Who's in Prison, and For What?
Chart: "Who's in Prison, and For What?"
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Drug offenders now account for about 20 percent of all state prison inmates, up from only 6 percent in 1980. The average prisoner serves 2.5 years. About 38 percent are African-American and 20 percent are Hispanic. About two-thirds lack a high school diploma or possess only a GED. Women are still a small minority (seven percent) of those behind bars but their numbers have grown rapidly.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics
Back to: Beyond the Prison Bubble.


