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A
new report commissioned by the Institute on Women & Criminal
Justice finds that female imprisonment in the U.S. has skyrocketed
757 percent since 1977. Women are the fastest-growing segment
of the prison population, surpassing male prison population
growth in all 50 states. These trends have profound consequences
for communities, families and the women themselves. The report
finds that the rise in the female prison population has been
punctuated by growth spikes that reached higher, lasted longer
and often began earlier than those affecting men. The pace
of growth has fallen since 2000, but the rate at which women
are added to prison each year remains high.
“The
Punitiveness Report—Hard Hit: The Growth in Imprisonment
of Women, 1977-2004” takes an in-depth look at female
prison population growth patterns and regional trends, and
it provides the first state-by-state analysis of female imprisonment
from 1977 to 2004, with findings from all 50 states. The report
was authored by Dr. Natasha Frost, Assistant Professor at
Northeastern University, Judith Greene and Kevin Pranis of
Justice Strategies.
Foreword
Part
I: Growth Trends and Recent Research
• National prison population growth trends
• Regional prison population growth trends
• State variance in the use of imprisonment for women
• What can research tell us about the problem
• Policies that make a difference
• Conclusion
• Notes
Part
II: State by State Analysis
• National Overview
• State Pages
• Notes and Data Sources
Acknowledgements
About
the Authors
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