The facts are compelling, and they speak for themselves:
2.3 million minor children, or 3% of all children in the U.S., have a parent in prison; most under age 10.
The 2007 U.S. federal budget includes about $50 million over three years to address this high-risk population.
85% of women in prisons are mothers.
85% of incarcerated women are in drug and alcohol abuse programs.
Last year, over a quarter million babies were born drug-addicted.
50% of heroin babies do not survive birth.
Over 1 million women are imprisoned, about 1% of the U.S. female population.
Women are the fast growing prison population, increasing 800%+ in the last ten years.
The United States has the largest prison population in the world. With 5% of the world’s population, our country houses nearly 25% of the world’s reported prisoners.
4-7% of women entering prison are pregnant, which translates into about 5,000 -10,000 babies born in prison every year.
The majority of women are sentenced for nonviolent drug related crimes.
Nearly all women in prisons have experienced abuse of one kind or another: sexual, psychological, or emotional.
Page still under continual development with more information coming about mental illness, education, drug and alcohol addiction and rehabilitation, all related to incarceration.
