NCJ Number
138025
Date Published
1992
Length
22 pages
Annotation
Statistics on the California prison and parole system for 20 years (1971-91) are presented in graphic and tabular form for various offender demographic characteristics and the institutional design bed capacity.
Abstract
Statistics on the number of offenders incarcerated in a California State prison, conservation camp, community-based facility or Department of Mental Health hospital indicate that the number of inmates grew from 20,294 in 1971 to 101,808 in 1991. The inmate population reached a low of 19,623 on December 31, 1977, and has steadily increased each year since. Information on the racial/ethnic composition of the institutional population shows that white males dropped from 51 percent of the male inmate population in 1971 to 29 percent in 1991. Most of this shift in racial composition was related to an increase in the percentage of Hispanic inmates from 17 percent to 32 percent. The percentage of inmates incarcerated for violent crimes decreased from 56 percent in 1971 to 44 percent in 1991 for male felons and from 31 percent to 25 percent for female felons. The percentages of drug offenses increased from 16 percent to 23 percent for male felons and from 30 percent to 37 percent for female felons. The percentage of both male and female felons showed no significant change for property or other offenses. Other data indicate new admissions by offense category, parole violators returned to prison, admission/return status, felon parole and civil narcotic population, releases to parole, average time served, and design bed capacity and overcrowding. 10 figures and 10 tables