Female offenders accounted for approximately 5 percent of the 66,484 inmates at the end of 1995 and 5 percent of the 69,684 inmates at the end of 1996. The female inmate population increased by 34 percent and the male inmate population by 24 percent between 1990 and 1995. Most inmates were committed from the New York City or suburban New York City areas. In 1996, approximately 51 percent of female inmates were black, 32 percent were Hispanic, 15 percent were white, and less than 1 percent were from other ethnic groups. Fifty-four percent of the female inmates and 26 percent of the male inmates in 1996 reported themselves as being unemployed prior to commitment. Seventy percent of the women and 63 percent of the men reported never being married. Seventy-five percent of the women and 57 percent of the men reported that they were the parent of one or more children. Only 42 percent of both female and male inmates had earned a high school diploma by the time of their commitment. Eighteen percent of the women and 37 percent of the men were participating in a vocational program in 1996. Seventy percent of the women and 66 percent of the men reported that they had alcohol or drug problems prior to arrest. Women and men had similar levels of mental health needs classifications at reception. Other statistics focused on security level, crimes committed, recidivism, admissions, and other characteristics. Tables and figures