After a three-year decline, the total number of prisoners in state and federal jails increased in 2013, albeit slightly. The Justice Department reported Tuesday that 1,574,700 people were incarcerated in the U.S. in 2013, up 4,300 from the prior year. The number of prisoners in federal prison did decrease slightly, but the increase in the population in state prisons exceeded that decline. Overall, the numbers suggest a need for a greater overhaul of the penitentiary system in order to reduce the incarcerated population.
