Over the past several decades, the number of incarcerated women in the United States has grown at a staggering pace. Nationwide, the incarceration rate for women increased by more than 560% between 1978 and 2007, far outpacing the growth of men’s incarceration. In Pennsylvania, the number of women in jails has risen by more than 1,000% since 1980, making women one of the fastest-growing segments of the incarcerated population in the Commonwealth.
