NCJ Number
103061
Date Published
1986
Length
71 pages
Annotation
This report uses statistical data from various criminal justice system (CJS) sources in Pennsylvania to describe and analyze offenders at various levels of the CJS and provide information helpful in evaluating the effects of policy changes.
Abstract
With respect to criminal activity, data indicate increases in arrests, incarcerations, and convictions between 1977 and 1984. Of cases entering the courts, 75 percent are misdemeanors. Of persons released from State institutions, 42 percent are rearrested within 3 years, with 57 percent of recidivism occuring in the first year. Demographic data suggest that crime should decline throughout the remainder of the century. Because the courts have increased conviction and incarceration rates between 1980 and 1983, the prison population, including the lifer and death row populations, has grown. Of all sentences, 86 percent conform to sentencing guidelines. Legislative reforms in sentencing have resulted in a decrease of armed robberies, an increase in drunk driving arrests and jail commitments, and a higher percentage of drug dealers serving longer terms. As a result of these changes, serious strains have been placed on CJS resources, particularly in the area of corrections. Overcrowding is becoming increasingly problematic. Over 130,000 people are under correctional supervision at the beginning of 1986, and the prison population is expected to peak in 1989 at over 16,000 inmates. Tables, graphs, and other figures.