Summary
The imprisonment rate for Black women in the U.S. fell by 69% from 2000 to 2023, based on research from The Sentencing Project. However, the rate for white women increased by 18% during the same period. Despite these changes, Black women are still imprisoned at higher rates than white women in 2023.
Key Facts
- The Sentencing Project reported a 69% decrease in the imprisonment rate for Black women between 2000 and 2023.
- During the same period, the imprisonment rate for white women increased by 18%.
- The Sentencing Project uses data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and other agencies.
- By 2023, Black women still had higher imprisonment rates than white women.
- Female incarceration rates have increased over 600% from 1980 to 2023.
- The growth rate for female imprisonment has been twice that of men since 1980.
- Changes in policies during the 1980s and 1990s, like mandatory minimum sentences, contributed to this increase.
- Women in prison often have more histories of trauma and abuse compared to the general population and incarcerated men.
