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California Report

California

IMPRISONMENT IN CALIFORNIA

At year-end 2004, California prisons housed 164,933 inmates serving sentences of more than one year. Of these inmates, 154,051 were male and 10,882 were female. California's 2004 female imprisonment rate of 61 female prisoners per 100,000 female residents is the 22nd highest in the country. California's 2004 overall imprisonment rate of 456 prisoners per 100,000 residents is the 16th highest overall imprisonment rate in the country.

In 1977, California prisons housed 671 female inmates; by 2004, the female prison population had reached 10,882. California's female prison population was at its lowest with 671 female prisoners in 1977 and peaked at 10,905 female inmates in 1998.

GROWTH IN FEMALE IMPRISONMENT RATE

Between 1977 and 2004, California's female prison population grew by 1,522% with an average annual percent change of 11.3% per year.

California's 2004 female imprisonment rate of 61 female prisoners per 100,000 female residents was the 22nd highest female imprisonment rate in the country. California's female imprisonment rate was actually slightly below the average imprisonment rate across states in 1977. Through the late 1970s and early 1980s, California's female imprisonment rate growth increased and peaked substantially above average in 1998. After 1998, California's female imprisonment rate began to drop annually, while the average imprisonment rate across the states continued to increase. By 2004, California's female imprisonment rate was slightly higher than (but closer to) the average across states.

MALE TO FEMALE IMPRISONMENT RATIO

The male to female imprisonment ratio indicates the number of male inmates for every female inmate. Although both female and male imprisonment rates have increased over the period of study, a shrinking ratio suggests that the number of female prisoners has increased at a faster pace. In 1977, across the states, there were an average of 26 male prisoners for every female prisoner; by 2004, this ratio had fallen to 13 male prisoners for every female prisoner. California's 1977 ratio was slightly lower than average with 25 male prisoners for every female prisoner. By 2004, California's male to female imprisonment ratio (14:1) was slightly higher than the average across states.

CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES

According to the 2000 Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities, California has 92 correctional facilities. Of California's 92 correctional facilities, 62 house male prisoners only, 14 house female prisoners only, and 16 house both male and female prisoners.