INCARCERATION RATES RISE IN 2005

According to a Justice Department report, released last week, one in
every 32 U.S. adults were on parole, probation or incarcerated at the
end of 2005.

Out of the total 7 million people cited in the Justice Department
report, 4.1 million Americans were on probation, 784,000 were on
parole and 2.2 million were in prison or jail.

One of the fastest growing demographics in the report was that of
women, which increased 2.6 percent in state or federal prison compared
to 2004. By contrast, the male inmate population increased by 1.9 percent.

"Misguided policies that create harsher sentences for nonviolent drug
offenses are disproportionately responsible for the increasing rates
of women in prisons and jails," Marc Mauer, the executive director of
the Sentencing Project, told the Associated Press.

Between 1995 and 2003, 49 percent of the prison population growth was
due to federal drug offenses.