North Carolina prison sentencing data
In the latest North Carolina Department of Adult Correction public release loaded into Justice Audit, 33,172 people were held in North Carolina state prisons. Their median sentence is 7 years (the longest sentence from each person's most recent sentencing, not counting life or death sentences). 24% are serving 20 years or more, and 2,987 are serving life.
Race: prison population vs. state population
| Group | People | Share of prison | Share of state (U.S. Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 16,905 | 51% | 20% |
| White | 12,916 | 39% | 60% |
| Hispanic | 2,387 | 7.2% | 11% |
| Indigenous | 587 | 1.8% | 1.2% |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| Murder Second Degree | 3,257 | 21.5 |
| Habitual Felon | 3,012 | 8.5 |
| Trafficking Schedule Ii | 1,925 | 7.5 |
| Trafficking Schedule I | 1,490 | 7.5 |
| Possession Of Firearm By Felon | 1,418 | 2.5 |
| Robbery W/Dangerous Weapon | 1,269 | 7.5 |
| Possess Schedule Ii | 748 | 1.5 |
| Post Release Revocation | 601 | 1 |
| Awdwwitkisi | 538 | 8.5 |
| Stat Rape/Sex Offn >= 6 Yr | 480 | 24.5 |
| Felony B&E | 477 | 2 |
| Possess Wits Schedule Ii | 453 | 2 |
| Awdwisi | 453 | 4 |
| Manslaughter | 443 | 8.5 |
| Larceny Over $1000 | 385 | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wake | 2,422 | 7 | 25% |
| Mecklenburg | 2,004 | 9.5 | 29% |
| Guilford | 1,722 | 7 | 26% |
| Forsyth | 1,437 | 7.5 | 25% |
| Cumberland | 1,008 | 8 | 35% |
| Gaston | 978 | 5 | 20% |
| New Hanover | 844 | 6 | 24% |
| Alamance | 744 | 7 | 22% |
| Davidson | 742 | 7 | 19% |
| Johnston | 726 | 5.5 | 17% |
| Cleveland | 704 | 7 | 19% |
| Buncombe | 673 | 7.5 | 21% |
| Iredell | 664 | 5 | 15% |
| Pitt | 648 | 4.5 | 17% |
| Rowan | 604 | 5 | 26% |
| Cabarrus | 591 | 6 | 17% |
| Catawba | 563 | 7.5 | 21% |
| Durham | 556 | 10.5 | 35% |
| Wayne | 543 | 4 | 22% |
| Randolph | 542 | 7 | 24% |
| Rockingham | 510 | 4 | 18% |
| Onslow | 490 | 7.5 | 33% |
| Union | 476 | 7.5 | 22% |
| Wilkes | 456 | 6 | 18% |
| Robeson | 429 | 10 | 39% |
| Craven | 407 | 7.5 | 20% |
| Brunswick | 386 | 6 | 25% |
| Lenoir | 375 | 3 | 18% |
| Lincoln | 363 | 7.5 | 18% |
| Columbus | 329 | 3.5 | 31% |
| Wilson | 328 | 3.5 | 28% |
| Rutherford | 322 | 7 | 16% |
| Harnett | 307 | 4 | 28% |
| Haywood | 306 | 7.5 | 21% |
| McDowell | 293 | 7.5 | 26% |
| Henderson | 285 | 7.5 | 19% |
| Surry | 277 | 3.5 | 16% |
| Beaufort | 276 | 5 | 20% |
| Burke | 271 | 7.5 | 27% |
| Moore | 270 | 6 | 21% |
| Nash | 267 | 7 | 28% |
| Caldwell | 246 | 7.5 | 19% |
| Vance | 244 | 5 | 20% |
| Lee | 239 | 4 | 22% |
| Sampson | 232 | 5 | 26% |
| Carteret | 228 | 6.5 | 15% |
| Duplin | 215 | 7.5 | 29% |
| Orange | 212 | 10 | 32% |
| Edgecombe | 212 | 7.5 | 36% |
| Stanly | 201 | 4.5 | 20% |
| Stokes | 200 | 6 | 18% |
| Richmond | 200 | 5.5 | 22% |
| Hoke | 184 | 9 | 32% |
| Granville | 179 | 3 | 18% |
| Scotland | 179 | 6.5 | 34% |
| Pender | 160 | 7.5 | 34% |
| Martin | 154 | 8 | 27% |
| Anson | 152 | 4 | 27% |
| Franklin | 152 | 3 | 22% |
| Macon | 151 | 7.5 | 20% |
| Pasquotank | 151 | 4.5 | 32% |
| Yadkin | 151 | 7 | 15% |
| Greene | 148 | 2.5 | 30% |
| Chatham | 148 | 7.5 | 26% |
| Halifax | 147 | 4 | 40% |
| Person | 142 | 3 | 15% |
| Davie | 129 | 7 | 19% |
| Jackson | 124 | 7.5 | 17% |
| Bladen | 123 | 5 | 34% |
| Montgomery | 118 | 7 | 23% |
| Alexander | 117 | 7.5 | 25% |
| Watauga | 115 | 6 | 31% |
| Hertford | 110 | 8.5 | 35% |
| Ashe | 105 | 7.5 | 19% |
| Cherokee | 88 | 7.5 | 24% |
| Bertie | 84 | 6.5 | 30% |
| Caswell | 80 | 3 | 29% |
| Dare | 78 | 7.5 | 26% |
| Yancey | 76 | 8 | 21% |
| Warren | 74 | 4 | 26% |
| Avery | 71 | 2.5 | 24% |
| Madison | 66 | 7.5 | 24% |
| Transylvania | 61 | 6 | 36% |
| Currituck | 59 | 5 | 20% |
| Northampton | 59 | 10.5 | 41% |
| Swain | 59 | 10 | 44% |
| Chowan | 53 | 4.5 | 28% |
| Mitchell | 53 | 8 | 23% |
| Pamlico | 46 | 3 | 15% |
| Polk | 42 | 10 | 29% |
| Perquimans | 41 | 7 | 20% |
| Alleghany | 40 | 4 | 7.5% |
| Washington | 38 | 5.5 | 29% |
| Graham | 31 | 8 | 39% |
| Gates | 24 | 3 | 33% |
| Jones | 19 | 3.5 | 37% |
| Camden | 18 | 22 | 67% |
| Hyde | 15 | 2.5 | 13% |
| Clay | 15 | 7.5 | 20% |
| Tyrrell | fewer than 10 | – | – |
About this data
Source: North Carolina Department of Adult Correction 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.