Inmates: Adult Male and Female Inmate Population: Social Vulnerability Index and Influential Risk Factors

There is an increase of the adult inmate population in the United Sates. This study looks at the correlation between the adult inmate population and factors that influence the prevalence of the population such as, socioeconomic status, housing type, disability, housing composition, minority status, and language. Using the Social Vulnerability Survey and the Census of Jail 2019 survey, the researcher was able to look at the significance of several factors on the inmate population. A Pearson correlation measured the overall SVI percentile ranking per county (N=2,465) with each adult male and female inmate population. A multiple regression was used for all four themes, the adult male inmate population and the overall SVI percentile ranking was significant (F=.102, p<.001). The adult female inmate population and overall, SVI percentile ranking was also significant (r=.074, p<0.001). All themes were significant for the male inmate population except for Socioeconomic Status (F=59.8661, p<.001). The analysis showed that all four themes and the adult female population were significant (F=66.749, p<.001). For Female Inmate population all four themes were significant. These factors could influence the prevalence of the prison population due to the previous analysis identifying that minority status and low-income housing were risk factors.