Final answer:
Men make up approximately 90% of the prison population in the United States, which reflects the impact of strict sentencing laws and systemic issues, including racism in the criminal justice system.
Step-by-step explanation:
Men make up a high percentage of prisoners in the United States. Specifically, men account for approximately 90% of the overall prison population. This can be compared to other nations where the incarceration rates are much lower. The high incarceration rate in America reflects, in part, the legacy of 'get tough on crime' policies that started in the 1980s and 1990s and have contributed to the United States having the largest number of prisoners of any nation in the world.
Issues of systemic racism and discrimination have also been influential in the composition of the prison population, given the significant disparities in imprisonment rates by race and ethnicity. The fact that African Americans constitute nearly 1 million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated population is particularly noteworthy.
As the question pertains to the percentage of men in prison, the correct answer is B. 90%.