Deaths in prison: U.S. states ranked (2023)
Measure: Deaths in prison. All 48 states with data in Prison admissions and releases by state, ranked from highest to lowest. Reference period: 2023.
National value: 4,896 (United States).
- Lowest: 0 to 12
- Group 2: 12 to 42
- Group 3: 42 to 81
- Group 4: 81 to 128
- Highest: 128 to 563
Rank is derived by Quadranac: 1 = highest value; ties share a rank. Values are as published in the source table.
| 1 | Texas | 563 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Florida | 460 |
| 3 | California | 404 |
| 4 | Alabama | 323 |
| 5 | Georgia | 230 |
| 6 | Ohio | 160 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 157 |
| 8 | Missouri | 136 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 129 |
| 10 | Louisiana | 128 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 127 |
| 12 | Michigan | 121 |
| 12 | Tennessee | 121 |
| 14 | Arizona | 109 |
| 15 | Indiana | 104 |
| 15 | New York | 104 |
| 17 | Minnesota | 93 |
| 18 | Arkansas | 92 |
| 19 | South Carolina | 82 |
| 20 | Illinois | 81 |
| 21 | Mississippi | 67 |
| 22 | Maryland | 54 |
| 22 | Washington | 54 |
| 24 | Kentucky | 52 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | 52 |
| 26 | Oregon | 49 |
| 27 | Nevada | 47 |
| 27 | New Jersey | 47 |
| 29 | Kansas | 42 |
| 30 | Colorado | 40 |
| 31 | West Virginia | 30 |
| 32 | Iowa | 27 |
| 33 | New Mexico | 21 |
| 34 | Idaho | 20 |
| 35 | Montana | 19 |
| 35 | Nebraska | 19 |
| 37 | Utah | 17 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | 16 |
| 39 | Hawaii | 12 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | 11 |
| 41 | Delaware | 10 |
| 42 | Wyoming | 9 |
| 43 | South Dakota | 8 |
| 44 | Alaska | 6 |
| 45 | Connecticut | 5 |
| 46 | Vermont | 4 |
| 47 | North Dakota | 1 |
| 48 | Maine | 0 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoners in 2023 – Statistical Tables (NCJ 310197), table 8 (admissions) and 9 (releases). Reference period: 2023.
Cite this ranking
U.S. states ranked by deaths in prison (2023). Data: U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoners in 2023 – Statistical Tables (NCJ 310197), table 8 and 9; rank derived by Quadranac. Data last updated 2026-11-03. https://quadranac.com/rankings/us-states-by-deaths-in-prison/