NCJ Number
198819
Date Published
February 2002
Length
46 pages
Annotation
This report presents data about foreign-born inmates and their effect on the New York State Department of Correctional Services.
Abstract
During the period between April 1985 and December 2001, the inmate population in New York grew by 95 percent, with the number of foreign-born inmates increasing a full 222 percent. The report explains that the rate of growth in the foreign-born inmate population was twice the rate of growth of the native-born population for the period spanning 1985 through 1995. If these foreign-born inmates remain in the New York correctional system longer than native-born inmates, significant resources will have to be leveraged in the effort to process these inmates for deportation. Other data included in this report note that 75 percent of all foreign-born inmates were from either the Caribbean or South America. Foreign-born inmates are more likely than native-born inmates to be convicted of drug offenses and more serious offenses. The most salient problem presented by the foreign-born inmate population is the problem of a language barrier. Communication problems have put a strain on the resources of the New York correctional system. This report is comprised mainly of tables which present demographic information about foreign-born inmates who were housed in New York prisons between 1985 and 2001.