Printer-friendly Mississippi Report

Mississippi

IMPRISONMENT IN MISSISSIPPI

At year-end 2004, Mississippi's prisons housed 19,469 inmates serving sentences of more than one year. Of these inmates, 17,867 were male and 1,602 were female. With 107 female prisoners per 100,000 female residents, Mississippi's female imprisonment rate was among the highest in the country in 2004 (ranked 2nd). With 669 prisoners per 100,000 residents, Mississippi had the third highest overall imprisonment rate in the country in 2004.

In 1977, Mississippi prisons housed 57 female inmates; by 2004, the female prison population had reached 1,602. Mississippi's female prison population was at its lowest with 57 female prisoners in 1977 and peaked at 1,875 female inmates in 2002.

GROWTH IN FEMALE IMPRISONMENT RATE

Between 1977 and 2004, Mississippi's female prison population grew by 2,711% with an average annual percent change of 14.0% per year.

From the late 1970s through the early 1980s, Mississippi's female imprisonment rate hovered at or just below average. Through the 1980s, Mississippi's female imprisonment rate increased gradually and maintained its slightly higher than average rate. Beginning in the early to mid 1990s, Mississippi's female prison population began to grow a rate that was quite substantially greater than average, so that by the end of the 1990s and through 2004, Mississippi's female imprisonment rate was double the average across the states. In 2004, Mississippi's female imprisonment rate was the second highest in the country. In terms of imprisonment of women offenders, Mississippi is among the most punitive.

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. Mississippi's 1977 ratio was substantially higher than average with 45 male prisoners for every female prisoner. Due to rapid growth in female imprisonment through the 1990s, by 2004, Mississippi's male to female imprisonment ratio (11:1) was lower than the average across states.

CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES

According to the 2000 Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities, Mississippi has 28 correctional facilities. Of Mississippi's 28 correctional facilities, 25 house male prisoners only, one houses female prisoners only, and two house both male and female prisoners.