Women in Prison

A new report by a Public Welfare Foundation grantee examines why the numbers of female and male prisoners are on different trajectories.

Women in Prison

In recent years, a “gender gap” has developed among women and men in prison—with increasing numbers of women, but fewer men, being locked up. This troubling trend is examined in a new report by Prison Policy Initiative, a Public Welfare Foundation grantee.   

The report finds that while recent reforms have reduced the total number of people in state prisons since 2009, almost all the decline has been among men. In 35 states, women’s population numbers have fared worse than men’s, and, overall, women have become the fastest growing segment of the incarcerated population. The report includes state recommendations to reverse mass incarceration among women as well as men.

To see the full report, click here.