Iowa and many states across the country have experienced a dramatic increase in felony convictions in the past few decades. A study in 2010 showed that felony convictions in Iowa had almost tripled since 1980, going from 2.05% to 5.72% in just three decades.
This steady increase in felony convictions has caused many states to work to reclassify crimes and lower incarceration rates. These states also are taking steps to make it easier for offenders to transition back into society.
Though these rates have not been updated since 2010, felony convictions – ending in incarceration or probation – continue to flood states nationwide.