Natl: More Women in Prison

The number of women incarcerated in the United States has increased at nearly twice the rate of men according to a report released by the Justice Department. At the end of 2003 there were a total of 1,368,866 men in prisons and 101,179 women in prison (these numbers do not reflect how many people are incacerated in jails). This is an increase of 3.6% for women and 2% for men. In terms of the total population what these numbers mean is that one in every 109 men are in prison and one in every 1,613 women are in in prison. The number of women incarcerated in the United States has increased at nearly twice the rate of men according to a report released by the Justice Department. At the end of 2003 there were a total of 1,368,866 men in prisons and 101,179 women in prison (these numbers do not reflect how many people are incacerated in jails). This is an increase of 3.6% for women and 2% for men. In terms of the total population what these numbers mean is that one in every 109 men are in prison and one in every 1,613 women are in in prison.

Marc Mauer of The Sentencing Project, which advocates for alternatives to long prison terms for some crimes, attributes the increase to longer sentences for drug crimes. Mauer also says that fewer prisoners are being granted parole or probation, which helps expand the prison population.

The federal prison system incacerates the largest number of women - 11,635. The state of Texas has highest number of women in state prisons with 13,487.

Source: The New York Times