Criminology

Summary findings According to the BJS National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)-•

Since 1994, violent crime rates have declined, reaching the lowest level ever recorded in 2005. Trends in violent victimizations, 1973 to 2006.

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Property crime rates continue to decline. Trends in property crime victimizations, 1973 to 2006.

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The NCVS is one of the Nation's largest ongoing household surveys. Survey data tell us how many rapes, sexual assaults, robberies, assaults, thefts, household burglaries, and motor vehicle thefts U.S. residents age 12 or older and their households experience each year.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reports,-• •

The violent crime rate increased 1.0% from 2005 to 2006. From 1997 to 2006 the rate fell 22.5%. The property crime rate decreased 2.8% from 2005 to 2006. From 1997 to 2006, the rate fell 22.7%. The FBI's Uniform Crime Reports Program (UCR) collects information from local law enforcement agencies about crimes reported to police. The UCR crime index includes seven offenses; homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larcenytheft, and motor vehicle theft.

Summary findings In 2005 -

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Half the prosecutors' offices Nationwide employed 9 or fewer people and had a budget of $355,000 or less

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The 2,344 State court prosecutors' offices employed over 78,000 attorneys, investigators, and support staff; a 27% increase from 1992 and 9% from 1996.

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A quarter of the prosecutors offices participated on a State or local homeland security task force, with a third having staff that attended homeland security training.

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60% of the prosecutors’ litigated a variety of crimes related to computer and electronic commerce fraud (felony or misdemeanor), a 20% increase compared to 2001.

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70% of prosecutors’ prosecuted at least one case involving the transmission of child pornography, an increase of 40% compared to 2001.

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Approximately 70% of the prosecutors’ Nationwide litigated an identity theft case, an increase of 50% since 2001.

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A quarter of the prosecutor offices reported their district maintains an offender DNA database.

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About 24% of prosecutors' offices assigned prosecutors to handle community-related activities. State court prosecutors' offices, 2005 Full-time offices (population served) 1,000,000 or more

All offices Number of offices Median: 2004 Population served Total staff size Salary of chief prosecutor Budget for prosecution

Summary findings •

Prosecution

250,000 to 999,999

Under 250,000

Part-time offices

2,344

42

213

1,515

574

36,515

1,475,488

449,685

42,263

12,764

9

419

105

10

3

$85,000 $354,755

$149,000 $33,231,705

$125,000 $6,034,575

$95,000 $388,544

$42,000 $132,586

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Pretrial Adjudication Sentencing Criminal appeals Corrections Money laundering

Prosecution •

U.S. attorneys opened matters for investigation against 137,590 suspects during 2005. The number of investigations initiated by U.S. attorneys increased by 7% over 2003. Fifty-one percent were investigated for public-order offenses such as regulatory (4%); immigration (26%), and weapons (10%) offenses; more than a quarter (27%) were investigated for drug offenses; 18% for property offenses; and 4% for violent offenses such as murder, rape, assault, and robbery.

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Of the 143,640 suspects in matters concluded during 2005, 79% were referred for prosecution either before a U.S. district court judge (60%) or a U.S. magistrate (20%). Nearly all (99%) of those investigated for immigration offenses were referred for prosecution.

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Pretrial •

During 2005, a third (34%) of defendants charged with a Federal offense were released following the initial court appearance, provided that any court-imposed conditions were satisfied. Three-quarters (76%) were released on their own recognizance or an unsecured bond; 19% were eligible for release on bail; and 5% were released under restrictive conditions such as third-party supervision or home detention.

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Fifty-six percent of those charged in 2005 had a pretrial detention hearing; 79% of those with a hearing were ordered detained.

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Most (79%) of defendants released prior to trial in 2005 completed their pretrial release without violating the release conditions; 9% had their release revoked. Defendants charged with weapon or drug offenses were less likely to complete release without a violation (64% and 68%, respectively) than other defendants.

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Adjudication •

During 2005, criminal cases were commenced against 91,578 defendants in U.S. district court. Most (88%) were charged with a felony offense. Thirty-four percent of felony defendants were charged with a drug offense; 38% of all defendants were charged with a public-order offense -- including 20% with an immigration offense and 11% with a weapons offense. Fourteen percent were charged with a property offense.

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Cases were terminated against 86,680 defendants during 2005. Most (90%) defendants were convicted. Of the 78,042 defendants convicted, 74,226 (or 95%) pleaded guilty or no-contest.

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Sentencing •

Of the 78,042 defendants convicted and sentenced during 2005, 78% were sentenced to a term of incarceration (either alone or in conjunction with probation), 14% were sentenced to probation (either alone or with incarceration), and 3% were sentenced to pay a fine alone.

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The average prison sentence imposed during 2005 was 61 months. Defendants convicted of violent felonies (101 months), weapons felonies (83 months), and drug felonies (86 months) received the longest prison terms, on average.

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Criminal appeals •

During 2005, 13,097 appeals of criminal cases were filed with the U.S. Courts of Appeal. Three-quarters (10,169) of these cases challenged the sentence imposed, at least in part.

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Of the 13,097 appeals terminated during 2005, 71% were terminated on the on the merits of the case; 29% were procedural terminations by the courts.

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Of the 9,311 appeals terminated on their merits, the appellate courts affirmed, or upheld, the district courts' decisions, at least in part, in 70% of the cases.

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Corrections •

During 2003 the Federal Bureau of Prisons received 53,562 inmates from U.S. district courts; an additional 19,113 inmates were received from other sources such as supervision violations; 63,732 inmates were released. As of September 30, 2003, 152,459 sentenced offenders were under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

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Offenders entering Federal prison during 2003 could expect to serve about 88% of the sentence imposed compared to 65% for those who entered during 1990.

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During 2005, 111,807 offenders convicted of Federal offense were on community supervision. About 74% were serving a term of supervised release; 23% were serving a term of probation; and 3% were serving a term of parole on a sentence that was not imposed pursuant to the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984.

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Money laundering •

During 2001, 1,477 defendants were charged in U.S. district court with money laundering as the most serious offense filed.

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Ten federal judicial districts referred 46% of all money laundering matters in 2001

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Most money laundering prosecutions involved an underlying property or drug trafficking offense (60%).

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Of the 1,243 defendants convicted of money laundering during 2001, most were U.S. citizens (77%) without a prior adult conviction (67%)

Summary findings In 2004 there were more than 800,000 full-time sworn law enforcement officers in the United States Number of Number of full-time Type of agency agencies sworn officers Total 836,787 All State and local 17,876 731,903 Local police 12,766 446,974 Sheriff 3,067 175,018 Primary State 49 58,190 Special 1,481 49,398 jurisdiction Constable/Marshal 513 2,323 Federal* 104,884 Note: Special jurisdiction category includes both Statelevel and local-level agencies. Consolidated police-sheriffs are included under local police category. Agency counts exclude those operating on a part-time basis. *Non-military federal officers authorized to carry firearms and make arrests.

Summary findings •

Prevalence of imprisonment in the United States

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Lifetime likelihood of going to State or Federal prison Characteristics of State prison inmates Characteristics of jail inmates Comparing Federal and State prison inmates Recidivism Sex offenders Child victimizers Intimate victimizers Use of alcohol by convicted offenders Women Offenders

For additional information about homicide offenders, see Homicide Trends in the United States. Prevalence of imprisonment in the United States •

As of December 31, 2001, there were an estimated 5.6 million adults who had ever served time in State or Federal prison, including 4.3 million former prisoners and 1.3 million adults in prison.

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Nearly a third of former prisoners were still under correctional supervision, including 731,000 on parole, 437,000 on probation, and 166,000 in local jails.

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In 2001, an estimated 2.7% of adults in the U.S. had served time in prison, up from 1.8% in 1991 and 1.3% in 1974.

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The prevalence of imprisonment in 2001 was higher for -- black males (16.6%) and Hispanic males (7.7%) than for white males (2.6%) -- black females (1.7%) and Hispanic females (0.7%) than white females (0.3%)

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Nearly two-thirds of the 3.8 million increase in the number of adults ever incarcerated between 1974 and 2001 occurred as a result of an increase in first incarceration rates; one-third occurred as a result of an increase in the number of residents age 18 and older.

Lifetime likelihood of going to State or Federal prison •

If recent incarceration rates remain unchanged, an estimated 1 of every 15 persons (6.6%) will serve time in a prison during their lifetime.

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Lifetime chances of a person going to prison are higher for -- men (11.3%) than for women (1.8%) -- blacks (18.6%) and Hispanics (10%) than for whites (3.4%)

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Based on current rates of first incarceration, an estimated 32% of black males will enter State or Federal prison during their lifetime, compared to 17% of Hispanic males and 5.9% of white males.

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Characteristics of State Prison inmates

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Women were 6.6% of the State prison inmates in 2001, up from 6% in 1995. Sixty-four percent of prison inmates belonged to racial or ethnic minorities in 2001. An estimated 57% of inmates were under age 35 in 2001. About 4% of State prison inmates were not U.S. citizens at yearend 2001. About 6% of State prison inmates were held in private facilities at yearend 2001. Altogether, an estimated 57% of inmates had a high school diploma or its equivalent. Among the State prison inmates in 2000: -- nearly half were sentenced for a violent crime (49%) -- a fifth were sentenced for a property crime (20%) -- about a fifth were sentenced for a drug crime (21%)

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Characteristics of jail inmates Demographics • • • •

Women were 12% of the local jail inmates in 2002, up from 10% in 1996. Jail inmates were older on average in 2002 than 1996: 38% were age 35 or older, up from 32% in 1996. More than 6 in 10 persons in local jails in 2002 were racial or ethnic minorities, unchanged from 1996. An estimated 40% were black; 19%, Hispanic, 1% American Indian; 1% Asian; and 3% of more than one race/ethnicity.

Conviction Offense • • • •

Half of jail inmates in 2002 were held for a violent or drug offense, almost unchanged from 1996. Drug offenders, up 37%, represented the largest source of jail population growth between 1996 and 2002. More than two-thirds of the growth in inmates held in local jails for drug law violations was due to an increase in persons charged with drug trafficking. Thirty-seven percent of jail inmates were convicted on a new charge; 18% were convicted on prior charges following revocation of probation or parole; 16% were both convicted of a prior charge and awaiting trial on a new charge; and 28% were unconvicted.

Criminal History • • •

Fifty-three percent of jail inmates were on probation, parole or pretrial release at the time of arrest. Four in 10 jail inmates had a current or past sentence for a violent offense. Thirty-nine percent of jail inmates in 2002 had served 3 or more prior sentences to incarceration or probation, down from 44% in 1996.

Substance Use and Treatment •

Half (50%) of convicted jail inmates were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the offense, down from 59% in 1996.

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Three out of every four convicted jail inmates were alcohol or drugs-involved at the time of their current offense. Alcohol use at the time of the offense dropped from 41% (1996) to 35% (2002), while drug use dropped from 35% to 29%. Average sentence length of inmates serving their time in a local jail increased from 22 months in 1996 to 24 months in 2002. Time expected to be served in jail dropped from 10 months in 1996 to 9 months, in 2002

Family background • • • •

Thirty-one percent of jail inmates had grown up with a parent or guardian who abused alcohol or drugs About 12 percent had lived in a foster home or institution. Forty-six percent had a family member who had been incarcerated. More than 50% of the women in jail said they had been physically or sexually abused in the past, compared to more than 10% of the men.

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Comparing Federal and State prison inmates •

In 1997, Federal inmates were more likely than State inmates to be -- women (7% vs. 6%) -- Hispanic (27% vs. 17%) -- age 45 or older (24% vs. 13%) -- with some college education (18% vs. 11%) -- noncitizens (18% vs. 5%)

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In 2000, an estimated 57% of Federal inmates and 21% of State inmates were serving a sentence for a drug offense; about 10% of Federal inmates and 49% of State inmates were in prison for a violent offense. Violent offenders accounted for 53% of the growth in State prisons between 1990 to 2000, drug offenders accounted for 59% of the growth in Federal prisons.

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Recidivism • • • • •

Of the 272,111 persons released from prisons in 15 States in 1994, an estimated 67.5% were rearrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor within 3 years, 46.9% were reconvicted, and 25.4% resentenced to prison for a new crime. The 272,111 offenders discharged in 1994 accounted for nearly 4,877,000 arrest charges over their recorded careers. Within 3 years of release, 2.5% of released rapists were rearrested for another rape, and 1.2% of those who had served time for homicide were arrested for a new homicide. Sex offenders were less likely than non-sex offenders to be rearrested for any offense –– 43 percent of sex offenders versus 68 percent of non-sex offenders. Sex offenders were about four times more likely than non-sex offenders to be arrested for another sex crime after their discharge from prison –– 5.3 percent of sex offenders versus 1.3 percent of non-sex offenders.

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Sex offenders • • • • •

On a given day in 1994 there were approximately 234,000 offenders convicted of rape or sexual assault under the care, custody, or control of corrections agencies; nearly 60% of these sex offenders are under conditional supervision in the community. The median age of the victims of imprisoned sexual assaulters was less than 13 years old; the median age of rape victims was about 22 years. An estimated 24% of those serving time for rape and 19% of those serving time for sexual assault had been on probation or parole at the time of the offense for which they were in State prison in 1991. Of the 9,691 male sex offenders released from prisons in 15 States in 1994, 5.3% were rearrested for a new sex crime within 3 years of release. Of released sex offenders who allegedly committed another sex crime, 40% perpetrated the new offense within a year or less from their prison discharge.

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Child victimizers • • •

Approximately 4,300 child molesters were released from prisons in 15 States in 1994. An estimated 3.3% of these 4,300 were rearrested for another sex crime against a child within 3 years of release from prison. Among child molesters released from prison in 1994, 60% had been in prison for molesting a child 13 years old or younger. Offenders who had victimized a child were on average 5 years older than the violent offenders who had committed their crimes against adults. Nearly 25% of child victimizers were age 40 or older, but about 10% of the inmates with adult victims fell in that age range.

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Intimate victimizers • • •

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About 4 in 10 inmates serving time in jail for intimate violence had a criminal justice status -- on probation or parole or under a restraining order -- at the time of the violent attack on an intimate. About 1 in 4 convicted violent offenders confined in local jails had committed their crime against an intimate; about 7% of State prisoners serving time for violence had an intimate victim. About half of all offenders convicted of intimate violence and confined in a local jail or a State prison had been drinking at the time of the offense. Jail inmates who had been drinking prior to the intimate violence consumed an average amount of ethanol equivalent to 10 beers. About 8 in 10 inmates serving time in State prison for intimate violence had injured or killed their victim.

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Use of alcohol by convicted offenders

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Among the 5.3 million convicted offenders under the jurisdiction of corrections agencies in 1996, nearly 2 million, or about 36%, were estimated to have been drinking at the time of the offense. The vast majority, about 1.5 million, of these alcohol-involved offenders were sentenced to supervision in the community: 1.3 million on probation and more than 200,000 on parole. Alcohol use at the time of the offense was commonly found among those convicted of public-order crimes, a type of offense most highly represented among those on probation and in jail. Among violent offenders, 41% of probationers, 41 of those in local jails, 38% of those in State prisons, and 20% of those in Federal prisons were estimated to have been drinking when they committed the crime.

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Women offenders • • • •

In 1998 there were an estimated 3.2 million arrests of women, accounting for 22% of all arrests that year. Based on self-reports of victims of violence, women account for 14% of violent offenders, an annual average of about 2.1 million violent female offenders. Women accounted for about 16% of all felons convicted in State courts in 1996: 8% of convicted violent felons, 23% of property felons, and 17% of drug felons. In 1998 more than 950,000 women were under correctional supervision, about 1% of the U.S. female population.

What is the sequence of events in the criminal justice system? To text description

To a larger version of the chart The flowchart of the events in the criminal justice system (shown in the diagram) updates the original chart prepared by the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice in 1967. The chart summarizes the most common events in the criminal and juvenile justice systems including entry into the criminal justice system, prosecution and pretrial services, adjudication, sentencing and sanctions, and corrections. A discussion of the events in the criminal justice system follows.

Summary findings •

In 2004 State and Federal courts convicted a combined total of about 1,145,000 adults of felonies.

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Between 1994 and 2004 the number of felony convictions increased 24% in State courts.

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State courts convicted about 1,079,000 adults of a felony in 2004.

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Between 1994 and 2004, the conviction rate for violent crimes has risen.

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Seventy percent of those convicted in 2004 were sentenced to incarceration.

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Sixty-two percent of defendants charged with a felony in the 75 most populated counties in May 2004 were released from jail pending disposition of their case.

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Thirty-three percent of those who were released were rearrested for a new offense, failed to appear in court, or violated some other condition of their pretrial release.

Summary findings Local governments spend more on criminal justice than State governments or the Federal government.

Direct expenditure by level of government, 1982-2005

Direct expenditure for each of the major criminal justice functions (police, corrections, judicial) has been steadily increasing.

Direct expenditures by criminal justice function, 1982-2005

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In fiscal 2005 Federal, State, and local governments spent an estimated $204 billion for police protection, corrections and judicial and legal activities, a 5.5% increase over the previous year. Per capita expenditure across the three government types and criminal justice functions was approximately $660.

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In fiscal 2005 State and local governments spent a combined 83% of all direct justice dollars; the Federal Government spent the rest.

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Federal government spent more than $35 billion on direct expenditures for criminal and civil justice in fiscal year 2005. State governments spent over $65 billion and local governments spent over $104 billion.

Drugs & Crime Facts This site summarizes U.S. statistics about drug-related crimes, law enforcement, courts, and corrections from Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and non-BJS sources (See Drug data produced by BJS below). It updates the information published in Drugs and Crime Facts, 1994, (NCJ 154043) and will be revised as new information becomes available. The data provide policymakers, criminal justice practitioners, researchers, and the general public with online access to understandable information on various drug law violations and drug-related law enforcement.

Key Crime & Justice Facts at a Glance • • • • • •

Crime trends Trends in Federal investigations and prosecutions Trends in felony convictions in State courts Corrections trends including Capital punishment trends Expenditure trends Civil justice trends

Small versions of the charts and brief statements of findings are presented here with links to full size charts, additional information about the charts and findings, and the data that support the chart. A complete list of the trend tables that support these charts is available. Full size versions of selected trend charts suitable for overheads or handouts also are available. Get the latest Federal Government social statistics from other agencies from the Social Statistics Briefing Room at the White House Web site.

Crime trends • •

Serious violent crime Property crime rates

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Firearm-related crime Drug arrests

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Gender of victims of violent crime

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Reporting to the police

See also Crime and

Victims

Serious violent crime Serious violent crime levels declined since 1993. More on: homicide | rape | robbery | assault | involvement of juveniles in violent crime

Property crime rates Property crime rates continue to decline. More on: burglary | theft | motor vehicle theft

Gender of

violent crime victims Violent crime rates declined for both males and females since 1994. More on: characteristics of crime victims

Firearm-related crime Firearm-related crime has plummeted since 1993, then slightly increased in 2005. More on: firearm-related crime

Drug arrests The estimated number of arrests for drug abuse violations for adults has been increasing, while the number for juveniles stabilized.

Reporting to the police The percentage of crimes reported to the police has been increasing. More on: crimes reported to the police by race and ethnicity

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Trends in Federal investigations and prosecutions • •

Outcomes of Federal court cases Federal court cases by offense type

See also Federal justice statistics

Outcomes of Federal court cases

The proportion of those convicted in Federal court who are sentenced to prison has been increasing.

Federal court cases by offense type Of cases concluded in Federal district court since 1989, drug cases have increased at the greatest rate.

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Trends in Felony convictions in State courts • •

Convictions in State courts Sentences in State courts

See also Criminal sentencing

Convictions in State courts The number of adults convicted of a felony in State courts has been increasing.

Sentences in State courts Over two thirds of the felons convicted in State courts were sentenced to prison or jail.

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Correctional trends

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Correctional populations Prison population by conviction offense Incarceration rate

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Prisoners under sentence of death Prisoners under sentence of death by race Executions

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Suicide and homicide rates

See also Corrections

Correctional populations The number of adults in the correctional population has been increasing. More on: gender and race of correctional populations

Prison population by conviction offense Prisoners convicted of a violent offense make up over half of the prison population

Incarceration rate After sharp increases in the 1980s and 1990s, the incarceration rate has recently grown at a slower pace.

Prisoners under sentence of death The number of prisoners under sentence of death decreased for the sixth consecutive year in 2006.

Prisoners under sentence of death by race

Since the death penalty was reinstated by the Supreme Court in 1976, more than half of those under sentence of death have been white.

Executions In 2007, 42 inmates were executed, 11 fewer than in 2006.

Suicide and homicide rates Suicide and homicide rates in State prisons and jails declined.

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Expenditure trends • •

By function By level of government

See also Expenditure and employment

Expenditure by function Direct expenditure for each of the major criminal justice functions (police, corrections, judicial) has been increasing.

Expenditure by level of government

Local governments spend more on criminal justice than State governments or the Federal government.

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Civil justice trends • •

The number of cases filed in 15 States Tort cases concluded by trial in U.S. district courts

See also Civil justice

Tort cases filed in 15 States The number of tort cases filed in 15 States increased through 1996, than decreased but has stabilized recently.

Tort cases concluded by trial in U.S. district courts Since its peak in 1985, the number of tort trials terminated in U.S. district courts declined. More on Federal civil justice trends

Summary findings The number of adults in the correctional population has been increasing. Adult correctional populations, 1980-2006

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In 2006, over 7.2 million people were on probation, in jail or prison, or on parole at yearend 2006 -- 3.2% of all U.S. adult residents or 1 in every 31 adults.

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State and federal prison authorities had jurisdiction over 1,595,034 inmates at midyear 2007: 1,395,916 in state jurisdiction and 199,118 in federal jurisdiction.

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Local jails held 766,010 persons awaiting trial or serving a sentence at yearend 2006. An additional 60,222 persons under jail supervision were serving their sentence in the community.

After sharp increases in the 1980s and 1990s, the incarceration rate has recently grown at a slower pace. Incarceration rate, 1980-2006

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Population growth during the 6-month period ending June 30, 2007 was lower in state prisons (up 1.4%) than in federal prison (up 3.1%).

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Population growth during the 12-month period ending June 29, 2007 was higher in local jails (up 1.9%).

Summary findings In this section: Criminal history records | Background checks for firearms transfers | Sex offender registries

Criminal history records A criminal history record describes any arrests and subsequent dispositions attributable to an individual. Complete, accurate, and immediately accessible records enable states to: • • • • • •

immediately identify individuals with prior criminal records in any state more effectively identify felons and others prohibited from firearm purchases check backgrounds of persons responsible for child, elder and disabled care identify individuals who have a history of domestic violence or stalking make informed decisions relating to pretrial release and detention of offenders, prosecutions of career criminals and appropriate correctional confinement conduct background checks to protect public safety and national security

Criminal records are maintained by each state in a central repository. To facilitate the interstate exchange of criminal history records, the FBI maintains the Interstate Identification Index (III) which is an “index-pointer” system to records of persons arrested for felonies or serious misdemeanors under state or federal law. On December 31, 2003 — •

Over 71 million criminal history records were in the criminal history files of the state criminal history repositories. (An individual offender may have records in several states.)

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Ninety-four percent of the criminal history records maintained by the state criminal history repositories were automated. Approximately 4.1 million records, or 5.7%, were not automated.

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All of the reporting states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia had automated at least some records in either the criminal history record file or the master name index.

* Interstate Identification Index, FBI data through December 2003 Source: BJS\SEARCH Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems, 2003 . Background checks for firearm transfers Federal law prohibits firearm possession by or transfer to prohibited persons including those who are under indictment for or convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year.

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In 2007 over 8.6 million applications for firearm transfers or permits were subject to background checks under the Brady Act and similar state laws. From the inception of the Brady Act in March 1994 through December 2007, more than 87 million applications for firearm transfers were subject to background checks. About 1,631,000 applications were rejected. Among state checking agencies in 2007, 39% of all rejections for firearm transfers were due to a felony conviction. Among all agencies conducting background checks, 64% of applications were denied due to reasons other than a felony conviction in 2007.

Sex offender registries (SOR) As of April 2008 — • •

All 50 states and the District of Columbia had centralized sex offender registries. 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands were submitting records on sexual offenders to the National Sex Offender Registry.