NCJ Number
67916
Date Published
1977
Length
33 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT ON THIRD QUARTER 1977 TRENDS AT CALIFORNIA'S PLEASANTON PRISON COVERS ADMISSIONS, DISCHARGES, AND INMATE AGES, AND REPORTS ON PLEASANTON'S CHANGE FROM A MALE TO FEMALE FACILITY.
Abstract
ADMISSIONS TO PLEASANTON INCREASED DRAMATICALLY AS THE FACILITY RECEIVED 161 FEMALES, HALF OF THEM TRANSFERS FROM OTHER FEDERAL PRISONS AND A THIRD COMMITTED DIRECTLY FROM COURT. ALTHOUGH MALE COMMISSIONS DROPPED, THEIR SOURCES REMAINED SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS QUARTERS. AVERAGE AGE OF MALES AND FEMALES INCREASED OVER PREVIOUS QUARTERS, TO 22.8 YEARS AND 27.5 YEARS, RESPECTIVELY, REFLECTING A CHANGE IN THE PRISON'S AGE AT ADMISSION POLICY. PERCENTAGES OF BLACKS AMONG BOTH MALE AND FEMALE ADMITTEES CONTINUED TO RISE, AMOUNTING TO 33 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL FOR THE THIRD QUARTER, 1977, COMPARED WITH ONLY 18 PERCENT IN 1975. THE LAST DAY OF THIRD QUARTER, 1977, FOUND 279 INMATES AT PLEASANTON, 79 PERCENT OF THEM FEMALE. SINCE THE PRISON'S CAPACITY IS ONLY 224, CROWDING WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM UNTIL A NEW HOUSING UNIT IS COMPLETED IN 1978. ETHNIC MAKE-UP OF THE INMATES HAS CHANGED AS A RESULT OF THE INFLUX OF FEMALES AND NOW REFLECTS MORE THE FEMALE THAN MALE POPULATION. OVER HALF OF THE INMATES OF BOTH SEXES ARE FROM CALIFORNIA; AVERAGE EDUCATIONAL LEVELS ARE 11.0 GRADES FOR MALES AND 10.9 FOR FEMALES. AMONG MALES, 30 PERCENT WERE CONVICTED OF DRUG OFFENSES AND 37 PERCENT FOR PROPERTY CRIMES WITHOUT FORCE; FOR FEMALES, DRUG OFFENSE COMMITMENTS HAVE DROPPED OVER PREVIOUS QUARTERS TO 39 PERCENT, WHILE PROPERTY CRIMES WITHOUT THE USE OF FORCE HAVE RISEN TO 36 PERCENT. DISCHARGES HAVE INCREASED FOR MALES DUE TO THE SHIFT TO FEMALES, ALTHOUGH MOST OF THESE HAVE MERELY BEEN TRANSFERRED TO OTHER PRISONS. HALF OF THE FEMALES DISCHARGED, HOWEVER, HAVE BEEN RELEASED TO THE COMMUNITY. FINALLY, PRISON STAYS AVERAGED 18 MONTHS FOR MALES AND 7.9 MONTHS FOR FEMALES, IN THIRD QUARTER 1977. CHARTS AND GRAPHS ARE INCLUDED.