Study: More women jailed for drugs

Women arrested last year in the San Diego region for the first time were more likely than men to have been arrested for on a drug charge and more open to completing non-mandatory drug treatment, according to research by the San Diego Association of Governments.

Female arrestees also tend to be older than men at the time of their first arrest and more likely to be divorced, widowed or separated, according to the study released last week by SANDAG’S Criminal Justice Clearinghouse.

The yearly studies have been conducted since 2000 through confidential, anonymous, consensual interviews with individuals recently arrested and booked into San Diego County jails.

The 2019 research showed that the average man was 21 years old at the time of first arrest, while the average woman was 25. While a quarter of men were arrested for the first time on a drug charge, 38 percent of women reported that their first arrest was for drugs.

Women were also more likely than men to have ever been approached to be pimped, to have become homeless because of abuse and to not report being the victim of a crime for fear of retaliation. “Research has shown that many women with justice system involvement have a history of poverty, trauma, abuse, and marginalization,” according to the report.

Female arrestees were also less likely to report working full-time.

Due to the differences in risks that female arrestees face, as well as an increased willingness to complete drug treatment, the report found that addressing substance abuse both during incarceration and in the community may prove more important for women.

Women were also more likely to report having children than male arrestees, making the role of children an important factor for for female offenders to successfully re-enter the community, the report found.