit.