Punitiveness in the Imprisonment of Women, Natasha A. Frost Northeastern University
Previous Research Extensive previous research on the growth in imprisonment over the past several decades. Substantial previous research on state level variations in imprisonment. Very few studies have parsed the growth in imprisonment by gender.
Purpose of the Punitiveness Project Document growth in the imprisonment of female offenders by state and over time (Punitiveness Phase I). Explore state level variations in punitiveness toward female offenders using both imprisonment rates and the dual determinants of those rates (Punitiveness Phase II).
Phase One Compile state level imprisonment data in every year between 1977 and 2004 on the following measures: Prisoners serving sentences of more than one year Imprisonment rates and admission rates Gender ratios
State Imprisonment of Female Offenders, 2004 MinimumMedianMaximumTotal Female Prisoners 61 (Rhode Island) 1,307 11,408 (Texas) 96,125 Female Imp. Rate 11 (Rhode Island) (Oklahoma) N/A Female Admissions* 80 (Maine) ,192 (California) 63,023 Female Releases* 49 (Maine) ,914 (California) 60,257
Most Punitive States: Female Imprisonment Rates 1977 & 2004 Rate 2004 Oklahoma129 Mississippi107 Louisiana103 Montana102 Texas101 Idaho93 Arizona89 Missouri85 Wyoming84 Colorado83 Rate 1977 Nevada 20 Florida 19 Georgia 18 S Carolina 18 N Carolina 16 Arizona 15 Texas 14 Delaware 13 Washington 12 Oklahoma 12
What do imprisonment rates tell us? Explaining Prison Population Growth (Greenberg & West, 2001) Imprisonment rates ultimately a function of admissions and length of stay. Dual Determinants: Imprisonment Risk and Length of Stay Parsing Prison Population Growth (Blumstein & Beck, 1999; 2005; Frost, 2006).
Phase II: The Dual Determinants Phase Two: Gendered Analysis of Imprisonment Risk and Time-Served Over Time and Across Offense Types. Imprisonment Risk: “Propensity” to imprison Probability that an adult arrest will result in an imprisonment of greater than one year Length of Stay: “Intensity” in Imprisonment Actual time-served of release cohorts
Data Reduction: NCRP 2002 AdmissionsReleases Beginning N578, ,521 Valid Jurisdictions 577, ,617 Court Commitments 396, ,220 Sentence > 1 year 344, ,236 Valid Release Typesn/a 297,387 Final Sample Size 344, ,387
Prison Admissions and Releases by Gender (1983 and 2002) 1983 Admissions 1983 Releases 2002 Admissions 2002 Releases Male 92,676 (93%) 88,963 (93%) 307,101 (89%) 266,421 (90%) Female 6,986 (7%) 6,711 (7%) 37,828 (11%) 30,959 (10%) Total* 99,73995,706344,944297,387
Prisoners Admitted in 2002: Age Women%Men%Total% Under , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Over 45 3, , ,
Prisoners Admitted in 2002: Race Women%Men%Total% White19, , , Black14, , , American Indian/ Alaskan Native 1, , , Asian203.51,538.51,741.5 Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander Other2, , ,0418.1
Prisoners Admitted in 2002: Offense Types Women%Men%Total% Violent6, , , Property13, , , Drug13, , , Other4, , ,
Descriptives: Imprisonment Risk and Length of Stay 2002 Imprisonment Risk 2002 Time Served Overall: 11.2 admissions Overall: 18.9 months Violent:8.4 Violent:34.5 Property:5.1 Property:15.7 Drug: 6.5 Drug: Imprisonment Risk 1997 Time Served Overall: 6.5 admissions Overall: 18.7 months Violent:4.8 Violent:31.8 Property:2.9 Property:16.4 Drug: 5.9 Drug:17.1 Change : 366 % Change : 17 % Change : 72 % Change : 1%
Imprisonment Risk
Imprisonment Risk, Violent, Property, & Drug Offenses
Imprisonment Risk: Women and Men
Length of Stay
Length of Stay, Violent, Property, & Drug Offenses
Length of Stay: Women and Men
Future Phases in the Punitiveness Project Individual State Reports Imprisonment Rates, Imprisonment Risk, and Length of Stay Across Offense Types and Over Time Underlying Trends (Arrests and Admissions) Legislative Changes and State Initiatives Gender and Race Analyses Detailed Offense Type Analyses Underlying Violent, Property, and Drug Offenses