Nebraska prison sentencing data
As of October 16, 2026, according to Nebraska Department of Correctional Services records, 5,978 people were held in Nebraska state prisons. Their median sentence is 12 years (the longest sentence from each person's most recent sentencing, not counting life or death sentences). 41% are serving 20 years or more, and 395 are serving life.
Race: prison population vs. state population
| Group | People | Share of prison | Share of state (U.S. Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 2,855 | 48% | 76% |
| Black | 1,705 | 29% | 4.6% |
| Hispanic | 985 | 16% | 12% |
| Indigenous | 298 | 5.0% | 0.8% |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual Assault 1St Degree | 438 | 25 |
| Robbery | 280 | 14 |
| Sexual Assult Of Child 1St Deg | 260 | 40 |
| Assault 1St Degree | 211 | 20 |
| Poss Deadly Weap Prohib Person | 207 | 8 |
| Burglary | 179 | 8 |
| Assault 2Nd Degree | 158 | 12 |
| Murder 2Nd Degree | 151 | 50 |
| Pwid-Meth | 151 | 10 |
| Sexual Assault Child 1St Deg | 122 | 35 |
| Manslaughter | 105 | 20 |
| Terroristic Threats | 93 | 2.5 |
| Possess Firearm Prohib Person | 77 | 9 |
| Poss Control Substance-Meth | 58 | 2 |
| Pos Deadly Wpn By Proh Person | 57 | 12 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas | 2,301 | 13 | 43% |
| Lancaster | 1,304 | 12 | 38% |
| Hall | 283 | 18 | 49% |
| Sarpy | 238 | 20 | 62% |
| Buffalo | 212 | 12 | 33% |
| Madison | 196 | 7 | 24% |
| Scotts Bluff | 160 | 10 | 34% |
| Lincoln | 91 | 12 | 42% |
| Adams | 73 | 8 | 27% |
| Platte | 63 | 12 | 44% |
| York | 58 | 14 | 31% |
| Gage | 55 | 10 | 29% |
| Dodge | 52 | 12 | 48% |
| Dawson | 50 | 13.5 | 46% |
| Dakota | 39 | 4 | 31% |
| Box Butte | 38 | 12 | 32% |
| Washington | 34 | 14 | 41% |
| Saunders | 34 | 10 | 38% |
| Seward | 33 | 10 | 24% |
| Otoe | 32 | 12 | 44% |
| Sheridan | 29 | 18 | 48% |
| Cass | 29 | 17.5 | 55% |
| Holt | 27 | 14 | 41% |
| Hamilton | 24 | 10 | 46% |
| Saline | 22 | 20 | 73% |
| Cheyenne | 22 | 9 | 45% |
| Nemaha | 21 | 9.5 | 38% |
| Red Willow | 20 | 6 | 40% |
| Keith | 20 | 12 | 45% |
| Jefferson | 18 | 18 | 50% |
| Dawes | 17 | 20 | 59% |
| Colfax | 17 | 26 | 59% |
| Cherry | 15 | 11 | 27% |
| Butler | 14 | 14 | 36% |
| Fillmore | 14 | 20 | 64% |
| Richardson | 13 | 15 | 54% |
| Morrill | 13 | 12 | 38% |
| Johnson | 13 | 15 | 38% |
| Merrick | 12 | 25 | 75% |
| Phelps | 12 | 12 | 33% |
| Valley | 12 | 4 | 17% |
| Wayne | 12 | 3 | 8.3% |
| Stanton | 11 | 9 | 18% |
| Harlan | 11 | 4 | 36% |
| Antelope | 10 | – | 50% |
| Custer | 10 | – | 60% |
| Chase | 10 | – | 50% |
| Kearney | 10 | 12 | 30% |
| Polk | 10 | 5 | 40% |
| Hitchcock | 10 | 7 | 40% |
| Kimball | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Furnas | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Nuckolls | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Cuming | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Pierce | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Thayer | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Brown | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Franklin | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Cedar | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Boone | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Clay | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Pawnee | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Nance | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Knox | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Deuel | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Webster | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Sherman | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Dixon | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Howard | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Garden | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Boyd | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Burt | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Thurston | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Gosper | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Rock | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Hayes | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Frontier | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Sioux | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Greeley | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Arthur | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Blaine | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Dundy | fewer than 10 | – | – |
| Grant | fewer than 10 | – | – |
About this data
Source: Nebraska Department of Correctional Services 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.