Exam 11: Corrections: History, Institutions, and Populations

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The prison system reflected a time of contrasts in the twentieth century in the United States. After decades of sharp increases, the imprisonment rate peaked in 2009 and has declined some since then with a slight uptick in 2013. In 2015, the imprisonment rate for US residents was 471 sentenced prisoners per 100,000. Who makes up this population? Largely men. About 7 percent of the prison population is female. Of the men in the prison system, African Americans make up the largest portion of male inmates. Prisoners are relatively young, a combined 29 percent are under the age of 34 and only 2 percent are 65 or older. About half of all inmates in state prisons are serving sentences for violent offenses and 20 percent for property offenses. A higher percentage of males are imprisoned for violent offenses than females. Finally, many inmates suffer from multiple social problem. They are undereducated, underemployed, and come from abusive home. Many have experienced homelessness, mental illness, substance abuse, and incarceration. Inmates suffer from psychological and emotional problems, including psychosis and major depression.