Criminal Alien Incarcerations by State, 2003-2009

We’ve been playing once again with IBM’s ManyEyes online data visualization tools. The results of today’s experiment shows the number of criminal alien incarcerations by state for the years from 2003 through 2009:

SCAAP Criminal Alien Incarcerations in State and Local Jails, 2003-2009

An interactive version of the chart along with the source data are available for you to knock about with as well!

The interactive version will also allow you to tap the numbers behind the chart – so, for instance, you’ll be able to see that the large population state of Ohio has seen the number of criminal aliens that it has incarcerated more than double since 2003, growing from 756 in that year to 3,879 in 2009. Meanwhile, the large population state of New York has seen its number of incarcerated criminal aliens fall by just over 30%, from 16,130 in 2003 to 11,096 in 2009.

As for the Top 10 states for the largest reported population of criminal aliens (or rather, undocumented immigrants who have committed felonies or multiple misdemeanors) for 2009, they are:

• California (102,795)
• Texas (37,021)
• Arizona (17,488)
• Florida (17,229)
• New York (11,096)
• Illinois (10,677)
• New Jersey (9,971)
• North Carolina (8,948)
• Colorado (7,574)
• Georgia (7,371)

Altogether, California accounts for 34.7% of the number of criminally incarcerated undocumented immigrants in the United States in 2009, with Texas coming in second at 12.5%, Arizona third at 5.9%, Florida fourth with 5.8% and New York fifth at 3.5%.

Data Source

U.S. Government Accountability Office. Criminal Alien Statistics: Information on Incarcerations, Arrests, and Costs. March 2011. GAO-11-187.

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