How Many Prisoners Escape From Jail Each Year?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 25, 2020

The exact number of prisoners who escape varies from year to year, and in general, these numbers have been on the decline as time has progressed; for example, in 1993, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that one state had 14,305 escapes,

While prison escapes have decreased over time, this decline is not due to a general decline in prison populations. In fact, as escapes have declined, the total number of incarcerated individuals in the United States has increased dramatically.