Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Latest Data: 2021

This data is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s “Annual State Survey of Government Finances” which gives the state governments’ general expenditures for each function the government performs. Correction expenditures comprise two expenditure groups, correctional institutions and other corrections. (Methodology for Summary Tabulations) Correctional institutions consist of any facility for the confinement, correction, rehabilitation, and detention of adults or juveniles. The other corrections expenditure group includes probation offices, boards of parole, boards of pardon, the training of correctional employees, nonresidential halfway houses, and community corrections centers. For more information on what each group includes see the U.S. Bureau of the Census Government Finance and Employment Classification Manual (Ch. 5, p. 17).

Correction expenditures refers to the total amount spent by the state on corrections given in millions.

The correction expenditures percentage is calculated as the amount spent on correction divided by total government expenditures. Correction expenditures per capita are calculated as the amount spent on correction divided by the state population in the given year.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, “Expenditures comprise all amounts of money paid out by a government during its fiscal year, with some exceptions. Statistics on state government finance include measurement of expenditures by character (e.g., current operations, capital outlay, intergovernmental expenditures, and so on) and function (e.g., education, health, public welfare, natural resources, and so on). Expenditure does not include a government's payment of its debt, or purchases of investment securities, loans it has granted, agency or private trust transactions, nor correcting transactions” (State Government Finances Methodology).