FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2007
Contact: Barry Krisberg
Phone: 510-208-0500 x311
New NCCD Fact Sheet Shows Disparate Treatment of Women among States:
The Nation's Most Punitive States for Women
A new Fact Sheet from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency shows enormous disparity in the way states treat women in trouble with the law. Using the latest available data from prisons, jails, probation, and parole for adult and juvenile women, this concise report shows how differently women are treated depending on the policies and practices of their state of residence.
The disparate incarceration, probation, and parole rates do not correspond to differences in state arrest rates. The most punitive states do not enjoy less crime. In addition the US imprisons more women and girls than any other nation. And within the US, women of color are disproportionately incarcerated compared to whites. Plus the proportion of incarcerated women to men is rising.
Some of the report's main findings are as follows:
· Based on 2005 rates of incarceration in state prison or jail, the most punitive US states for women were Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, Idaho, Georgia, and Wyoming. The states with the lowest rates of incarceration were Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New Hampshire.
· In a ranking of states by incarceration rates for women, the highest is Oklahoma at 1st; Texas is 3rd, Florida is 15th, California is 27th, Illinois is 43rd, and New York is 45th.
· Almost one-third of all female prisoners in the US were held in three states—California, Texas, and Florida. The states with the next largest female incarcerated population were Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. The states with the smallest female incarcerated population were Vermont, Rhode Island, North Dakota, and Maine.
· Based on 2003 rates of custody (detained or committed) per 100,000 females under 18 years of age in the general population, the most punitive US states for girls were Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Indiana, North Dakota, and Florida. The least punitive states were Vermont, Maryland, New Jersey, Maine, Illinois, and Rhode Island.
The imprisonment of women across the United States has repercussions in every aspect of society, including the huge costs of incarceration at the local and state levels, the splitting of communities and families, the tragic disruption at crucial developmental stages in the lives of thousands of children, and the unchecked deterioration of the physical and mental health of women in prison.
This report uses data from state and federal agencies—the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Corrections, US Census Bureau, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, among others.
The National Council on Crime and Delinquency, founded in 1907, is a nonprofit organization which promotes effective, humane, fair, and economically sound solutions to family, community, and justice problems. NCCD conducts research, promotes reform initiatives, and seeks to work with individuals, public and private organizations, and the media to prevent and reduce crime and delinquency.
Fact Sheet: http://www.nccd-crc.org/nccd/pubs/2007_MPS_factsheet.pdf
The disparate incarceration, probation, and parole rates do not correspond to differences in state arrest rates. The most punitive states do not enjoy less crime. In addition the US imprisons more women and girls than any other nation. And within the US, women of color are disproportionately incarcerated compared to whites. Plus the proportion of incarcerated women to men is rising.
Some of the report's main findings are as follows:
· Based on 2005 rates of incarceration in state prison or jail, the most punitive US states for women were Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, Idaho, Georgia, and Wyoming. The states with the lowest rates of incarceration were Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New Hampshire.
· In a ranking of states by incarceration rates for women, the highest is Oklahoma at 1st; Texas is 3rd, Florida is 15th, California is 27th, Illinois is 43rd, and New York is 45th.
· Almost one-third of all female prisoners in the US were held in three states—California, Texas, and Florida. The states with the next largest female incarcerated population were Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. The states with the smallest female incarcerated population were Vermont, Rhode Island, North Dakota, and Maine.
· Based on 2003 rates of custody (detained or committed) per 100,000 females under 18 years of age in the general population, the most punitive US states for girls were Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Indiana, North Dakota, and Florida. The least punitive states were Vermont, Maryland, New Jersey, Maine, Illinois, and Rhode Island.
The imprisonment of women across the United States has repercussions in every aspect of society, including the huge costs of incarceration at the local and state levels, the splitting of communities and families, the tragic disruption at crucial developmental stages in the lives of thousands of children, and the unchecked deterioration of the physical and mental health of women in prison.
This report uses data from state and federal agencies—the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Corrections, US Census Bureau, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, among others.
The National Council on Crime and Delinquency, founded in 1907, is a nonprofit organization which promotes effective, humane, fair, and economically sound solutions to family, community, and justice problems. NCCD conducts research, promotes reform initiatives, and seeks to work with individuals, public and private organizations, and the media to prevent and reduce crime and delinquency.
Fact Sheet: http://www.nccd-crc.org/nccd/pubs/2007_MPS_factsheet.pdf
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