Report: Illinois sees surge in prison inmates

SPRINGFIELD -- The number of Illinoisans in prison or on probation has more than doubled over the last 25 years to 1 in every 38 adults.

The data released by the Washington-based Pew Center on Monday ranks Illinois at 37th nationwide for the number of adults incarcerated, which has reached nearly 73,000 people.

Pew says the state's prison population grew by 162 percent from 1983 to 2007. And the center's report says Illinois spends more than $39 a day on each person in prison.

Officials with the Illinois Department of Corrections say the prison population has remained steady since 2002 thanks to educational and vocational programs inside prisons and re-entry programs outside.

Illinois also ranks 23rd for its population of nearly 180,000 people who are on probation.