Prison Culture and Demographics

Demographics

The prison population is growing. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported in 2005 that the number of incarcerated women rose 3.4 percent from the previous year and the number of incarcerated men rose 1.3 percent. Overall, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that there are more men than women incarcerated in state and federal prisons (e.g., approximately 1.4 million versus 106,000, respectively). Specifically, approximately 1.3 million offenders are being held in state prisons and 180,000 in federal prisons. In state prisons, men are more likely to be incarcerated for violent offenses, whereas women are more likely to be incarcerated for nonviolent offenses, such as property crimes or drug offenses. In federal prisons, both male and female inmates are more likely to be incarcerated for drug offenses than for other types of offenses.

When examining the racial and ethnic makeup of incarcerated populations, an overwhelming overrepre-sentation of minorities may be seen. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that for both genders, African Americans are more likely to be incarcerated than Hispanic Americans or whites. In the general population, African Americans represent approximately 12 percent of the U.S. population; however, this group represents more than 40 percent of those who are incarcerated. Hispanic Americans of both genders are also overrepresented in the correctional populations compared with their numbers in the U.S. population. Several researchers have explored this finding to determine whether this is because members of certain races are committing more crime. Upon inspection of self-report surveys, in which individuals anonymously report their involvement in crime, researchers have found that African Americans and Hispanic Americans [Page 678]do not report more involvement in crime than do whites. That is, whites, African Americans, and Hispanic Americans report similar involvement in all types of crimes, even though incarceration rates differ. For male offenders, those who are incarcerated are more likely to be young, specifically between the ages of 25 and 29. Female offenders are more likely to be incarcerated between the ages of 35 and 49. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that the age of those incarcerated is consistent regardless of an inmate's race or ethnicity. Additionally, those who are incarcerated in state and federal prisons are undereducated; the majority have not obtained a high school diploma or GED (general educational development credential).

...