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Indiana Report

Indiana

IMPRISONMENT IN INDIANA

At year-end 2004 Indiana prisons housed 23,939 inmates serving sentences of more than one year. Of these inmates, 22,058 were male and 1,881 were female. With a female imprisonment rate of 383 prisoners per 100,000 residents, Indiana ranks 23rd. Indiana ranks 28th with an overall imprisonment rate of 383 prisoners per 100,000 residents.

In 1977, Indiana prisons housed 130 female inmates; by 2004, the female prison population had reached 1,881. Indiana's female prison population was at its lowest with 121 female prisoners in 1978 and peaked at 1,881 female inmates in 2004.

GROWTH IN FEMALE IMPRISONMENT RATE

Between 1977 and 2004, Indiana's female prison population grew by 1,347% with an average annual percent change of 10.9% per year.

Throughout the period between 1977 and 2004, Indiana's female imprisonment rate hovered at or below the average across states. From 1985 through 2002, Indiana's imprisonment rate was below average. Due to more substantial increases in female prisoners in the late 1990s, by 2004 Indiana's female imprisonment rate of 59 female prisoners per 100,000 female residents exceeded the average across states. In terms of both overall imprisonment and imprisonment of females, Indiana has been average in its punitiveness and quite consistently ranks in the middle third of the states.

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. Indiana's 1977 ratio was slightly lower than average with 32 male prisoners for every female prisoner. In 2004, Indiana's male to female imprisonment ratio (12:1) remained slightly lower the average across states.

CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES

According to the 2000 Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities, Indiana has 25 correctional facilities. Of Indiana's 25 correctional facilities, 20 house male prisoners only, four house female prisoners only, and one houses both male and female prisoners.