The Face Of The Criminal Justice System Is Increasingly Female

There are currently 6.5 million people involved in the correctional system—2.1 million who are incarcerated (see Total Population in U.S. Adult Correctional Systems by Correctional Status). This population is increasingly female. While the overall incarcerated population is going down, the proportion of women is on the rise. Since 1978, women in the corrections system has grown 834%, more than double the pace of male prisoners (see The Gender Divide: Tracking Women's State Prison Growth)

While the reasons for this increase aren't universally agreed upon, drug offenses and violent offenses are often cited. In addition . . .