How many people are currently incarcerated in the united states?

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. More people are behind bars in the United States than any other country. As of 2006, a record 7 million people were behind bars, on probation or on parole. Of the total, 2.2 million were incarcerated. The People's Republic of China ranks second with 1.5 million, though China has over four times the population of the US.