NCJ Number
78983
Date Published
1977
Length
88 pages
Annotation
This report presents data dealing with adult felony arrestees who received a final disposition in 1975 in 56 of California's 58 counties.
Abstract
Alameda and Santa Clara counties are excluded from the analysis. In 1975, over 900 agencies reported 174,069 dispositions of adult felony arrests. A total of 8.5 percent of those arrested were released at the law enforcement level, 13.5 percent were released at the prosecutor level, 56 percent were resolved in the lower courts, and 22 percent were handled in superior court. Nearly one out of two persons arrested on felony charges was convicted. Of all court convictions, three out of four defendants received either a sentence of straight probation or probation and jail. Of those convicted in superior court, 80 percent received a felony sentence, and 20 percent were handled as misdemeanants. Less than 3 percent of the initial number of persons arrested for felonies received a prison term. An average of 6 months elapsed from arrest until sentencing to prison. Of the 174,069 dispositions, 19.4 percent originated with arrests for crimes against persons; 28.4 percent originated with property crimes; 39 percent originated with drug law violations; and 13.2 percent involved other felony offenses. A total of 56 percent of the adult felony arrestees were white. Blacks accounted for 24.6 percent of the arrestees, and Mexican Americans comprised 15.6 percent of the felony arrest population. White arrestees were more heavily involved in drug law violations than were other racial groups. Of the arrestees, 86.5 percent were male and 13.4 percent were female. The majority of adult arrestees were between 20 and 29 years of age at arrest. Older defendants had a higher proportion of court convictions. Appended are a form, a glossary, and a list of California publications of the Offender-Based-Transaction Statistics system. (Author summary modified)