Question

Why has the female prison population in the United States nearly doubled in the last 10 years? Are you optimistic or pessimistic about this trend?

Answer 1

According to the statistics provided by Families Against Mandatory Minimums Foundation (FAMM) nearly two thirds of the female prisoners are incarcerated for non violent offenses as drug dealing or property crimes. These offenses carry mandatory minimum tenures for incarceration,no matter what the circumstances has been, and making it difficult for the judges to lessen or relieve even on genuine circumstances.

This trend is worrisome because most of the prisoners incarcerated for the offense of drug dealings are mothers under the age of 18. The drug war has separated many children from their mother. Hence, reforms should be introduced in criminal justice system to check this trend of increasing female population in prisons of United States.