42 Criminal Justice Statistics for the U.S. in 2025

42 Criminal Justice Statistics for the United States

The American criminal justice system is vast and ever-changing, with technology and reforms being introduced every day. Let’s look at some key criminal justice data.

Sarah Hollenbeck

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Content Marketing and SEO Manager

September 2, 2025

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A judge is out of focus in the background. In focus is a gavel that the judge is holding in his hand.

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The criminal justice field is expansive, covering everything from routine traffic stops and petty theft arrests to detectives investigating violent crimes. Meanwhile, American consumers are becoming increasingly more interested in the field via popular true crime podcasts or crime procedural shows like “CSI.”

But those working in the field know that criminal justice is more than just a trending topic, and that understanding it is key to working in it. Criminal justice data can provide valuable insight into the American public as a whole.

For example, from data about the American criminal justice system, we can learn about how, where, and why Americans commit crimes, how police respond to those crimes, and how criminals are persecuted. On the other side of the coin, statistics in criminal justice can be a valuable tool to learn more about police violence and accountability.

Let’s look at some important American criminal justice statistics to learn more about the way America sees crime.

Data on the Criminal Justice System

The criminal justice system is the people, institutions, and organizations that create and uphold the law. From criminal justice data like Department of Justice (DoJ) criminal statistics, the conviction rate in America, incarceration numbers, and the number of crimes reported per capita, we can learn a lot about how the American criminal justice system and how it has evolved over time.

60% of Americans say their knowledge of the criminal justice system is informed by the media they consume. (1)
Americans who learn about what lawyers do from the media learn the most from movies and television shows, with 24% reporting that they learn the most on-screen. (1)
Americans who learn about what lawyers do without the media report learning the most from personal experience, with 24% saying they learn about what lawyers do from a friend or relative in the field. (1)
34% of those in the criminal justice field earned a Bachelor’s Degree, and 61% have earned at least an Associate’s Degree. (5)
Over 1 million people are incarcerated in state jails in the United States. (6)
64% of Americans believe that there is more crime in the United States than there was previously, despite reports that the crime rates are falling. (14)
There were 61,678 cases reported to the U.S. Sentencing Commission in 2024, down more than 2,000 cases from the previous year. (16)
Immigration and drug-related cases were the most commonly reported to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, both making up just over 18,000 of the reported cases each. (16)
88% of people sentenced in the fiscal year 2024 were men. (16)
‍89% of cases in 2024 resulted in a prison sentence, with 52 months being the average length of the incarceration. (16)

Crime Rates + Data by State

No municipality is created equal. Crime rates broken down by state can give us a bit of a look into what citizens living in a certain geographic area may witness. While crime reports may create fear, they can also be a helpful tool for those living in or traveling to certain areas about what to look out for.

In 2024, a murder occurred every 31 minutes and a rape occurred every 4 minutes in the United States. (3)
Reported rates of violent crimes in the United States are lower in the first half of 2025 than they were in the first half of 2024. (3)
Mississippi has the highest homicide rate in the United States, followed by Louisiana, Alabama, New Mexico, and Missouri. (8)
New Hampshire has the lowest homicide rate in the United States, followed by Rhode Island, Utah, Massachusetts, and Maine. (8)
The city with the highest murder rate in the United States is New Orleans, Louisiana. (8)
Larceny and theft are by far the most common crimes committed in the United States, impacting 1,400 per 100,000 Americans per year. (14)
The rate of homicides in the first half of 2025 is 17% lower than the first half of 2024; there have also been 10% fewer assaults, 10% fewer sexual assaults, and 20% fewer robberies. (17)
Crime rates are down in 2025 compared to 2024 for every type of crime except for domestic violence. (17)

An infographic that reads “Where Does Crime Take A Backseat?” Smaller text below the title reads: States with the lowest homicide rates. There are green icons of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Utah, Massachusetts, and Maine. Below that, text reads: States with the Highest Homicide Rates. There are orange icons of Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, New Mexico, and Missouri.

Criminal Lawyer Statistics

A lawyer has a demanding job. Case lawyers have to get to know every inch of their case while preparing for trial, doing client research, uncovering important data or other documents to support their arguments, and preparing their witnesses. Even out of the courtroom, lawyers have to spend countless hours drafting contracts or other important documents.

Criminal lawyers specialize in those facing charges for violent crimes, meaning lawyers do the important work to convict those who have committed crimes or prove the innocence of those who haven’t. Let's take a look at some data regarding criminal lawyers in the United States.

34% of Americans believe that preparing for trial is the most time-consuming thing a lawyer does. (1)
Lawyers report that the most time-consuming task is actually the paperwork, with 33% saying that they spend most of their time on research and writing documents. (1)
33% of lawyers report that they are unhappy with their job. (1)
80% of lawyers have reported experiencing burnout with their jobs. (1)
47% of lawyers report that they feel burnt out because of a heavy workload and the long hours they have to work. (2)
50.5% of criminal defense lawyers in the United States are female, and 49.5% are male. (15)
75.5% of criminal defense lawyers in the United States are white. (15)
67% of criminal defense lawyers in the United States are over 40 years old. (15)
41% of criminal defense lawyers in the United States have a Bachelor’s Degree, and 28% have gone on to earn their Doctorate. (15)
27% of criminal defense lawyers in the United States work at companies or firms that employ 100-500 people. (15)
67% of criminal defense lawyers in the United States prefer to work at a privately-owned company rather than a public company or a government office. (15)

Policing Statistics

Over the past several decades, law enforcement in America has undergone profound changes. As the number of registered police officers has continued to grow, so has the need for better training and accountability processes for those who serve. Here’s a look at the state of policing in America.

The number of sworn-in police officers in the United States has increased 26% since 1987. (4)
Spending on police increased 168% from 1977 to 2018. (4)
The majority of people who contact the police are not reporting a crime, but are reporting a non-crime emergency (25%), or non-emergencies like lost pets (26%). (10)
The estimated number of civilians that are killed in incidents involving the police averages between 1,000 and 1,100 per year. (4)
80% of motor vehicle thefts in the U.S. are reported to the police, making it the most commonly reported crime. (14)
Police solve about 37% of violent crimes reported to them, which is down from almost half of the reported crimes being solved in previous years. (14)
Only 38% of people in urban areas report violent crimes to the police, while 43% of those in suburban areas and 51% of those in rural areas report them. (9)

An infographic with the title “Behind the headlines: Stats on violent crime reporting. Text below the title reads: Crime can happen anywhere. But when it comes to reporting those crimes to authorities, some areas are more likely to report than others. There are three circle graphs. The one on the left has the title Urban Areas and shows that 38% of urban areas report violent crime to the police. The one in the middle has the title Suburban Areas and shows that 43% of urban areas report violent crime to the police. The one on the right has the title Rural Areas and shows that 51% of urban areas report violent crime to the police. There is a badge next to the rural area graph indicating that it is the most likely area to report violent crime to the police.

Criminal Justice: Growth and Tech

The criminal justice system looks vastly different than it did 10 years ago, and will likely look vastly different 10 years from now. While job opportunities for those looking to enter the criminal justice field climb at a steady pace, so does the technology available to transform the field itself.

However, while AI may be growing as a useful tool for law teams, there is also debate about whether or not it can be helpful and safe to use.

Job opportunities and interest in the Criminal Justice and Corrections fields are projected to grow 7.6% from 2016 to 2026. (5)
The job field for police and detectives is expected to grow 4% from 2023 to 2033, which correlates to the average expectancy for job growth in any field. (7)
46% of legal professionals report that they are at least somewhat familiar with the AI tools available to them. (2)
33% of lawyers believe that adopting AI tools for legal work would help reduce stress and improve their quality of life at work. (2)
80% of large police departments – meaning those that serve 1 million people or more – require their officers to wear body cameras. (11)
More than 18 states have put forth bills to regulate police use of AI-powered facial recognition technology over the past 5 years. (18)

Infographic with the title Tech Trends Changing the Beat. On the left of the graphic is the torso of a police officer in a vest that reads Police. It shows the policeman wearing a body camera. Text on the right of the infographic reads: 80% of large police departments require their officers to wear body cameras.

Find the Truth in True Crime

For those working in the criminal justice field, true crime isn’t just a trendy podcast or Netflix documentary: it’s your day-to-day, real life. So you know better than anyone that the work isn’t always exciting enough to be featured on a podcast. Sometimes, it’s sorting through hours of audio or video footage to find that one key piece.

The good news? Rev can step in and help. Our speech-to-text criminal law technology can help transcribe your audio and video footage with ease. Plus, our AI assistant can identify the most important segments for your case and provide actionable summaries.

Rev for Criminal Law

Resources

60% Get Their Legal Knowledge From Media Consumption (Rev)
4 in 5 Legal Professionals Are Burned Out: Can AI Be the Lifeline? (Rev)
FBI Releases 2024 Reported Crimes in the Nation Statistics (FBI)
Policing by the Numbers (Council on Criminal Justice)
65 Criminal Justice Statistics for 2025 (National University)
Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2025 (Prison Policy Initiative)
Police and Detectives (Bureau of Labor and Statistics)
Which states have the highest murder rates? (USAFacts)
Reporting to Police by Type of Crime and Location of Residence, 2020–2023 (Bureau of Justice Statistics)
Despite fewer people experiencing police contact, racial disparities in arrests, police misconduct, and police use of force continue (Prison Policy Initiative)
Research on Body-Worn Cameras and Law Enforcement (National Institute of Justice)
Share of Americans who believe there is either more crime than there was a year ago or less in the United States from 1990 to 2024 (Statistia)
Demographics (American Bar Association)
What the data says about crime in the U.S. (Pew Research Center)
Criminal defense lawyer demographics and statistics in the US (Zippia)
2024 Annual Report (U.S. Sentencing Commission)
Crime Trends in U.S. Cities Mid-Year 2025 Update (Council on Criminal Justice)
Artificial Intelligence and Law Enforcement: The Federal and State Landscape (NCSL)