The Issue.
Today, twice as many women as men are being imprisoned for non-violent offenses, due to the opioid crisis. And the overdose death rate for women is significantly higher than it is for men.
The best opportunity to stop the spiral of addiction and incarceration for women is through supportive services--and inclusive hiring.
Stats.
THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC
Every day, more than 130 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids.
About 80 percent of people who use heroin first misused prescription opioids
WOMEN & PRISONS
Between 1980 and 2017, the number of incarcerated women increased by more than 750%, rising from a total of 26,378 in 1980 to 225,060 in 2017
Formally incarcerated people are unemployed at a rate of over 27% — higher than the total U.S. unemployment rate during any historical period, including the Great Depression.
WOMEN & OPIOID ADDICTION
Between 1999 and 2015, the rate of deaths from prescription opioid overdoses increased 471 percent among women, compared to an increase of 218 percent among men, and heroin deaths among women increased at more than twice the rate than among men.
Women between the ages of 45 and 54 are more likely than women of other age groups to die from a prescription opioid overdose.
To Learn More, Visit:
Prison Policy Initiative - Fact Sheet
To Find Reentry Programs In Your Community, Visit:
