Melissa is a female serving a life sentence for murder in a state correctional facility. She has been in prison for the past 10 years. She is now 36 years old. Melissa was pregnant when she entered prison with her second child. She was also addicted to cocaine and often turned to prostitution to support her habit. She ended up killing a customer who refused to pay her for her prostitution services.
-Melissa is not a typical female inmate in that she is convicted of the violent crime of murder. Most female inmates are in prison for:

Question

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According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the majority of female inmates in the United States are serving time for drug offenses, with nonviolent drug offenses being the most common. Burglary, theft, and robbery are also common offenses among female inmates, but they are not as prevalent as drug offenses. Melissa's case is not typical of most female inmates because she is convicted of a violent crime.

Melissa Is a Female Serving a Life Sentence for Murder