What is the average cost of incarceration?
<answer> The average cost of incarceration is between $20,000 and $40,000 per year to house inmates in federal and state correctional facilities. <context> The average cost of incarceration in the United States is determined by different methods. It costs anywhere between $20,000 and $40,000 per year to house inmates in federal and state correctional facilities; the considerable spread is due to the criteria used by government agencies and prison system watchdogs.