NCJ Number
10672
Date Published
1972
Length
40 pages
Annotation
GRAPHIC PRESENTATION OF THE DISPOSITIONAL TRENDS OF 17 SELECTED OFFENSES FROM 1967 TO 1971, COURT PROCESSING TIME, FEDERAL PROBATION WORKLOAD, AND PRISONER PETITIONS.
Abstract
DISPOSITIONAL TRENDS COVER PROSECUTIONS, COURT OUTCOME, KINDS OF SENTENCE, AND LENGTH OF PRISON TERMS. THE COURT PROCESSING SECTION COVERS TOTAL PROCESS TIME FOR BOTH TRIALS AND APPEALS. SOME MAJOR OBSERVATIONS ARE DRAWN FROM THE DATA PRESENTED. THE NUMBER OF PERSONS PROSECUTED FOR ALL FEDERAL CRIMES IN 1971 WAS 43 PERCENT HIGHER THAN IN 1967, AND FOR THE 17 SELECTED OFFENSES IT WAS 65 PERCENT HIGHER. FAR GREATER INCREASES OCCURRED IN CERTAIN SPECIFIC OFFENSES, E.G., WEAPONS AND FIREARMS (554 PERCENT), BAIL JUMPING (660 PERCENT). OVERALL CONVICTION RATES DROPPED FROM 85 TO 68 PERCENT FOR THE 17 OFFENSES AND FROM 83 TO 72 PERCENT FOR ALL FEDERAL CRIME. AMONG THE PERSONS NOT CONVICTED, THE PERCENTAGE OF THOSE DISMISSED, RATHER THAN FOUND NOT GUILTY, HAS RISEN. A SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF CONVICTED PERSONS RECEIVED PRISON SENTENCES IN 1971 THAN IN 1967. THE DATA ALSO SHOW THAT THE MEDIAN TIME TO DISPOSE OF FEDERAL CRIMINAL CASES IS 4.7 MONTHS. WHEN U.S. CRIMINAL CASES ARE APPEALED IT ROUGHLY TRIPLES THE TOTAL TIME SPAN TO FINAL DISPOSITION WITHIN THE FEDERAL COURT SYSTEM. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)