NCJ Number
84823
Date Published
1982
Length
51 pages
Annotation
Prison facilities and programs for women are inadequate and should be restructured to accommodate the special needs of incarcerated mothers. Nondangerous women should be sentenced to restitution or community service rather than to prison.
Abstract
The study interviewed staff and reviewed inmate files at the Correctional Center for Women and the Cameron Morrison Youth Center, both in North Carolina. The number of women admitted to these facilities has increased relative to male admissions. Three-quarters of the female inmates have children but only 17 percent are married. A total of 60 percent of the female inmates were aged 18 or younger when they had their first child. Nearly 80 percent are in prison for nonviolent crimes. Survey results are appended.