Federal Prison Population Drops By 5,000

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Eric Holder says the federal prison population has dropped this year by roughly 4,800 inmates, the first decline in decades.

Holder is speaking Tuesday at a criminal justice conference in New York City.

According to excerpts of his speech, the Justice Department expects to end the current fiscal year next week with a federal prison population of roughly 215,000 inmates.

That 4,800 drop is compared with totals from last year. It's the first time since 1980 that the federal prison population has declined during the course of a fiscal year.

With more population drops expected in the future, Holder says law enforcement needs to measure success by more than just prosecutions and convictions.