NCJ Number
55659
Date Published
1977
Length
42 pages
Annotation
THIS STATISTICAL REPORT IS BASED ON THE COLLECTION OF DATA FROM EACH OF ARKANSAS' 75 COUNTIES. FIELDWORKERS COMPILED INFORMATION ON ARRESTS, COURT PROCESSING, AND CASE DISPOSITION.
Abstract
THE YEAR CHOSEN FOR ANALYSIS WAS 1974; THIS ENSURED THAT MOST CASES HAD BEEN CLOSED. THAT YEAR 90 PERCENT OF THOSE ARRESTED WERE MALE, 58 PERCENT WERE WHITE, 28 PERCENT WERE BLACK, AND 41 PERCENT WERE AGED 18 TO 25 YEARS. BURGLARY WAS THE LARGEST CATEGORY, 27.2 PERCENT, FOLLOWED BY LARCENY, 14.2 PERCENT, DRUG OFFENSES, 11.5 PERCENT, ROBBERY AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, SLIGHTLY OVER 5 PERCENT EACH, MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT, 2.7 PERCENT, MURDER AND NONNEGLIGENT MANSLAUGHTER, 2.4 PERCENT, AND FORCIBLE RAPE, 2.3 PERCENT. LENGTH OF PRETRIAL CONFINEMENT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED FOR 4,126 CASES BUT WAS 1 TO 5 DAYS FOR 2,499. STATISTICAL TABLES GIVE LENGTH OF CONFINEMENT BY OFFENSE, FINAL AMOUNT OF BAIL BY OFFENSE, FREQUENCY OF VARIOUS TYPES OF BOND RELEASE, PROCESSING TIME TO DISPOSITION AT BOTH THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COURT LEVELS, PRIOR MISDEMEANOR AND FELONY CONVICTIONS, LOWER COURT PLEAS BY TYPE, ATTORNEY DATA, AND LENGTH OF TIME FOR COURT PROCESSING. SENTENCING DATA ARE GIVEN BY RACE AND BY SEX. NEARLY HALF OF THE BLACK ARRESTEES WERE EVENTUALLY SENTENCED BY THE CIRCUIT COURT (1,174 OF 2,897) COMPARED TO ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF WHITE ARRESTEES (2,222 OF 6,112). MOST FEMALE ARRESTEES EITHER NEVER REACHED CIRCUIT COURT OR RECEIVED SUSPENDED SENTENCES OR PROBATION. IN ADDITION TO THE STATISTICS, THE REPORT CONTAINS FLOW CHARTS ILLUSTRATING THE FELONY PROCESSING SYSTEM IN ARKANSAS. (GLR)