South Carolina prison sentencing data
As of October 14, 2026, according to South Carolina Department of Corrections records, 15,175 people were held in South Carolina state prisons. Their median sentence is 12 years (the longest sentence from each person's most recent sentencing, not counting life or death sentences). 39% are serving 20 years or more, and 1,753 are serving life.
Race: prison population vs. state population
| Group | People | Share of prison | Share of state (U.S. Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 8,974 | 59% | 27% |
| White | 5,663 | 37% | 64% |
| Other | 490 | 3.2% | – |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| Voluntary Manslaughter | 1,187 | 20 |
| Murder | 1,115 | 35 |
| Armed Robbery | 755 | 18 |
| Abhan | 540 | 11 |
| Burglary-1St Degree | 520 | 22 |
| Attempted Murder | 417 | 20 |
| Crim Sex Cond.W/Minor(2N | 373 | 15 |
| Assault & Battery 1St | 369 | 7 |
| Burglary-2Nd Degree | 293 | 10 |
| Kidnapping | 291 | 22 |
| Traffick Meth 28-100Gr 1 | 284 | 11 |
| Traffick Meth 28-100Gr 2 | 228 | 12 |
| Traffick Meth 10-28Gr 2 | 227 | 10 |
| Crim Sex Cond.W/Minor(1S | 217 | 28 |
| Felony Dui-Death Results | 200 | 15 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville | 1,503 | 12 | 36% |
| Spartanburg | 1,247 | 12 | 39% |
| Charleston | 1,032 | 15 | 46% |
| Richland | 992 | 15 | 50% |
| York | 942 | 10 | 25% |
| Lexington | 825 | 13 | 43% |
| Horry | 823 | 14 | 40% |
| Florence | 485 | 12 | 40% |
| Aiken | 479 | 16 | 49% |
| Berkeley | 449 | 14 | 40% |
| Anderson | 436 | 12 | 43% |
| Cherokee | 413 | 10 | 32% |
| Pickens | 395 | 12 | 31% |
| Dorchester | 383 | 10 | 41% |
| Orangeburg | 345 | 15 | 45% |
| Sumter | 330 | 15 | 50% |
| Greenwood | 273 | 12 | 33% |
| Beaufort | 273 | 16 | 50% |
| Lancaster | 250 | 10 | 33% |
| Laurens | 218 | 12 | 36% |
| Oconee | 212 | 10 | 31% |
| Kershaw | 170 | 10 | 38% |
| Darlington | 161 | 10 | 38% |
| Colleton | 144 | 15 | 48% |
| Georgetown | 139 | 17 | 54% |
| Marion | 125 | 13 | 50% |
| Jasper | 124 | 12 | 44% |
| Marlboro | 115 | 6.5 | 33% |
| Chesterfield | 112 | 10 | 34% |
| Chester | 111 | 15 | 41% |
| Newberry | 109 | 14 | 41% |
| Abbeville | 106 | 13 | 38% |
| Clarendon | 89 | 17 | 61% |
| Dillon | 89 | 14.5 | 42% |
| Williamsburg | 85 | 23 | 73% |
| Barnwell | 82 | 15 | 40% |
| Union | 80 | 10 | 32% |
| Lee | 80 | 5 | 32% |
| Fairfield | 73 | 10 | 41% |
| Edgefield | 70 | 15 | 47% |
| Hampton | 67 | 15 | 52% |
| McCormick | 60 | 3 | 35% |
| Bamberg | 55 | 17 | 55% |
| Saluda | 44 | 20 | 59% |
| Calhoun | 40 | 15 | 57% |
| Allendale | 35 | 10 | 54% |
About this data
Source: South Carolina 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.