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Reports Examine Costs of Incarcerating Women in the United States
Two new studies estimate that holding women in prison costs up to 75 percent more per person than holding men. Researchers project that halving women's prison time would produce limited increases in arrests and net savings for two states.
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Two new reports examine the costs of incarcerating women, a population that has grown more than 600 percent in the United States since 1980. The studies, issued by the Council on Criminal Justice, calculate annual per-person expenses at $87,000 to $122,000 for women compared with $70,000 for men.
Specialized healthcare needs, including pregnancy care, and smaller facility populations drive the higher per-person figures. Researchers project that female incarceration could reach $34 billion annually by 2035.
A companion analysis used data from Illinois and North Carolina to test the effects of cutting women's time in prison by half. The model showed projected increases in annual arrests of 0.3 percent in Illinois and 0.2 percent in North Carolina, with nine of every ten new arrests involving nonviolent offenses.
Estimated savings reached $94.1 million for Illinois and $102.7 million for North Carolina. The authors noted that the figures exclude unpaid caregiving and household labor valued at $2.8 billion per year nationwide.
A formerly incarcerated woman described how removal from the home affects children and extended family networks. Researchers stated that most policy discussions focus on male incarceration and overlook differences in family impact when women are imprisoned.
