NCJ Number
153861
Journal
Journal of the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Research Consortium Volume: 1 Dated: (August 1994) Pages: 1-11
Date Published
1994
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A survey, initially test piloted in two prison populations, was administered to 549 female inmates housed in two correctional facilities in Oklahoma.
Abstract
The 142 closed and open-ended questions on the survey covered demographics, family history, substance use, economic status, juvenile and adult criminal history, history of physical and sexual abuse, treatment history, health, and program needs. Oklahoma leads the nation in the proportion of inmates who are women. The average age of the female inmate is 32 years, about 5 years older than the national age for female inmates. This sample also had a higher proportion of whites and Native Americans than the national profile. The Oklahoma female inmate is more likely to be married, be a mother, and to have more children than the average female inmate in the U.S. The inmates in this sample have substantially more education than the typical female inmate; educational attainment differences persist at all levels of education. Two- thirds of the women surveyed have been physically abused, 37 percent have been sexually abused, and 65 percent or more use alcohol and other drugs. In contrast to the national profile, these women are more likely to be a first-time offender or recidivist, and less likely to have committed a violent crime. 3 tables and 56 references