NCJ Number
49174
Date Published
1976
Length
7 pages
Annotation
FINDINGS OF A SURVEY OF 6,466 WOMEN INCARCERATED IN THE PRISONS AND MAJOR JAILS OF 14 STATES ARE REPORTED.
Abstract
A MAJOR GOAL OF THE INMATE SURVEY WAS TO PROVIDE A PROFILE OF INCARCERATED WOMEN, BASED ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A SAMPLE REPRESENTING APPROXIMATELY 46 PERCENT OF ALL WOMEN INCARCERATED IN THE UNITED STATES AT STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS. WHILE BLACKS COMPRISED ONLY 10 PERCENT OF THE ADULT FEMALE POPULATION IN THE STUDY STATES, HALF OF THE INCARCERATED WOMEN WERE BLACK. TWO-THIRDS OF THE INMATES WERE UNDER AGE 30. ALTHOUGH INCARCERATED WOMEN TENDED TO BE LESS EDUCATED THAN WOMEN IN GENERAL, THEIR EDUCATIONAL LEVELS RELATED DIRECTLY TO STATEWIDE MEDIANS. MARITAL STATUS OF INMATES TENDED TO BE UNSTABLE. OVER HALF OF THE INCARCERATED FEMALES HAD RECEIVED WELFARE. ONLY 56.3 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE HAD ONE OR MORE DEPENDENT CHILDREN LIVING AT HOME, A MUCH LOWER FIGURE THAN THE 80 PERCENT MOST OFTEN QUOTED. WHITE INMATES WERE MORE DIVERGENT FROM THE WHITE NORM THAN BLACK INMATES WERE FROM THE BLACK NORM WITH REGARD TO FAMILY SITUATION. DIFFERENCES AMONG ETHNIC GROUPS IN CHILD CARE ARRANGEMENTS DURING THE MOTHER'S INCARCERATION WERE SIGNIFICANT, WITH BLACKS TENDING TO RELY ON THEIR PARENTS AND AMERICAN INDIANS AND WHITES TENDING TO DEPEND ON THEIR HUSBANDS OR ON NONRELATIVES. ALMOST ALL OF THE INMATES HAD WORKED AT SOME TIME -- TWO FIFTHS IN THE 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO INCARCERATION. ALMOST HALF OF THE WOMEN HAD RECEIVED PRIOR VOCATIONAL TRAINING. THE JOBS MOST COMMONLY HELD WERE PERSONAL SERVICES (BEAUTY OPERATOR, WAITRESS), CLERICAL, SEMI-SKILLED, AND UNSKILLED. MOST OF THE WOMEN EXPRESSED A DESIRE FOR UPWARD MOBILITY IN THEIR OCCUPATIONS. OF MISDEMEANANTS, 41 PERCENT WERE CONVICTED OF PROPERTY CRIMES, 20 PERCENT OF DRUG OFFENSES, AND 11 PERCENT OF VIOLENT CRIMES. OF FELONS, 43 PERCENT WERE CONVICTED OF VIOLENT CRIMES, 29 PERCENT OF PROPERTY CRIMES, AND 22 PERCENT OF DRUG OFFENSES. LENGTH OF SENTENCE WAS RELATED DIRECTLY TO SEVERITY OF OFFENSE. PROSTITUTION ACCOUNTED FOR 6.2 PERCENT OF ALL ARRESTS, 3 PERCENT OF THE UNSENTENCED WOMEN, 7.2 PERCENT OF MISDEMEANANTS, AND 0.4 PERCENT OF FELONS. THERE WERE DIFFERENCES IN OFFENSE CATEGORIES AMONG ETHNIC GROUPS. NEARLY ONE-THIRD OF THE WOMEN HAD BEEN ARRESTED FOR THE FIRST TIME AT AGE 17 OR YOUNGER. ANOTHER 49 PERCENT WERE FIRST ARRESTED BETWEEN AGES 18 AND 24. PROSTITUTES WERE THE OFFENDERS MOST LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. PROPERTY OFFENDERS (ESPECIALLY LARCENY) WERE MOST LIKELY TO BE RECIDIVISTS. MURDERERS WERE MOST LIKELY TO BE FIRST OFFENDERS. NO SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)