About the Indicator: Legal penalties for illicit drugs range from prison time to probation sentences.  It is important to recognize that these data capture the governing offense for which a person was convicted.  Because persons are often not convicted for all offense charged, and this indicator only counts where the most serious offense is the drug conviction, it is likely that these data alone underestimate the role of illicit drugs in all convictions and sentences. Counts are for adults in prison for drug offenses, by sentencing county, as of January 1st of each reporting year.

In 2009, rates for adult prison inmates sentenced in Minnesota for drug offenses are lower than the national average (rate ratio = 0.81:1.00).  Rates for the state are from the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC); national rates are from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).  For more national comparisons, click here State Epi Profile.

Rates per 1,000 population for 2015 data are calculated based on Minnesota State Demographic Center population estimates, as of February 2016.

Data Source: Inmate Profile

Description: The inmate profile captures the number of incarcerated persons in the state of Minnesota twice a year. Statistics on prison inmate counts where drug offenses were the governing sentences were obtained by request.  These statistics are not available on the Department of Corrections website.
 
Sponsored by: Minnesota Department of Corrections

Geographic Level: State, County

Aggregated data at the state and county level do not reveal disparities that may exist within a given geographic area.

Frequency: Data collected and reported annually

Characteristics: The inmate profile counts offenders only once and may exclude cases that involve drug or chemical convictions. Inmates are counted once by governing sentence which is typically the sentence with the greatest release date (which may or may not be the most serious offense). In Minnesota, there are 8 adult prisons, 7 male prisons and 1 female prison.