Utah profile    Tweet this

Sections

Charts & graphs

Reports & briefings

Other resources

Utah has an incarceration rate of 396 per 100,000 people (including prisons, jails, immigration detention, and juvenile justice facilities), meaning that it locks up a higher percentage of its people than almost any democratic country on earth. Read on to learn more about who is incarcerated in Utah and why.

13,000 people from Utah are behind bars

Additionally, the number of people impacted by county and city jails in Utah is much larger than the graph above would suggest, because people cycle through local jails relatively quickly. Each year, at least 32,000 different people are booked into local jails in Utah.

Rates of imprisonment have grown dramatically in the last 40 years

Also see these Utah graphs:

• total numbers rather than rates.
• Women’s prisons: Incarceration Rates | Total Population
• Men’s prisons: Incarceration Rates | Total Population

This graph excludes people held for state or federal authorities from the total count of people held in Utah jails. Because a significant proportion (30%) of the population in Utah's jails is held for the other authorities, this graph likely overstates the convicted population and understates the pre-trial population.

Today, Utah’s incarceration rates stand out internationally

In the U.S., incarceration extends beyond prisons and local jails to include other systems of confinement. The U.S. and state incarceration rates in this graph include people held by these other parts of the justice system, so they may be slightly higher than the commonly reported incarceration rates that only include prisons and jails. Details on the data are available in States of Incarceration: The Global Context. We also have a version of this graph focusing on the incarceration of women.

People of color are overrepresented in prisons and jails

Utah's criminal justice system is more than just its prisons and jails

See detailed data on incarceration and supervision numbers and rates by state.

Reports and briefings about Utah's criminal legal system:

Filter to show Most recent All Big picture Collateral consequences Communication Exploitation Health Jails & bail Parole and probation Policing Poverty Prison gerrymandering Racial justice Women, gender, & families

• Utah makes medications for opioid use disorder available in its prisons. Why is getting treatment for substance use disorders so difficult across the US carceral system?
• Despite reducing its prison population at the beginning of the pandemic, Utah's prison population increased 8% between 2021 and 2023.
• People on probation in Utah are saddled with onerous rules and conditions they must follow every day or risk incarceration.
• With an incarceration rate of 396 per 100,000 residents, Utah locks up a higher percentage of its people than almost any democratic country on earth.
• After the Dobbs’ decision, striking down Roe v. Wade, Utah severely restricted abortion, putting access to the service effectively out of reach for the 2,920 women on probation or parole in the state who also face travel restrictions.
• 43% of people in Utah jails have not been convicted of a crime, meaning they're legally innocent. There are simple steps the state can take to reduce this number. Why isn't it?
• Utah releases roughly 75,703 men and 25,298 women from its prisons and jails each year. What is it doing to support them upon reentry?
• In Utah prisons, breaking certain rules can come with fines of $20-$600 that take months of work to pay off
• People on parole in Utah can be sent back to prison for "associating" with anyone who has a felony conviction — even loved ones who are trying to support them
• The parole board in Utah is releasing 30% fewer people and holding 25% fewer hearings since the pandemic started
• Black people in Utah are incarcerated at a rate 9.1 times higher than white people.
• Utah’s choice to criminalize “failure to appear” may be hurting public safety
• The cost of incarcerating older people is incredibly high, and their risk of reincarceration is incredibly low, yet 12% of people in Utah prisons are over the age of 55. Why is the state keeping so many older people locked up?
• Utah built a new prison near a mosquito-infested wetland, then made incarcerated people pay for insect repellent.
• Utah makes it difficult or even risky for incarcerated journalists to tell their stories.
• In Utah, 13,000 people are incarcerated and another 13,700 are on probation or parole.
• Utah does not offer e-messaging in prisons.
• Jails in Utah charge up to $3.15 for a 15-minute phone call, reaping profits for companies, while prisons charge $1.50 for a 15-minute call.
• Bail companies in Utah have a track record of avoiding accountability, our report All Profit, No Risk and review of state-by-state evidence show
• How the end of Roe v. Wade will impact the 3,716 women on probation and parole in Utah
• Utah suspended its $5 medical copays in prisons at the beginning of the pandemic for flu related medical visits. It should eliminate them entirely.
• People in Utah prisons must pay for hygiene items and other basics like writing supplies if they have over $9 in their account.
• Utah prisons charge families up to a 35% fee to transfer money to an incarcerated loved one.
• We gave Utah a failing grade in September 2021 for its response to the coronavirus in prisons.
• Utah hurts jury diversity by excluding people with felony records
• How many COVID-19 cases in Utah communities can be linked to outbreaks in correctional facilities? (data from our report Mass Incarceration, COVID-19, and Community Spread)
• We graded the parole release systems of all 50 states — Utah gets a C-
• Utah incarcerates women at a rate of 117 per 100,000 residents — higher than almost any democratic country on earth.
• People in Utah prisons earn as little as 40¢ an hour for their work.

Other resources

• Research on Utah in our Research Library
• Fixing Prison-Based Gerrymandering in Utah