Figure 2. U.S. Incarceration Rates by Race and Sex

From the article "In Search of a Job: Criminal Records as Barriers to Employment," June 14, 2012.

According to data analyzed by the Pew Center on the States, as of Jan. 1, 2008, more than 1 in every 100 adults is behind bars. For the most part, though, incarceration is heavily concentrated among men, racial and ethnic minorities, and 20-and 30-year olds. Among men the highest rate is with black males aged 20–34. Among women it's with black females aged 35–39.

Incarceration Rates among Men

• White men ages 18 or older: 1 in 106
• All men ages 18 or older: 1 in 54
• Hispanic men ages 18 or older: 1 in 36
• Black men ages 18 or older: 1 in 15
• Black men ages 20–34: 1 in 9

Incarceration Rates among Women

• White women ages 35–39: 1 in 355
• Hispanic women ages 35–39: 1 in 297
• All women ages 35–39: 1 in 265
• Black women ages 35–39: 1 in 100

Source: The Pew Center on the States, One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008, Washington, D.C.: The Pew Charitable Trusts, 2008.