2/1/2008
Becky Pettit, University of Washington, The Demographic Implications of the Prison Boom
The growth of the prison system over the last three decades represents a critical institutional intervention in the lives of American families. It is quite striking, though increasingly clear, that the massive buildup in the size of the penal population has not been due to large scale changes in crime or criminality. Instead, a host of changes at the local, state, and federal levels with respect to law enforcement and penal policy are implicated in the expansion of the prison system. Such a dramatic change in criminal justice policy -- and rapid growth in the prison system -- raises questions about its demographic effects. How have changes in exposure to the criminal justice system affected fertility patterns? Does the expansion of the prison system help to explain increases in non-marital fertility or declines in teenage fertility? How does spending time in prison affect morbidity and mortality? How does the prison system and the enumeration of prisoners influence our understanding of internal migration streams and population shifts? In this project I examine the
demographic implications of the prison boom paying close attention to how the growth of the prison boom affects racial inequality in demographic processes. The massive growth of the penal system is notable not only for its size, but also for its disproportionate effects on minority and low-skill men and racial inequalities in exposure to the prison system compel attention to the importance of the criminal justice system in accounts of demographic inequalities. This project offers a careful assessment of the implications of the prison system for accounts of the demographic condition of the population and racial inequalities in demographic outcomes. |
