DALLAS – It is no secret that crime is a huge problem throughout the United States. However, there are certain places where crimes are more likely to occur. There has been a great deal of research done regarding the age of felons when they commit their crimes. The states these felons live in has also been studied to a great degree. The data that has been collected as a result of these criminal behavior studies in the United States has been quite interesting. Here are the states that currently have the highest population of felons.
1. Texas
This might not be surprising to some people because Texas is such a big state. The amount of people living in the state of Texas would dictate that the number of felons living there would be high. However, California has the highest population of any state and it does not rank in the top 10 in terms of felon population. It should also be noted that New York did not crack the top 10. The state of Texas currently has 49,421 felons according to felony statistics. There is no clear answer as to why the number of felons is so high in Texas. However, there are some experts who point to the high unemployment rate throughout the state. Criminals get released from prison and are unable to find gainful employment. They revert back to their criminal ways to make money and inevitably end up committing a felony.
2. Wisconsin
The state of Wisconsin is number two in the United States in terms of having the highest felon population total. There are 34,831 who are Wisconsin residents at the present time. This takes many people by surprise. Wisconsin rarely pops into the mind of most people when they think of crime in the United States. Data collected in 2010 showed that Wisconsin also had 17 sexual felonies per one million residents. This was the highest total per capita in the United States. However, this was actually less than the 19 sexual felonies per one million residents that Wisconsin had in 2000.
3. North Carolina
The fact that North Carolina comes in third place on this dubious list is yet another surprise to many people. There are 26,894 felons who reside in that state. Data was not revealed as to the specific nature of the felonies committed in North Carolina. However, the state has been known to have a large amount of drug arrests of gang members. These convictions could account for the very high number of felons in the state. There are a number of gangs that have very high membership in North Carolina. Therefore, it seems a safe bet that felony convictions will remain high for the foreseeable future.