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WHO ARE THE WOMEN IN PRISON?
Race and Age Statistic 98,600 State and Federal sentenced women in 2005 Minorities are over-represented in prison population relative to the number of U.S. residents Most female prisoners are between 30-39 years old Harrison & Beck (BJS), 2006 November; Kim, 2003
A Population in Need · 70% are mothers with minor children · They are mothers of 1.3 million minor children · High rate of recidivism · Two out of three have served time before · One/third had 3 or more prior convictions Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report. Women Offenders. December 1999. NCJ175688
Substance abuse is high among female prisoners · Many have a history of substance or alcohol abuse and treatment attempts. · Alcohol (daily): 25% · Drug usage (1 month prior to arrest): 60% · Majority of substance abusing women offenders had participated in some treatment program (55%) Wolf Harlow (BJS), 1999; Greenfield & Snell (BJS), 1999
High prevalence of mental health problems · 73% of women inmates have mental health problems compared to 55% of male inmates. · The rate of other problems for women with mental health issues is higher than women inmates who lack mental health issues. ¨ 74% had substance abuse issues (54%) ¨ 40% had a current or past violent offense (32%) ¨ 17% were homeless in the year before arrest (10%) ¨ 36% had >3 prior convictions (27%) ¨ 68% had past physical or sexual abuse (44%) ¨ 47% had parents who abused drugs or alcohol (29%) ¨ 17% had a physical or verbal assault charge since admission (6%) Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report. Mental Health Problems of Prison and Jail Inmates. September 2006. Revised 12/14/06
Recidivism is high among female prisoners · 57.6% were rearrested · 39.9% were reconvicted · 17.3% were re-sentenced to prison for a new crime · 39.4% were returned to prison with or without a new sentence · 52% of women prisoners exiting state parole supervision in 1999 violated parole or were re-incarcerated. Langan & Levin (BJS), 2002; Hughes & James Wilson (BJS), 2004 |
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