Federal Prisoners with a History of Violence

• NCJ Number: 128222
• Author(s): H Lebowitz; E Gilman
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Research Bulletin

Annotation

This paper identifies the overall percentage of Federal prisoners in 1988 with a history of violence and the percentage of such inmates at each institution.

Abstract

Three definitions are used to classify history of violence: (1) inmates whose current conviction is for offenses involving homicide, rape, assault, kidnaping, and robbery; (2) inmates whose current conviction includes the offenses listed in the first definition plus crimes involving arson, firearms, explosives, extortion, selected national defense violations, sex offenses, air piracy, and threats against the President; and (3) inmates currently committed for offenses included in the second definition and other background indicators of violence. Overall, 23 percent of Bureau of Prisons inmates were incarcerated in 1988 for Definition 1 offenses. Under this definition, 23 percent of all males and 12 percent of all females had a history of violence. Under Definition 2, the percentage of Federal prisoners classified as violent increased to 29 percent; 30 percent of all males and 14 percent of all females had a history of violence. Using Definition 3, 46 percent of Federal inmates were considered violent, with 48 percent of all males and 24 percent of all females having a history of violence. 2 tables