NCJ Number
188107
Journal
Trends and Issues Update Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: July 1999 Pages: 1-4
Date Published
July 1999
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article presents information and data on current (1998) and long-term (1976-1998) trends in drug arrests in Illinois, with attention to regional comparisons, Federal drug arrests in Illinois, and arrests by Illinois metropolitan enforcement groups and multijurisdictional drug task forces.
Abstract
Four sets of State laws designed to address illegal possession, sale, and production of drugs and drug paraphernalia exist in Illinois. The Cannabis Control Act -- which prohibits growing, selling, or possessing marijuana -- accounted for the majority of drug arrests in Illinois between 1976 and 1987. The number of arrests for violations of the Cannabis Control Act remained unchanged during that period, with an average of nearly 20,000 arrests per year, which accounts for approximately 66 percent of all drug arrests in Illinois; however, between 1987 and 1991, arrests for cannabis offenses declined, and arrests for violations of the Controlled Substances Act -- which prohibits manufacturing, possessing, or selling other illegal drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, phencyclidine (PCP), and LSD -- increased dramatically. Cook County has had the highest drug arrest rate per 100,000 residents than any other region in Illinois. In addition to arrests made by local agencies for drug law violations, a number of Federal agencies make arrests in Illinois through their enforcement of Federal law. Between 1988 and 1997, the number of arrests for drug law violations made by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Illinois averaged 1,122 per year. In addition to drug enforcement efforts by individual police departments in Illinois, some drug investigations and drug arrests are made by multiagency teams, such as drug enforcement task forces and metropolitan enforcement groups. During 1998, Illinois' metropolitan enforcement groups and task forces made more than 4,200 arrests for State drug law violations. The dramatic increase in arrests for Controlled Substances Act violations since the mid-1980's has had a significant impact on the workload of the Illinois criminal justice system. 3 figures