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In The Spotlight: Women and Girls in the Criminal Justice System

  • Organization: National Criminal Justice Reference Service
  • Date Created: Monday, March 06, 2006
  • Submitted: Monday, March 06, 2006
  • Attachment(s): LINK

Female criminal behavior has been commonly perceived as a less serious problem than male criminal behavior. Historically, women have been more likely to commit minor offenses and have made up only a small proportion of the offender population. Although women remain a relatively small number of all prisoners, these facts have concealed a trend in the rising percentage of female offenders, their participation in violent crime, and have inhibited the development of gender-specific programs to address the issue (Research on Women and Girls in the Criminal Justice System, National Institute of Justice, 1999).

The growth in the female offender population can be seen in each component of corrections. As of June 30, 2004, the number of women under State or Federal jurisdiction was 103,910, a 2.9% increase from June 30, 2003. At the same time, there were an estimated 86,999 female jail inmates, about 12.3% of the jail population. Overall, about 8.6 % of persons incarcerated in prison and jail were women (Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2004, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2005).

This topical resource on Women & Girls in the Criminal Justice System contains the following information:

Facts and Figures - Includes the latest information and statistics.
Legislation - A sample of links to online Federal and State legislation and testimony.
Publications - A sample of available resources.
Programs - Examples of State and local programs and initiatives available online.
Training and Technical Assistance - A sample of training and technical assistance opportunities available through nationally recognized agencies and associations.
Grants and Funding - Links to Federal funding opportunities.
Related Resources - Examples of nationally recognized agencies and organizations that provide services or information.

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