  The Bureau of Justice Statistics explains that the profile of an average nonviolent offender exiting state prisons is male and under the age of 34.  About two-thirds of nonviolent offenders released from state prisons were racial or ethnic minorities.  More than 80% of these nonviolent offenders have prior convictions, of which a third is for violent crimes.  A disproportionate figure of minorities is represented in the prison population, though research has shown that these are not the only individuals that commit these crimes, however, they are the ones that are apprehended and subsequently convicted for nonviolent crimes.  Therefore, this demographic is not necessarily accurate. This may be due to bias by community police or judges at the trial stage, in addition to profiling and leniencies based on gender.  In 1997, only 11.4% of the nonviolent state prisoners expecting release within a six month period were females.  Research has shown the males are more likely to be convicted of crimes than females.  Therefore, just as African Americans are disproportionately represented in prisons, so are males.
The socioeconomic status of the typical nonviolent offender in prison is another aspect that is important to explore.  Are the poor more likely to be convicted of nonviolent crimes than the wealthy?  It is no secret that wealth and prosperity is beneficial in the trial process.  Those who are charged with nonviolent crimes and are able to hire a capable lawyer who is able to devote time and energy to their case are at a clear advantage over indigents who must utilize a public defender.  Public defenders are assigned to multiple cases at once and are not always capable of dedicating the time needed in order to produce a good outcome.  In addition, indigents are typically incapable in paying bail and are not able to work on their case behind bars.  Socially disorganized areas are more likely to be targeted than neighborhoods of economic prosperity.  These areas are targeted furiously and the inhabitants who live in them are more susceptible to arrest.
Issues in nonviolent offenders in prisons are important topics that have been deemed problematic and are currently the subject of extensive research and consideration.  These include issues in juvenile offenders, white collar crime, overcrowding in prisons, the war on drugs, and the effects of prison on the nonviolent offender.  
Juvenile delinquents, or minors who commit crimes, are known to actively engage in nonviolent crime.  This participation may be induced by gang related activity or peer pressure.  Juveniles who are apprehended for nonviolent crimes are often a result of status crimes, or those that are only considered criminal acts when performed by a juvenile.  This includes crimes such as truancy and underage drinking.   Drug crimes are also responsible for a great majority of juvenile crime. 
Behavior and causation are important aspects in studying juvenile delinquency, as well as functioning as extrapolative measures in a juvenile’s likelihood in engaging in juvenile crime.  Research has shown that juvenile offenders are more likely to have high levels of aggression than non-offenders.  “Overt aggression is the single most robust predictor of delinquent behavior before the age of 13, with a small percentage of aggressive children who develop antisocial behavior committing 50% of all crimes.”  In addition, causes for juvenile delinquency have been studied in efforts to explain the predisposition or development for juvenile delinquency in some individuals rather than others.  Genetic influences, ethnicity and experiences of past trauma, prenatal smoking, parental marital status, mother’s education, family violence, family functioning, and parental partner dynamics, and living in a disadvantaged neighborhood have all been identified as background characteristics in correlation with juvenile offenders.  These characteristics have been shown to contribute to a juvenile’s likelihood to engage in criminal behavior and can result in a natural tendency to crime in juveniles.
