So many men have gone to jail in some DC neighborhoods, that there are only 6 men for every 10 women.
This startling fact and its repercussions are featured in an excellent article by John Tierney in the New York Times.
The star of the story is Charlene Hamilton, who divorced her husband at his request when he went to prison for dealing drugs. She was unable to remarry, however, due to the lack of eligible men.
“With so many men locked up, the ones left think they can do whatever they want,” Ms. Hamilton told the Times. “A man will have three mistresses, and they’ll each put up with it because there are no other men around.”
That gender inequality also seems to lead to more teen pregnancies, "possibly because women have less power to require their partners to practice protected sex or remain monogamous," according to the Times.
And you can imagine what happens to children who grow up in these broken households.
"Prison has become the new poverty trap," Harvard sociologist Bruce Western tells the Times.
SEE ALSO: 13 Signs That America's Prison System Is Out Of Control >
Please follow Law & Order on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
