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Individuals Sentenced Over Time
Incarceration Rate Over Time
Missouri's increased rate of incarceration between 1980 and 2010 far outpaced population growth. Between 1980 and 2010, Missouri's population increased 22% from 4.9 million to 6.5 million. In the same time period, the number of individuals sentenced to time in state institutions increased 450% from 2,948 to 13,292 per year. While the years 2020 and 2021 indicate a much slower rate of incarceration likely due in part to the impacts of COVID, the large decrease in incarceration in 2019, an 18% drop from 2018, shows that this decrease is part of a general decrease in incarceration not restricted to COVID.
Incarceration Rate Over Time For Black Individuals
Census data shows that the percentage of Missouri's population that is black increased from 10.4% to 11.4% in the time period above while the proportion of individuals sentenced to time in a Missouri institution that are black decreased from about 40% to 20%.
Average Sentence Length Over Time
Assault
Assault Sentences for 2020 - 2022
For the years 2020 to 2022, the average sentence length for offenders charged with assault was 7.09 for black individuals vs 6.06 years for white individuals. This is a smaller difference than in years past (with the largest disparity occurring in the period 1994-1999), but still represents a difference of 14.5%.
Life Sentences
Life sentences are calculated at 40 years, and make a larger difference for black sentencees (a change of 6.53 yrs to 7.09 years) as opposed to white sentencees (5.94 years to 6.06 years).
- The average non-life assault sentence was 5.94 years for white offenders
- The average non-life assault sentence was 6.53 years for black offenders
Missouri Charge Codes versus NCIC codes
The graph above represents all sentences with NCIC codes between 1300-1399, which represent all types of Assault charges (not including Sexual Assault) and are the codes used to report national crime data. However, these do not represent the actual statutes that the offenders are charged with. These are the Missouri Charge Codes, and there are 321 Missouri Charge Codes that represent offenders currently serving time in Missouri prisons for an assault charge.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Degrees
The largest contributor to the racial sentencing disparity for assault is the distribution of charges. While there are still statistically significant differences in sentence length based on race for the same charge, these differences are smaller than the differences in charge distribution. The charges with harsher sentences are more likely to have more black individuals. The most common charge for black offenders is 1st Degree Assault. The most common for white offenders is 2nd Degree Assault.
Weapons
Homicide
Burglary
Drugs
Sexual Assault
Total Prisoners by Location
As of Jan 1, 2022, there are 23,477 prisoners in Missouri institutions.
Life Sentences calculated at 40 years.
Prisoners by County