Assignment # 10

In 2000, there were sixty-one privately run juvenile prison facilities. Over the course of the next four years, that number steadily decreased. In 2002 there were 52 juvenile prison facilities and in 2004 it had dropped to 49. There can be several reasons for the drop in juvenile prison facilities. One of which could be the reduction of juvenile crimes in Colorado. Another could be the 9/11 attacks that caused the financial market to collapse. A lot of people lost their businesses and the private juvenile prison facility market could have been hit. And finally, existing juvenile prison facilities could have grown in size and profit and could have run smaller facilities out of business.

According to the Criminal Justice Sourcebook, the state of Colorado had 61 jails in 1999. Ninety-eight percent of its rating capacity was occupied. Colorado was not in over capacity. The average in the United States of inmates to correctional officers is 4.4:1, while in Colorado it is 3.2:1. The national average of inmate to total staff is 2.9:1 while Colorado is at 2.4:1. Also, because Colorado's capacity occupied is at 98%, it is not to it's maximum capacity or more, although it is very close. (U.S. Department of Justice, 1999)

From Dec. 31 2000 – Dec. 31 2006 the Colorado female prison population saw an annual increase of 9.5% with the incarceration rate jumping from 1,333 – 2,302. The increase during the next year (2006-2007) dropped to a 1.4 increase with the incarceration rate only increasing from 2,302 – 2,335. Though the incarceration rate still increased, the percentage of increase was less intense then the fallowing years.

From Dec. 31 2000 – Dec. 31 2006 the Colorado male prison population saw an annual increase of 4.5% with the incarceration rate going from 15,500 – 20,179. For the fallowing year of 2006-2007 the incarceration rate increased 1.6%, with the incarceration rate going from 20,179- 20,506. The percentage change shown is not a major difference when comparing the two years. However the change shown does indicate that the increase with the prison population is slowing down ( Crowther, 2009)

However some reasons for the increase are :The highest increase being between 2000-2006 during the Bush administration and during the beginning of the recession companies were downsizing and outsourcing jobs overseas which could lead to aggression in men to commit crimes. Also, the housing market began to decline which affected jobs primarily held by men so that led a higher unemployment rate which led to more homeless looking for a warm bed an three squares a day. Another reason is that the police could have been cracking down on any and all traffic violations. Women population also increased because of the following reasons: with the decrease of jobs, women would be the most likely to lose their jobs before men. Same reason as a man. Also more prostitution stings more effective. Another reason is that women possibly be more prone to shoplift essentials.

Crowther, Alicia. (2009, November 24). Female and male Prisoners excel Spreadsheet. Retrived from https://webcampus.nevada.edu.

U.S. Department of Justice. Bureau of Justice Statisctics. ( 2003, p.91) . Washington D.C. Retrived from http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook/pdf/t198.pdf.

U.S. Department of Justice. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (2004). Wahington D.C. Retrived from http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook/pdf/t100092004.pdf.