Who’s in Prison? The Changing Demographics of Incarceration

1. Who’s in Prison?The Changing Demographics of Incarceration Amanda Bailey Public Policy Institute of California

2. Why Study Prisoners? • Prison population growing 3 times faster than the state population • Corrections expenditures increasing • Per capita: $109 in 1990; $194 in 2006 • $8.7 billion in 2006-07 budget • Recent attention to the system • Federal interventions • Ballot measures

3. Our Contribution • Combines administrative and survey data to describe the adult prison population • Provides a demographic profile of who’s in California prisons • Examines effects of legislation on prison population

4. Outline • Demographic profile • Effects of policy interventions • Summary and policy considerations

5. Prison Population Has Grown Three Times as Rapidly as General Population 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1990 1995 2000 2005 167,698 Prison Population California Population

6. The Prison Population Undergoes Tremendous Turnover 150,000 100,000 50,000 Admissions 0 Releases Net Change -50,000 -100,000 -150,000 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

7. Men Constitute 93% of theState’s Adult Prison Population Women 7% Men 93%

8. Imprisonment Affects Many Families

9. Young and Middle-Aged Adults are Overrepresented among Prisoners Age Distribution of Prisoners & Adults, 2005 %

10. Latinos Constitute the Largest Race/Ethnic Group among Male Prisoners… %

11. …But Incarceration Rates are Far Higher for African-American Men Age-standardized incarceration rates per 100,000 men, 2005

12. One in Six Prisoners Was Born Outside the U.S. • Foreign-born make up 17% of prison population; 35% of California adult population • Most foreign-born prisoners are from Mexico (60%), El Salvador (4%), or Vietnam (3%) • Lower incarceration rates among foreign-born • Foreign-born: 297 per 100,000 • Native-born: 813 per 100,000

13. Most Prisoners Have Little Formal Education 100% 80% BA+ 60% Some college GED in prison High school grad 40% < HS 20% 0% Latina/o African White Other American

14. Inland and Poorer Counties Have Higher Incarceration Rates Del Norte Siskiyou Modoc Incarceration Rates (per 100,000 adults) Shasta < 400 Lassen Trinity Humboldt 400 - 699 Tehama Plumas Butte 700 - 999 Mendocino Glenn Sierra Nevada Yuba Colusa Placer 1,000+ Lake Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Sonoma Napa Sacramento Amador Solano Calaveras Marin Tuolumne San Joaquin Contra Costa Mono San Francisco Alameda Mariposa Stanislaus San Mateo Santa Clara Madera Merced Santa Cruz Fresno San Benito Inyo Tulare Monterey Kings San Luis Obispo Kern San Bernardino Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange Imperial San Diego

15. Inland Areas’ Contribution Rising

16. Outline • Demographic profile • Effects of policy interventions • Summary and policy considerations

17. Legislation that Affects Prison Population • Three Strikes and You’re Out (1994) • 25 years to life for third strike • Double sentence for second strike • Enhancement for any felony or serious offense • Truth in Sentencing (1994) • Violent offenders serve 85% of sentence • Prop. 36, a.k.a. Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act of 2000 • Drug treatment instead of incarceration

18. A Fifth of Prisoners are “Permanent” Residents of the System Life w/o Parole: 2% Death Row: 0.4% Life: 12% 3rd Striker: 5% Determinate Sentence: 59% 2nd Striker: 21%

19. Prisoners Serving Time for Violent Crimes Increasing in Share, Absolute Numbers 60% 50% 40% Violent Crimes Property Crimes 30% Drug Crimes Other Crimes 20% 10% 0% 1990 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 1999 2001 2002 2004 1991 1993 1998 2000 2003 2005

20. Prop. 36 Provisions Could Affect Women More Women 5% 29% 30% Men 8% 36% 20% 52% Violent Crimes Property Crimes Drug Crimes 20% Other Crimes

21. Emergence of “Strikers” Shifts Prison Population Into Longer Sentences 180,000 160,000 140,000 Death Row 120,000 Life w/o Parole Lifer 100,000 3rd Striker 80,000 2nd Striker 60,000 Determinate Sentence 40,000 20,000 0 1990 1995 2000 2005

22. Prison Population is Aging

23. Admission Rates Increasing Among Older Age Groups 1200 1000 800 25-39 40-49 600 <25 per 100,000 in population 400 200 50+ 0 1991 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2001 2002 1990 1992 1993 1997 2000

24. Outline • Demographic profile • Effects of policy interventions • Summary and policy considerations

25. Finding: High Turnover Rates • More than 120,000 prisoners leave prisons each year • Policy considerations • Higher turnover means high administrative costs • Many low-skilled people returning to communities • Communicable and infectious diseases are brought back to communities

26. Finding: Many Families are Affected • Most prisoners are parents of a minor child • Policy considerations • Who is caring for all these inmates’ children while they are imprisoned for longer terms? • Healthy, successful re-entry improves ability to care for family

27. Finding: Prison Population Is Aging • Longer sentences are being imposed and more time is being served • Incarceration and admissions are increasing among older population • Policy considerations: • Cost of incarcerating older prisoners is 2 to 3 times higher than for other inmates • Prison healthcare system under federal receivership • Cutbacks to other rehabilitation programs

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