The coronavirus pandemic caused a historic drop in Maryland’s prison population. But after the state of emergency ended and prisons filled again, the share of Black incarcerated people reached a five-year-high late last year, a Capital News Service data analysis has found. In March 2020, around 18,500 people were incarcerated in the state’s prisons. By summer 2021, there were almost 4,000 fewer prisoners.
As pandemic eases, share of Black inmates in Maryland prisons peaks
April 17, 2024