Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 2.djvu/385

 IMMIGRA T10N AND CRIME 3 7 1

the age of sixteen years ; 95 per cent, are above the age of eight- een years ; and 84 per cent, are above the age of twenty-one years. The native-born population of the United States in 1890 numbered 53,390,600; the native-born prisoners, 65,977; ratio 1235 in a million. The foreign-born population numbered 9,231,381 ; the foreign-born prisoners 16,352; ratio 1744 in a million; an apparent excess of foreigners over natives of 41 per cent. But the number of native-born males of voting age was 12,591,852; native-born male prisoners 61,637; ratio 4895 in a million. The number of foreign-born males of voting age was 4.348,459; foreign-born male prisoners 14,287; ratio 3285; showing an actual excess of natives over foreigners of 50 per cent.

The comparison of the criminal population with the general population works injustice not only to the foreign population but also to the general population, especially in those states where there is an excess of adult males. For example : by com- parison of prisoners with the general population Idaho is the eighth state in her ratio of criminals, Oregon eleventh and Wash- ington fifteenth ; but by comparison of male prisoners with males of voting age Idaho stands twelfth, Oregon sixteenth and Wash- ington twenty-first. On the other hand, by comparison of prison- ers with the general population, Kansas stands thirteenth, Utah fourteenth and Pennsylvania seventeenth ; but by comparison of male prisoners with males of voting age Kansas stands ninth, Utah tenth and Pennsylvania fifteenth.

In the present article the female population is left out of the account, for the reason that the census does not give the neces- sary information with reference to the nationality of women ; but as only 9 per cent, of all of the prisoners are women the result will not be seriously affected.

After showing the facts with reference to the whole United States, the details with reference to the northern states only are given ; the southern states being excluded for two reasons: (i) because they contain only 7.5 per cent, of the foreign-born pris- oners in the United States, and of these more than half arc found