ImpactofIncarceration–KeyPoints
NationalandMissouriStatistics
Scope
Nationally
" Anestimated70millionAmericanshaveacriminalhistory
" 1in35adultsorapproximately7millionadults,wereundersomeformofcorrectional
supervisionatyearend2013(probation,parole,jail,prison)
" About70%oftheincarceratedpopulationishousedinastateorfederalprison,versus30%
heldinlocaljails.
" Approximately1.6millionpeopleareinastateorfederalprisononanygivenday
" Morethan95%ofstateandfederalprisonerseventuallyreleasetocommunities.Over
600,000peoplereleasetocommunitiesfromprisoneachyear.
" Approximately855,000peopleareactivelyonparoleonanygivenday
" Womenmakeup7%oftheprisonpopulation
" Within3yearsofreleasefromprison,about69%ofmenand58%ofwomenwillberearrestedatleastonce.Within5yearsofreleasefromprison,about78%ofmenand68%of
femaleswillhavebeenrearrestedatleastonce.Therecidivismrateamongmenis
consistently10percentagepointshigherthanwomen.
" Althoughthedailyprisonpopulationisaround1.5million,thedailyjailcensusof700,000is
notanaccuratedepictionofthe11.5millionindividualsinvolvedinthejailsystemeach
year.Everyyear,13millionadults(or1in20)intheUnitedStatesareincarcerated.(BJS,
2014;Vera,2015).
Missouri
" Nearly32,000peoplewereincarceratedinMissouri’sstateprisononanygivendayin2014.
" Missouriisthe10thhighestincarceratingstateinthecountry
" Womenmakeup10%oftheprisonpopulation
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" TheaverageprisonsentencelengthforStLouisCity/CountyandStCharlesresidentsis7-10
years.
" Onanygivenday,nearly65,000Missouriansareundercorrectionalsupervision(23%are
women)inthecommunity,oftheseabout16,200areonparole(15%women).
" In2014alone,nearly4,100peoplereleasedfromprisontoreturntoSt.LouisCity,County,
andSt.CharlesCounty.Ofthese4,100,approximately2,700wereonparole(paroleesare
theAcademypopulation).Ofthese2700,42%resideinSt.LouisCity,nearly42%inSt.Louis
County,and17%inSt.CharlesCounty
" Amongallpeoplereleasedfromprisonapproximately24%areturnedtoprisonin1year
(therateis33%forparoleeswhichistheacademytargetpopulation);38%in2years(48%
forparolees);45%in3years(55%forparolees);and51%in5years(61%forparolees)
Children
Nationally
" TheexperienceofparentalincarcerationhasbecomesopervasivethatSesameStreetruns
episodesonhavingaparentinprison.
" Parentalincarcerationisanewphenomenon–just25yearsago1in125childrenhada
parentinprison,comparedto1in28today.
" Onanygivenday,over2.7million,or1in28childrenintheUnitedStateshaveaparentin
prison.
" 82%offathershadregularvisitationwiththeirchildrenpriortoincarceration(42%lived
withtheirchildren;40%hadregularcontact)and60%ofmotherslivedwiththeirchildren
priortoincarceration.
" Atnofaultoftheirown,childrenwithincarceratedparentsfareworsethantheir
counterparts.
# Childrenwithanincarceratedparentaremorelikelytoexperiencedepression,anxiety,
pooracademicperformance,schoolabsenteeism/dropout,poverty,un-orunderinsured,homelessness,difficultytransitioningtobasicadultroles,andphysicalhealth
problemsincludingmigraines,asthma,andhighcholesterol.
# Childrenwithanincarceratedfatherare4timesmorelikelytohavecontactwiththe
childwelfaresystem
o Morethan14,000childrenwithanincarceratedparententerthefostercare
systemeachyearasaresultofparentalincarcerationandtheiraveragestayin
fostercarenearly4years.
# Whenfathersareincarcerated,theaveragechild’sfamilyincomefalls22%and
continuestoremain15%belowpre-incarcerationlevels.
# Childrenwithanincarceratedfatherhavea46%higherrateofdelinquencythan
childrenwithoutanincarceratedfather
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# Childrenwithincarceratedparentsare6to9timesmorelikelytobecomeincarcerated
themselves.
" 42stateshavepoliciesbanningpeoplewithfelonyconvictionsfromreceivingfoodstamps.
Thismeansthatinnocentchildrenofparentswithfelonyconvictionsgohungryfordoing
nothingmorethanhavingbeenborntoapersonthatengagedincrime.
Missouri
" Nearly48,000childreninMissourihaveaparentinprison–thusthepopulationofchildren
withincarcerationparentsinMissouriisequivalenttothepopulationofChesterfield.
MentalHealth
National
" 14-25%ofpeopleinprisonshaveaseriousmentalillnesswhichisdoublethepercentagein
thegeneralpopulation.
" Thismeans,upto375,000peoplewithseriousmentalillnessesareincarceratedinprisons
onanygivenday
" Asmanyas90%ofmaleandfemaleprisonershavesignificanttraumahistories
" Generalmentalhealthproblemsarehighlyprevalent,with73%offemaleprisoners
experiencingmentalhealthproblemsand55%ofmaleinmatesinstateprisons.
Missouri
" 15%ofthetotalpopulation,29%ofwomenand13%ofmenwereconsideredmentallyill
uponadmissionintoaMissouristateprison.
SubstanceAbuse
Nationally
" Between65%and75%ofstateprisonershavesubstanceabuseproblems,yetonlyabout
11%receiveanytypeofsubstanceabusetreatmentwhileincarcerated.
" Prisonerswithsubstanceabuseproblemshavemoreextensivecriminalhistories.Overhalf
ofprisonerswithsubstanceusedisordersreport3ormorepriorincarcerationscomparedto
25%ofthosewithoutsubstanceusedisorders.
Missouri
" 87%ofallstateprisonersrequiredsubstanceabusetreatmentuponadmissionin2014.
" 88%offemaleand86%ofmaleparoleesneededsubstanceabusetreatmentuponrelease.
Oftheseapproximately44%neededatleast6monthsoftreatmentand11%neededayear
ormoreoftreatment.
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Employment
Nationally
" Betweenone-thirdandtwo-thirdsofprisonersreportamonthlyincomeoflessthan$1000
atadmissiontoprison.
" Approximately17%ofstateprisonersareunemployed(meaningthat83%ofstateprisoners
losetheirjobsuponincarceration)
" Afterincarceration,annualearningsdecreaseby40%.Thisisproblematicbecauseaswages
increaseafterincarceration,thelikelihoodofreincarcerationdecreasessignificantly.
" Unemploymentratesarenearly7timeshigheramongformerprisonerscomparedtothe
generalpopulation.
Missouri
" 46%ofallpersonsundercommunitysupervision(probationandparole)wereunemployed
duringa3monthreportingperiodin2014.
" Unemploymentisriskybecause72%offormerprisonerswhoneverhadfulltime
employmentpostprisonreturnedtoprisonaftertwoyears.
Education
Nationally
" Two-thirdsofstateprisonersreportlessthanahighschooleducationcomparedto18%of
thegeneralpopulation
" Prisonerswithouthighschooleducationhavere-incarcerationrates9percentagepoints
higherthanthosewithahighschooleducation.
Missouri
" 68%ofprisonersin2014hadahighschooldegreeorequivalentatadmission
" 48%ofprisonerswholeavewithoutahighschooldegreeorGED,returntoprisonwithin2
years
Homelessness
National
" Homelessnessamongformerlyincarceratedindividualsis4to6timestherateofthe
generalpopulation
" Between10%-20%ofhomelesspersonshavebeenincarceratedpreviously
Missouri
" 16%ofmaleparoleesand5%offemaleparoleesinMissouriareinneedofhousing
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Costsetc
National
" Ex-prisonersarrestratesforcrimeare30to45timeshigherthanthegeneralpopulation.
o 26ex-prisonerstoevery1generalpopulationpersoncommitsaviolentcrime
(ratio=26:1)
o 18ex-prisonerstoevery1genpoppersoncommitsapropertycrime(18:1)
o 23ex-prisonerstoevery1genpoppersoncommitsadrugcrime(23:1)
" $52billionannuallyisspentoncorrectionalsupervisionalone.Costsexternaltosupervision
alone(e.g.,courts,etc)isanadditional$5.2billion
" Averageinmatecosts$31,300annuallyperinmate
" Likelihoodofgettingmarrieddropsbyupto50%afterexperiencingincarcerationandrisks
ofdivorceis50%withinafewyearsofincarceration
" Historyofincarcerationlimitscivicparticipationsuchasvoting–1in40adultscannotvote
duetoacurrentorpreviousfelonyconviction
Missouri
" 2013budgetwasMissouriDepartmentofCorrectionsbudgetwas$677million
" Averageannualcostperinmateisnearly$22,500
Prepared for Concordance Academy by Concordance Institute August, 2015
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Washington University in St. Louis
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