Differences in Characteristics Between Caucasian and African-American Female Offenders
Variable | Caucasian | African-American | χ2 | t | p |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Differences across demographics | |||||
Age in years, mean (SD) | 40.99 (8.75) | 41.74 (7.92) | .43 | .67 | |
Education in years, mean (SD) | 12.12 (2.06) | 10.68 (2.11) | −3.14 | .01** | |
Employed, % (n) | 38.7 (29) | 22.2 (6) | 1.71 | .19 | |
Differences across substance abuse characteristics, % (n) | |||||
Substance dependent | 77.3 (68) | 70.6 (24) | .67 | .71 | |
Primary substance of abuse | |||||
Alcohol | 18.4 (16) | 21.2 (7) | 10.66 | .03* | |
Marijuana | 9.2 (8) | 3.0 (1) | |||
Cocaine (crack) | 24.1 (21) | 39.4 (13) | |||
Heroin | 29.9 (26) | 6.1 (2) | |||
Diverted into substance abuse treatment | 63.6 (56) | 58.8 (20) | .90 | .64 | |
Level of substance abuse treatment | |||||
Inpatient | 79.6 (43) | 73.7 (14) | .34 | .85 | |
Intensive outpatient | 11.1 (6) | 15.8 (3) | |||
Outpatient | 9.3 (5) | 10.5 (2) | |||
Differences across legal characteristics | |||||
Total number of arrests (lifetime), mean (SD) | 7.87 (12.77) | 9.33 (18.49) | .45 | .65 | |
Length of current incarceration, mean (SD) | 3.95 (9.97) | 12.52 (17.97) | 2.22 | .035* | |
Severity of current legal charge, % (n) | |||||
Misdemeanor | 22.0 (18) | 24.2 (8) | .00 | .99 | |
Felony | 78.0 (64) | 75.8 (25) | |||
Drug-related arrest, % (n) | 69.8 (44) | 30.2 (19) | .15 | .70 | |
Incarcerated at time of evaluation, % (n) | 20.5 (18) | 61.8 (21) | 19.24 | .00** | |
Differences across family history characteristics, % (n) | |||||
Family history of violence | 30.7 (27) | 29.4 (10) | 1.45 | .49 | |
Family history of substance abuse | 59.1 (52) | 61.8 (21) | 2.85 | .24 | |
Family history of mental illness | 19.3 (17) | 8.8 (3) | 2.76 | .25 | |
Differences across violence characteristics, % (n | |||||
History of violence (victim and/or perpetrator) | 15.9 (14) | 32.4 (11) | 7.64 | .02* | |
Victim of intimate partner violence | 34.1 (30) | 35.3 (12) | 2.19 | .34 |
* p < .05,
** p ≤ .01.