In 2025, women's prison admissions increased by 30%, largest increase in thirty years

The number of women admitted to Illinois state prisons has been declining overall for the past twenty years (down 66% since 2005), but increased sharply between CY 2024 and 2025, when women's admissions increased by 30%, an additional 312 women. This year over year increase outpaced the increase in men's admissions (up 9%) and the increase in women's admissions between 2021 and 2022, when prison admissions were rebounding following COVID-19 mitigation policies (up 15%).