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The First Jail
The first local jail appeared in the US in the 1600s. This type of jail were run by the city, instead of the US government. Souce: Cosmos -
The First Prison
The first prison in the US was created around the late 1800s. These prison created by the US government were known as federal prisons. Source: Cosmos -
Federal Prison System Established
Congress passes the "Three Prisons Act," which established the Federal Prison System (FPS). Source: https://www.bop.gov/about/history/timeline.jsp -
Peak at number of inmates
Since in the 1890s the prison system was created, until 2013, there has been an increase in the number of inmates every year. In 2013 there were 217,000 inmates in 119 facilities. Source: Cosmos -
A decrease in the prison system
In 2014, for the first time in 34 years, there was a decrease in inmate population. Nowadays, there are 157,708 inmates in 122 facilities. Source: https://www.bop.gov/about/history/timeline.jsp