TRENDS IN INCARCERATION IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE 1880 - A SUMMARY OF REPORTED RATES AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF OFFENSES

• NCJ Number: 53966
• Journal: Crime and Delinquency Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1979) Pages: 9-41
• Author(s): M CALAHAN
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 33 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

REPORTED INCARCERATION RATES IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE 1880 AND REPORTED OFFENSE DISTRIBUTIONS AMONG OFFENDERS IN PRISON ARE ANALYZED AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TRENDS DISCUSSED.

Abstract

DATA PRESENTED IN THIS PAPER COMBINES INFORMATION FROM THREE MAJOR SOURCES: (1) CENSUS REPORTS, WHICH DESCRIBE ALL LEVELS OF INCARCERATION AT APPROXIMATELY 10-YEAR INTERVALS FROM 1850 TO THE PRESENT; (2) NATIONAL REPORTS ON INMATES IN STATE AND FEDERAL INSTITUTIONS, DATING FROM 1926; AND (3) RECENT SURVEYS BY THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE ADMINISTRATION. AN EXAMINATION OF THIS DATA SHOWS THAT DESPITE FLUCTUATIONS IN THE RATE OF CONFINEMENT SINCE 1910, THE UNITED STATES HAS USED INCARCERATION INCREASINGLY. INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS INDICATE THAT THE UNITED STATES INCARCERATES MORE PERSONS THAN OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS WITH SUCH INFORMATION. AN EXAMINATION OF OFFENSES FOR WHICH PERSONS WERE INCARCERATED OVER THE SAME PERIOD SHOWS THAT THE PERCENTAGE OF ALL PERSONS PRESENT ON A GIVEN DAY AND RECEIVED DURING EACH YEAR IN JAILS AND PRISONS FOR HOMICIDE HAS FLUCTUATED, BUT SHOWS NO OVERALL TREND UPWARD. THE MAJOR CHANGES IN OFFENSE DISTRIBUTION OVER THE PERIOD STUDIED ARE INCREASES IN THE PROPORTION OF PERSONS INCARCERATED FOR ROBBERY AND THE PROPORTION IMPRISONED FOR DRUG OFFENSES. WHILE ECONOMIC CRIMES HAVE REMAINED PARAMOUNT AS OFFENSES LEADING TO INCARCERATION, NO RELATIONSHIP IS EVIDENT BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF ECONOMIC LOSS INCURRED IN AN OFFENSE AND REPRESENTATION IN PRISON. CONFRONTATION WITH THE VICTIM AND THE FORCE OR THREAT OF FORCE USED HAS BEEN MORE DETERMINATIVE OF IMPRISONMENT THAN THE AMOUNT OF FINANCIAL LOSS INCURRED. THE CRIMES COMMITTED BY BLACKS AND SPANISH-SPEAKING OFFENDERS ARE CURRENTLY MOST LIKELY TO LEAD TO IMPRISONMENT, AND INCARCERATION IS USED SELECTIVELY AGAINST THE POOR AND POWERLESS, WHILE THOSE OFFENDERS OF AFFLUENCE AND POWER WHO COMMIT CRIMES OF GREAT FINANCIAL COST AVOID INCARCERATION. STATISTICS SHOW THAT INCARCERATION HAS NEITHER REDUCED CRIME NOR MANIFESTED JUSTICE. DATA DERIVED FROM THE STUDY ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)