NCJ Number
94788
Date Published
1984
Length
24 pages
Annotation
Information is provided on offenders committed to jails and houses of correction in Massachusetts counties in 1983.
Abstract
Data concerning operating expenditures and average populations are provided, as are statistics regarding institution of commitment, month of commitment, present offense, sentence, age at commitment, sex, marital status, last school grade completed, and court of commitment. The data reveal that the majority of individuals (88 percent) were committed for non-person offenses; 34 percent were committed for offenses against property, 6 percent for drug offenses, and 47 percent for other offenses. A total of 9,617 individuals were committed to county facilities in 1983; this represents an increase of 13 percent over the number of commitments during 1982. Commitments for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol increased from 1,305 during 1982 to 2,369 during 1982, an increase of 82 percent. Thus, the overall increase of 13 percent in commitments to county facilities is almost completely accounted for by the 82 percent increase in commitments for driving under the influence. The vast majority of offenders were male (99 percent) and single (68 percent). The median age for commitments to houses of correction was 25 years of age, and the median last grade completed was the eleventh grade. More than one-third of the commitments graduated from high school, while only 222 offenders graduated from college. Ninety-two percent were sentenced from district courts. Seventeen tables and one graph are presented. (Author abstract modified)