See where Louisiana ranks among the US states with the longest prison sentences

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Louisiana is among the top 10 U.S. states with the longest average prison sentences per capita, according to a study.

According to a study conducted by Fitch Law FirmLouisiana is the 10th state with the longest prison sentences.

Researchers used data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics to compare the length of prison sentences in federal court cases heard between 2018 and 2023 with the national average.

Iowa ranked first with the average longest prison sentence, which was about 94.8 months, or seven years, 10 months, three weeks and five days.

According to the study, Louisiana ranks 10th with an average prison sentence of 76.7 months.

Report: What are the top federal crimes in Louisiana?

“Each state has its own unique laws and methods for enforcing them, resulting in differences in the average sentence length per capita across states,” a spokesman for John Fitch said. “These differences in sentencing laws and enforcement methods highlight the importance of understanding the legal environment in each state.”

Check out the top 10 states with the longest prison sentences per capita.

1. Iowa – 94.8 months

2. Indiana – 93.6 months

3. Minnesota – 91.9 months

4. Kentucky – 88.7 months

5. Tennessee — 84 months

6. North Carolina – 82.2 months

7. Illinois – 79.5 months

8. Virginia — 79.3 months

9. Maryland – 78.3 months

10. Louisiana— 76.7 months

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