There are approximately 2,100,000 inmates incarcerated in the United States at any given time. Ninety-three percent are men and seven percent are women.
I mentioned permanent to identify those who have generally one or more years of sentencing for their infractions. There are another 10-12 million in and out of county jails and detention centers each year. They are awaiting trial, traffic violators, and otherwise lesser or minor offenders.
Approximately 180,000 of these men and women are in Federal prisons.Approximately 1,400,000 are in state prisons. The remaining group of approximately 500,000 are serving their sentences in county jails or other state or federal detention centers.
Of the permanent group above, about 700,000 are released each year on probation, parole or after having served their sentence.
Racially and ethnically, thirty-five percent are white, thirty-eight percent are black, and twenty-one percent are hispanic. The remaining six percent are Asian, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Pacific Islanders.
Men in state prisons tend to be thirty-two years of age, single, children of single parents, have at least two dependents, are incarcerated within a hundred miles of where they would call home, have a sixth to seventh grade education an of an average age of thirty-two.
Fifty-five percent of these men are imprisoned for violent crimes of murder, rape, manslaughter, assault, etc. Nineteen percent are convicted of property crimes such as burglary, fraud, car theft, larceny, etc. Fifteen percent are incarcerated for drug possession or trafficking. About twelve percent are imprisoned for weapons charges, DWI, DUI and other offenses.
Sixty-five percent of the men and women incarcerated in any prison are back behind bars within three to five years.
The only things that change in the above statistical data is the numbers and the people involved. The cost to taxpayers and society is in excess of 120 billion dollars per year.
Countless varieties of rehabilitation, education programs and punishment have only resulted in even more incarcerations.
Only a change in personality brought about by a spiritual awakening can change these numbers. Only through faith and trust in Jesus Christ can real change occur.
Prison Evangelism changes hearts by bring the good news of Jesus Christ into the most isolated cell blocks in America’s prison by distribution through more than two thousand chaplains and wardens the soul winning How to be a Child of God.
David Howell
Prison Evangelism, Inc.
PO Box 571977
Houston, Texas 77257
713-623-0690
www.prisonevangelism.com