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Florida Report

Florida

IMPRISONMENT IN FLORIDA

At year-end 2004, Florida prisons housed 85,530 inmates serving sentences of more than one year. Of these inmates, 79,870 were male and 5,660 were female. Florida ranks 20th overall with a 2004 female imprisonment rate of 64 female prisoners per 100,000 female residents. Florida's 2004 overall imprisonment rate of 486 prisoners per 100,000 residents is the 12th highest overall imprisonment rate in the country.

In 1977, Florida prisons housed 870 female inmates; by 2004, the female prison population had reached 5,660. Florida's female prison population was at its lowest with 807 female prisoners in 1980 and peaked at 5,660 female inmates in 2004.

GROWTH IN FEMALE IMPRISONMENT RATE

Between 1977 and 2004, Florida's female prison population grew by 551% with an average annual percent change of 7.6% per year.

Florida's 2004 female imprisonment rate of 64 female prisoners per 100,000 female residents was slightly higher than the average state imprisonment rate. However, Florida has become far less punitive in terms of its female imprisonment rate over time. In 1977, Florida's female imprisonment rate of 19 female prisoners per 100,000 female residents ranked 2nd highest in the country. In fact, for much of the period between 1977 and 1995 Florida's imprisonment rate was substantially above average. In the mid-1990s, Florida's female imprisonment rate dropped as imprisonment rates continued to grow across other states. As a result, for the latter part of the 1990s through 2001, Florida's female imprisonment rate was just above average before beginning to climb once more.

MALE TO FEMALE IMPRISONMENT RATIO

The male to female imprisonment ratio indicates the number of male inmates for every female inmate. Although both female and male imprisonment rates have increased over the period of study, a shrinking ratio suggests that the number of female prisoners has increased at a faster pace. In 1977, across the states, there were an average of 26 male prisoners for every female prisoner; by 2004, this ratio had fallen to 13 male prisoners for every female prisoner. Florida's 1977 ratio was lower than average with 22 male prisoners for every female prisoner. By 2004, Florida's male to female imprisonment ratio (14:1) was roughly equivalent to the average across states.

CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES

According to the 2000 Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities, Florida has 106 correctional facilities. Of Florida's 106 correctional facilities, 87 house male prisoners only, 11 house female prisoners only, and eight house both male and female prisoners.