Ranking Texas on Criminal Justice

The Legislative Budget Board has published its 2012 "Texas Fact Book" (pdf) and here are the first four items on the state's criminal justice rankings, plus a surprising stat about per-capita cost:

• 2009 Adults on State Probation:    426,331, 1st
• 2009 Adults on State Parole:     104,943, 2nd
• 2009 State Prisoners: 171,249, 2nd (ed. note: now 1st) 
• 2009 Crime Rate Per 100,000 Population:   4,506.4, 2nd
• 2008 Per Capita State and Local Expenditures for Corrections:   $214, 23rd

That sums it up: The state excels at keeping far more of its citizens under supervision of the criminal justice system than its peers, with an efficiency and low per-prisoner cost at which other states can only marvel. But all we have to show for it is the nation's second highest per-capita crime rate. They're getting better outcomes with smaller systems focusing more resources per offender. See pp. 17-18 of the report (pdf) for more Texas criminal justice rankings.