Term Paper on "Increase in Incarceration Rates From 1980 Until Today"

Term Paper 20 pages (4985 words) Sources: 10 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Incarceration Rates From 1980 Until Today

There has been a relatively dramatic increase in the rate and levels of incarceration in the United States in recent years. According to the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2005,

During the year that ended last June 30, the nation's prison and jail population grew 2.6%, reaching 2,186,230 inmates behind bars, the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today. Two thirds were in state or federal prisons (1,438,701) and the other third (747,529) were in local jails. (NATION'S PRISON and JAIL POPULATION GREW 2.6% DURING 12 MONTHS THAT ENDED JUNE 30, 2005)

This incarceration rate amounts to an increase of 56,428 prison and jail inmates in a twelve-month period and is the equivalent of 1,085 new inmates every week. (NATION'S PRISON and JAIL POPULATION GREW 2.6% DURING 12 MONTHS THAT ENDED JUNE 30, 2005)

Many causative factors have been forward for this increase in incarceration rates. The following study will discuss some of the most prominent of these factors as they relate to available statistics and figures. The focus of this study will not be on providing an exhaustive list of fact and statistics, but rather on investigating the reasons and possible causes of the present situation that has been accelerating since the 1980s. The focus will also be an on analysis of these factors in terms of general and overall causes, as well as more specific causes that are possibly related to different areas or states.

2. Statistic and figures

There is a plethora of statistics and data available on crime and incarceration rates. These figures all point to one overriding finding - that there has been a radical increase in the prison population. As stated, the focus in this paper will be on the variables of causative factors for the large prison population. However, while the statistics will also be mentioned in terms of the various causative categories below, the following is a summary of some of the most prominent incarceration statistics.

Women make up an increasing proportion of jail inmates, reaching 12.7% of the population in 2005, compared to 10.2% in 1995.

At midyear 2005, nearly 6 in 10 offenders in local jails were racial or ethnic minorities, which was nearly unchanged in the last 10 years.

Since 1995 the nation's prison and jail population has risen by more than 600,000 inmates. At midyear 2005 one in every 136 U.S. residents were in prison or jail.

Louisiana and Georgia led the nation in percentage of their state residents incarcerated (with more than 1% of their state residents in prison or jail at midyear 2005. Maine and Minnesota had the lowest rates of incarceration, with 0.3% or less of their state residents incarcerated.

At midyear 2005, nearly 4.7% of black males were in prison or jail, compared to 1.9% of Hispanic males, and 0.7% of white males. Among males in their late 20s, nearly 12% of black males, compared to 3.9% of Hispanic males and 1.7% of white males, were incarcerated.

Three state systems -- Florida (up 2,812 inmates), Texas (up 2,228), and North Carolina (up 1,482) -- accounted for more than 40% of the state growth. (NATION'S PRISON and JAIL POPULATION GREW 2.6% DURING 12 MONTHS THAT ENDED JUNE 30, 2005)

These are only a few of the more prominent statistics that will also be discussed. A more graphic picture of incarceration rates can be gleaned for the following graph.

Source:

http://crookedtimber.org/2006/05/23/incarceration-rates/

As can be seen from the above the United States has the highest rate of incarceration rate of 738 per 100,000 people. It is also noteworthy that fifty-eight percent of countries have incarceration rates below 150 per 100,000. (Healy)

3. Causative factors

3.1 Gender

In 2005, Women comprised up to 12.7% of jail inmates. (NATION'S PRISON and JAIL POPULATION GREW 2.6% DURING 12 MONTHS THAT ENDED JUNE 30, 2005) There are numerous sources of data that point to a rapid increase of females in prison. A more recent statistic that is of concern to the authorities is that there has been in the last few years a radical increase in the number of juvenile female offenders.

Many possible reasons are given for this gender related increase, especially among young females are social in nature. This refers to the correlation that has been made in many studies between rates of crime and incarceration and female abuse and trauma.

There is a consistent link in many studies between female delinquency and abuse. This has been put forward as one theory to explain the fact that in the last decade crime and incarceration among female juveniles has grown at a faster pace than that of male offenders. (Chesney-Lind and Okamoto, 2001) There is sufficient evidence of a causal link between aspects such as abuse and delinquency among females. "... children who experience abuse of any kind have typically been found to run away at higher rates than their non-abused peers" (Trogdon S. 2006) telling fact that tends to support this link between prior abuse as a cause for crime and incarceration among this group is that Jimerson et al. (2004) note that statistics indicate that females in detention for delinquency crimes are much more likely to have been abused before incarceration than men. The figures quoted are sixty-eight percent of women abused compared to nineteen percent of men. (Jimerson et al. 2004, p. 353) This study also states that, "Delinquent girls are also more likely to have run away from home than delinquent males" (Jimerson et al. 353). This finding therefore open up an area of research that is relatively new; namely, the link between various social and cultural factors and female juvenile crime.

Another disturbing aspect of female juvenile crime and rates of incarceration is that, according to the OJJDP Juvenile Justice Bulletin for 2001, there was a general decrease in the arrest rates for juveniles during that year, yet this decrease is not reflected in the statistics for female offenders. (Hobbs and Yeung) in addition, it has been found that, "Between 1980 and 2001 juvenile arrest rates increased proportionately more for females than for males, especially for violent crimes" (Snyder 6).

Furthermore, the literature also notes that crimes committed by young women are steadily increasing. In 1997, girls constituted 26% of the juvenile arrests made in the year, compared with 22% in 1986, according to the Justice Department report. Girls make up the fastest growing segment of the juvenile and criminal justice system: Between 1993 and 1997, the increases in arrests were greater for girls than boys in almost every category.

Hobbs and Yeung) a pertinent fact is that these rates of increase and not only limited to young women but is also reflected in the statistics for adult arrests.

3.2. Race and minorities

Source: (http://www.prisonpolicy.org/images/raceinc.jpg)

According to the OJJDP Juvenile Justice Bulletin for 2001, there is still a disproportionate relationship between race and crime, which is reflected in arrest statistics. This also relates to incarceration rates. (Snyder 6) the statistics with regard to race are alarming. According to one report, approximately six out of every ten offenders in local jails are racial or ethnic minorities. (Healy) One report for the middle of 2005 states that, "nearly 4.7% of black males were in prison or jail, compared to 1.9% of Hispanic males, and 0.7% of white males. Among males in their late 20s, nearly 12% of black males, compared to 3.9% of Hispanic males and 1.7% of white males, were incarcerated. (Healy)

The reason given for the high rate among African-Americans is essentially socio-cultural and economic in nature, as is the case with African - American women.

This problem can also be expanded to an analysis of the situation with regard to other minority groups. There is a general consensus that there is a decided overrepresentation of minorities within the criminal justice system in the country. Disproportionate minority confinement or DMC refers to a situation "...in which a larger proportion of a particular ethnic group is present at various stages within the criminal justice system than would be expected base on their proportion in the general population. " (Disproportionate minority confinement often stems from...)

One reason that is often given for this disproportionate situation is bias within law enforcement agencies and the justice system. This view is countered by the view that there is a higher propensity or inclination for crime among the minority groups. For example one report states that, "...overrepresentation of blacks...reflected their disproportionate involvement in criminal offenses and not criminal justice system selection biases" (Knepper 18).

The assertion that the reason for the high incarceration rate among minorities, and particularly African-Americans, is due to biases and even prejudice within the legal system is a view that is reiterated by many studies. For example, a report by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights entitled, Justice on Trial: Racial Disparities in the American Criminal Justice System, indicates that overrepresentation in prisons is indicative of extremely serious and ongoing problems within… READ MORE

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