Adult offenders
Unit III: Correctional Psychology Topic 1: Adult Offenders I. US Criminal Justice System A. By the numbers 1. 2.4 million Americans are currently in jail or prison 2. One of every 100 Americans is incarcerated; 1 in 31 adults is under some form of correctional supervision 3. The number of people in state and federal prisons quadrupled from 1980 to 2008 4. 59% of persons in prison or jails in 2009 were black or Hispanic, although blacks and Hispanics make up only 25% of the population 5. One in three black males between 18 and 35 is under some form of correctional supervision; one in three black males born today can expect to spend some part of his life in prison (34% chance) 6. The chance of a US male serving time in prison: black – 32%, Hispanic – 17%, white – 6% 7. More than 200,000 women in jail or prison; 1 in 100 black women are in prison
B. Who and why 1. Greatest population increase in federal system, primarily as result of “war on drugs” a. Mandatory sentences in effect for individuals convicted of drug offenses b. Over 50% of inmates in federal prison serving time for these crimes 2. However, rising incarceration rates also observed in virtually every state, in spite of declining crime rates 3. In state prisons: a. 51% of offenders serving time for violent offenses b. 20% for drug offenses c. 15% for public order offenses d. 14% for property offenses 4. Females – since 1990, number of female prisoners has increased 108%, compared to 77% increase in males C. Recidivism – typically measured by new arrests, new convictions, and sometimes self-report