UTAH STATE PRISON INMATES - A PROFILE - INCOMING (1800-1977) AND INCARCERATED (1962-1978)

• NCJ Number: 67621
• Author(s): L R PAYNE
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 57 pages
• Corporate Author: Utah Division of Corrections Research and Statistics
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED CHARACTERISTICS OF INCARCERATED AND INCOMING UTAH PRISON INMATES AND ATTEMPTED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS REGARDING THE CHANGING NATURE OF INMATES.

Abstract

RESEARCHERS COMPILED AND ANALYZED ANNUAL STATISTICAL REPORTS FROM 1962 TO 1978 (1963, 1964, AND 1968 WERE UNAVAILABLE) FOR INCARCERATED INMATES. THEY ALSO COLLECTED INFORMATION ON INCOMING INMATES IN A PARTICULAR YEAR, BEGINNING IN 1880 AND CONTINUING IN 10 YEAR INTERVALS UNTIL 1970 AND ADDING 1977. THEY GATHERED PERSONAL INFORMATION, DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, AND CORRECTIONAL INFORMATION. FINDINGS FOR INCARCERATED INMATES SHOWED THAT FROM 1962 TO 1978 THERE WAS A 15 PERCENT INCREASE IN CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, BUT A 13 PERCENT DECREASE IN CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY. USE OF WEAPONS IN CRIMES INCREASED 19 PERCENT FROM 1969 TO 1978. DRUG USE BY INMATES INCREASED 51 PERCENT DURING THE PAST 10 YEARS, WHILE ALCOHOL USE DECREASED 6 PERCENT. TWO-THIRDS OF ALL UTAH CRIMES CAN BE EXPECTED TO BE DRUG OR ALCOHOL RELATED. THE ESCAPE RECORD OF INMATES INCREASED 13 PERCENT FROM 1969 TO 1978. APPROXIMATELY 30 PERCENT OF ALL INCARCERATED INMATES FROM 1976 TO 1978 SPENT TIME IN MENTAL HOSPITALS. WHILE THE INMATE POPULATION HAS INCREASED 75 PERCENT OVER THE PAST 9 YEARS, PAROLE VIOLATION, JUVENILE INSTITUTIONALIZATION, AND RUNNING AWAY FROM JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS HAVE DECREASED IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. COSTS INCREASED 221 PERCENT IN THE LAST 6 YEARS. THERE WAS A TREND TOWARD BETTER EDUCATED INMATES. FOR INCOMING INMATES, CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY DECREASED 16 PERCENT FROM 1940 TO 1977, WHILE CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS HIT A LOW OF 15 PERCENT IN 1940 AND A HIGH OF 41 PERCENT IN 1890, DUE TO POLYGAMY. WHILE THE AVERAGE AGE FOR THE INCOMING INMATE WAS 26.7 YEARS IN 1880, IT WAS 32 YEARS IN 1960, AND 27.4 YEARS IN 1977. THE STUDY CONCLUDES THAT INMATES HAVE BECOME MORE DIFFICULT AND VIOLENCE PRONE BECAUSE OF INCREASES IN CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, WEAPONS USED, INJURIES TO PERSONS, DRUG USE, AND ESCAPE RECORDS. TABLES AND FOUR REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (JLF)