The Incarceration of Females

The number has increased seven-fold since 1980:  we’re talking about incarcerated girls and women. Certainly, far more men than women are behind bars in this country, but some may not realize the fact that women are entering jails and prisons at double the rate of men, with roughly 200,000 females behind bars  right now.  Alarmingly, six in ten women who are in jail have not been convicted of a crime—they are simply awaiting trial, generally because they can’t come up with the required amount of bail money, which is usually about the amount they might earn in an entire year.  If you are a female who is facing criminal charges, don’t believe for a second that your gender, or the fact that you are a mother, will shield you from having to do time behind bars. Only a no-nonsense, experienced criminal defense attorney has any chance of accomplishing that.

Rising Rates of Incarceration 

In the past couple of decades there have been a few key factors that have affected the relationship of women and the criminal justice system.  Among the most substantial influences are:

• Law enforcement use of tactical targeting;
• Heightened information gathering techniques and stronger technologies;
• Increased outreach and cooperation between law enforcement agencies.
• Longer prison sentences;
• Mandatory minimums;
• Zero tolerance policies around drugs and violence.

Following incarceration, women find themselves recycling through the system due to serious issues related to the re-entry to society:

• Inadequate education and skills, leading to financial insecurity and limited employment outlooks;
• Housing restrictions;
• Family reintegration issues;
• Social stigma;
• Limited availability of female-specific resources.

 Incarceration Facts About Women 

• State prisons house women with are convictions related to violence (46 percent), drugs (25 percent), or property crimes (19 percent);
• Incarcerated women take their own lives at a rate that has climbed nearly 70 percent in the past two decades;
• Incarcerated women die of alcohol or drug intoxication at twice the rate of men;
• Black females are imprisoned to the tune of 1 ½ times the rate of their white females; counterparts
• Latinas are imprisoned at 1.2 times the rate of white women;
• While imprisonment rates for white women are increasing, rates for the imprisonment of Black and Latina women are on the decline.

Juvenile Facts

• Girls comprise between 10 and 20 percent of incarcerated youth;
• Native American girls are incarcerated at more than four times the rate of white girls;
• Black girls are incarcerated at more than double the rate of white girls;
• About forty percent of juveniles who are incarcerated for status offenses such as curfew or truancy violations are girls;
• One-fourth of girls who are incarcerated are there for status offenses or parole violations.
• The number of girls living in residential placement centers has dropped by 75 percent in the last 20 years.

Are You Afraid of Incarceration? 

If you are a female who is looking at potential incarceration, the dedicated La Plata & Waldorf criminal defense attorneys at The Law Office of Hammad S. Matin, P.A. will exercise every legal tactic they can to achieve the best possible outcomes for you.  To discuss, schedule a confidential consultation today.

Source:

prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2024women.html