State rankings

Worst Prisons by State

Alabama has the highest Annual Crude Mortality Rate in Prisons in 2024 (101.81), followed by Georgia (65.29) and Tennessee (62.84). North Dakota has the lowest (5.18).

LawPolitics & Government50 states · 5 metricsUpdated Aug 25, 2026Original page
11 sources
46 of 51 states
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Annual Crude Mortality Rate in Prisons, 2024

Green is better, red is worse (lower is better). Click a place to highlight it.

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All 46 ranked

Best first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
36.97
Middle half 28.42 – 44.3
Average
38.53
46 states
Lowest (best)
5.18
North Dakota
Highest (worst)
101.81
Alabama

Over time · 2019–2024

The top 5 in 2024, against the median.

  • Median of all states
  • North Dakota
  • Virginia
  • Vermont
  • Minnesota
  • Rhode Island

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

46 states · # = rank by Annual Crude Mortality Rate in Prisons
#
1North Dakota5.18
2Virginia14.56
2Vermont14.56
4Minnesota17.94
5Rhode Island21.51
6Wisconsin21.56
7New Mexico23.02
8Idaho24.58
9Maine27.46
10Utah27.83
11Washington28.15
12Oregon28.2
13North Carolina29.08
13Nebraska29.08
15Colorado29.93
16Kentucky29.94
17Connecticut30.25
18Massachusetts30.4
19Arizona31.62
20South Dakota31.96
21Alaska33.75
22Illinois35.51
23Hawaii36.02
24Texas37.91
25Michigan38.22
26Wyoming40.21
27Delaware40.49
28Arkansas40.98
29California41.81
30Indiana41.99
31Louisiana42.63
32Maryland43.27
33New York43.44
33New Jersey43.44
35Montana44.58
36Florida46.46
37Pennsylvania48.64
38Nevada50.88
39South Carolina54.96
40Kansas57.85
41Missouri58.2
42Oklahoma61.68
43West Virginia62.59
44Tennessee62.84
45Georgia65.29
46Alabama101.81

What correlates with Annual Crude Mortality Rate in Prisons (2024)?

Pearson r against 2,107 other state metrics sharing at least 28 states. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Annual Crude Mortality Rate in Prisons tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Death RateHeart Disease by State
    r = +0.64 · strong · n = 46
    Plot
  2. Pregnancy RateTeen Pregnancy Rates by State
    r = +0.63 · strong · n = 46
    Plot
  3. BBQ Restaurants Per Capita RankBest BBQ by StateA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = −0.62 · strong · n = 46
    Plot
  4. Wage Increase 2023-24Minimum Wage Increases by State
    r = +0.60 · strong · n = 30
    Plot
  5. Disease Factors & Prevalence ScoreMost Unhealthy States in the U.S.
    r = +0.59 · strong · n = 45
    Plot
  6. Cost-Prohibited CareHealth Care Costs by State
    r = +0.58 · strong · n = 44
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Annual Crude Mortality Rate in Prisons tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. Overall ScoreHealthiest States
    r = −0.62 · strong · n = 46
    Plot
  2. Worst States to Retire - HealthcareWorst States to RetireA rank: rank 1 is the worst
    r = −0.60 · strong · n = 46
    Plot
  3. % That Received Updated BoosterVaccination Rates by State
    r = −0.60 · strong · n = 46
    Plot
  4. Financial Safety Rank WalletHubSafest States in the USA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.58 · strong · n = 46
    Plot
  5. Health and SafetyBest States to Raise a FamilyA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.56 · strong · n = 46
    Plot
  6. Health Care RankBest States to RetireA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.56 · strong · n = 46
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Annual Crude Mortality Rate in Prisons?
Alabama has the highest Annual Crude Mortality Rate in Prisons in 2024, at 101.81, followed by Georgia (65.29) and Tennessee (62.84).
Which state has the lowest Annual Crude Mortality Rate in Prisons?
North Dakota has the lowest Annual Crude Mortality Rate in Prisons in 2024, at 5.18.
What is the median Annual Crude Mortality Rate in Prisons across US states?
The median is 36.97 across the 46 US states with data in 2024.
Where does this worst prisons by state data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Crude Mortality Rates in Prisons - UCLA.LAW; Rankings: Correction Outcomes 2024 - US News; 18 Worst Prisons in the US [2024 Edition] - USA By Numbers; These 8 Deadly Prisons Can Only Be Found In Indiana - Only In Your State.