An amazing statistic just rolled out of the
U.S. Department of Justice.
The Associated Press reported:
A record 7 million people -- or one in every 32 American adults -- were behind bars, on probation or on parole by the end of last year, according to the Justice Department. Of those, 2.2 million were in prison or jail, an increase of 2.7 percent over the previous year,
according to a report released [Thursday].
There are still way more men in prison or jail than women. Only about 7 percent of prisoners are women, but the female inmate population is growing fast. In 2005, it grew 2.6 percent, while the male population grew 1.9 percent.
- The adult probation population grew 0.5 percent in 2005. This was an increase of 19,070 probationers, or the smallest increase in the last 26 years.
- About 50 percent of all probationers had been convicted of a felony, 49 percent of a misdemeanor and 1 percent of other infractions. Twenty-eight percent were on probation for a drug law violation, and 15 percent for driving while intoxicated.
- In 2005 the U.S. parole population grew 1.6 percent. This was an increase of 12,556 parolees during the year.
Bad Guys Still Bad
The above article brings to mind this study, released by the DOJ in late summer. It found that 56 percent of the violent felons convicted in the nation's 75 most populous counties from 1990 through 2002 had been convicted of a crime before. Thirty-eight percent had prior felony convictions and 15 percent had been convicted of violent felonies.
The DOJ study found:
Thirty-six percent of the violent felons had at least one active criminal justice status at the time of their arrest. This included 18 percent on probation, 12 percent on release pending disposition of a prior case and 7 percent on parole.
That means more than half of the worst criminals had been in trouble before. Four out of 10 of them had felony backgrounds. I see a simple solution: Take the relatively small number of the worst criminals off the street for good, and the crime rate will drop.
HIV/AIDS in Prison
Another new DOJ report said HIV cases dropped in prisons across the country for the fifth consecutive year. But the rate of infection among inmates is more than three times higher than it is in the rest of the population. More than 23,000 prisoners nationwide are HIV-positive and more than 6,000 prisoners have AIDS.
Other Health Problems Behind Bars
Prisoner-health issues are bleeding some counties dry.
And no wonder -- look at these DOJ statistics about the health of prisoners:
According to a recently completed national survey of county and municipal jail inmates, an estimated 229,000 had a medical problem other than a cold or a virus. About 26 percent reported having had a dental problem since admission, 13 percent said they had been injured while in jail, and [1] percent said they had undergone a surgical procedure.
Among the current medical problems reported, jail inmates were most likely to report having arthritis (13 percent), followed by hyperextension (11 percent), and asthma (10 percent). Other specific problems were heart conditions (6 percent); kidney problems and tuberculosis (4 percent each); stroke, diabetes, and hepatitis (3 percent each); as well as cancer, paralysis, liver problems, HIV, and STDs (about 1 percent each).
About 6 in 10 jail inmates age 45 or older reported having a current medical problem, compared to 1 in 4 inmates age 24 or younger. Since their admission to jail[,] more than 40 percent of all inmates reported having had a medical examination.
One-third of jail inmates reported an impairment including learning, speech, hearing, vision, or mobility. Eight percent of jail inmates reported a mental or emotional condition that kept them from participating fully in school, work, or other activities.
The survey found [PDF]:
- About a quarter of convicted (26 percent) and unconvicted (25 percent) jail inmates reported having a dental problem.
- Inmates age 24 or younger (17 percent) were more than twice as likely as those age 45 or older (8 percent) to report being injured since admission.
- About 61 percent of inmates age 45 or older reported having a current medical problem; 44 percent reported an impairment.
- More than half (53 percent) of female jail inmates reported having a current medical problem, compared to about a third (35 percent) of male inmates.
- About 5 percent of female jail inmates said they were pregnant at the time of admission.
- Among inmates who were homeless in the year before their arrest, 49 percent reported a current medical problem, compared to 35 percent of those who were not homeless.
See local stories about the cost of healthcare in jails:
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Editor's Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided whenever possible. The column is fact-checked, but depends upon the accuracy and integrity of the original sources cited. Errors and inaccuracies found will be corrected.
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