What is the average age of men entering prison today?

• A. 20-25
• B. 26-30
• C. 31-35
• D. 36-40

Answer: (A)

When thinking about age at intake, the key idea is that most people who end up in prison do so in the early stages of adulthood. The age-crime pattern shows that offending peaks in the late teens to the mid-20s, so when new inmates are admitted, the average age tends to be in the lower 20s. That makes the 20–25 range the best fit for the typical entry age, because it captures the period when many first-time offenders are arrested and sent to prison. Older age ranges would overstate how old people are at first imprisonment, since entry commonly occurs earlier rather than later in adulthood. So, the average age of men entering prison today is best represented by the 20–25 years bracket.