Number Of Female Inmates Increasing

By Gordon HopkinsWomen are making up an increasing number of inmates in jails and prisons. That is true in local counties, throughout the state and across the country. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, “Though there are still more men than women involved in our nation’s justice systems, the rate of growth of the women’s population has vastly increased. In fact, the Bureau of Justice Statistics data show that between 1980 and 2019, the number of incarcerated women (in both jails and prisons) increased by more than 700 percent.”Local jails are having to adapt to this change in inmate demographics.Curtis Field, an architect and project manager for the Omaha-based firm, Prochaska & Associates, presented a needs assessment for the Detention Center at a meeting of the Gage County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, August 7. Supervisor Don Schuller noted in is bi-weekly newsletter, “State Department of Jail Standards requires a needs assessment, even if a small remodel job is proposed. Purpose of the study is to determine jail inmate capacity required, growing population, liability incurred with design and condition of existing jail. Goal: Identify future, space, programming, staffing needs, impact on operating costs.”According to Schuller, “Gage County shows a steady and trend of inmate growth. Exceeding its approved 30 bed capacity since 2015. The county has had additional expenses for boarding inmates in Washington county, Kansas. The county has only two cells for females. Female inmates’ population has a trend of increasing.” Jefferson County Sheriff Nick Georgi noted the trend at a meeting of the law Enforcement Committee on Tuesday, August 13. City Councilperson Phil Rogge asked the sheriff, “It’s split, 50/50 male/female. Do you have enough facilities for female versus male (inmates)?”“Our female section is a lot smaller than the male section but we have five single cells,” said the sheriff. “So, if our female section gets overloaded, the single cells, we use that for females.”The Jefferson County Jail also has the option to house inmates in facilities in other counties when necessary. While the number of male and female inmates are similar, the sheriff noted, on average, male inmates stay longer, “Most of our lengthy sentences are majority male.”

Yanka M. Weichel

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