NCJ Number
43098
Date Published
1977
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INCOME AND INCARCERATION FOR BLACK WOMEN AND PROGRAMS TO HELP EX-OFFENDERS GAIN MEANINGFUL AND WELL-COMPENSATED EMPLOYMENT IN SOCIETY ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
STATISTICS INDICATE THAT PRISON INMATES ARE INCREASINGLY FEMALE AND BLACK. A CLOSER ANALYSIS OF THE PRISON POPULATION HAS SHOWN, IN FACT, THAT THE BLACK FEMALE REMAINS OVERREPRESENTED. PRONOUNCED PARALLELS EXIST BETWEEN THE BLACK FEMALE LABOR MARKET AND THE LOW ECONOMIC PROFILE OF BLACK FEMALE OFFENDERS. THE BLACK FEMALE OFFENDER NOT ONLY IS STATISTICALLY POOR, BUT ALSO YOUNG, UNDEREDUCATED, AND OFTEN SINGLE. SHE IS ALSO LIKELY TO HAVE DEPENDENT CHILDREN, WHICH MAKES HER LOW OR NO INCOME STATUS EVEN MORE ALARMING. BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT CONTINUES TO BE HIGH, WITH A PARTICULARLY HIGH RATE FOR BLACK TEENAGERS. IT IS NOT SURPRISING, THEN, THAT THE CRIMES FOR WHICH BLACK FEMALES ARE MOST FREQUENTLY INCARCERATED ARE ECONOMICALLY RELATED: THEFT, FORGERY, OR LARCENY. THE NEXT MOST COMMON CONVICTIONS ARE RELATED TO DRUG OFFENSES. SINCE THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ECONOMIC NEEDS OF THE BLACK FEMALE OFFENDER BEFORE AND AFTER HER INCARCERATION, IT IS EASY TO PREDICT HER REVERSION TO CRIME; THIS TREND TOWARD RECIDIVISM CAN ALSO BE OBSERVED WITH DRUG OFFENDERS. THE NEEDS OF THE BLACK FEMALE OFFENDER COULD BEST BE MET BY IMPROVING REHABILITATIVE AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING. IDEALLY, TRAINING PROGRAMS SHOULD BE PREPARATION FOR JOBS THAT PAY SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN THE MINIMUM WAGE, SHOULD TAKE NO LONGER THAN TWO-AND-A-HALF TO THREE YEARS TO COMPLETE, AND SHOULD BE GEARED TO THE VOCATIONAL INTERESTS OF YOUNG WOMEN. MOST TRAINING PROGRAMS OFFER LITTLE MORE THAN PREPARATION FOR LOW-PAYING AND LOW-STATUS JOBS. FORTUNATELY, SEVERAL POTENTIALLY VALUABLE MODEL PROGRAMS DO EXIST, PREPARING WOMEN FOR CAREERS IN KEYPUNCHING, NURSING, COSMETOLOGY, AND ALSO FOR MANY LUCRATIVE JOBS TRADITIONALLY RESERVED FOR MEN. COMMUNITY-BASED EMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES ARE PARTICULARLY VALUABLE IN ASSISTING THE FEMALE EX-OFFENDER WITH HER TRANSITION INTO SOCIETY. NOTABLY, BLACK WOMEN ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE CORRECTIONAL WORK FORCE. TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION, HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITES ARE ENCOURAGED TO OFFER CRIMINAL JUSTICE COURSES AND DEGREES. BLACK WOMEN CAN CONTRIBUTE IN A MYRIAD OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE CAREERS, AND IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT BLACK FEMALE EX-OFFENDERS BE HIRED BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS. A COMMITMENT TO COOPERATION IS NEEDED AMONG THE MANY AGENCIES IN THE TRAINING AND ACTUAL FOLLOWUP OF EX-OFFENDERS TO DECREASE RECIDIVISM. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED.