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1 Sean Rosenmerkel, et al., Felony Sentences in State Courts, 2006 1 (2006)

handle is hein.agopinions/flsentscvi0001 and id is 1 raw text is: U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Revised 11/22/2010 Bureau of Justice Statistics December 2009, NCJ 226846 National Judicial Reporting Program Felony Sentences in State Courts, 2006 - Statistical Tables Sean Rosenmerkel, Matthew Durose and Donald Farole, Jr., Ph.D. BJS Statisticians The National Judicial Reporting Program (NJRP) compiles detailed information on the sentences that felons receive in state courts nationwide and on characteristics of the felons. The survey excludes federal courts and state or local courts that do not adjudicate adult felony cases. NJRP surveys have been conducted every 2 years since 1986. This publication presents findings from the 2006 survey. The 2006 NJRP was based on a sample of state courts in 300 counties selected to be nationally representative. The survey included offenses that state penal codes defined as felonies. Felonies are widely defined as crimes with the potential of being punished by more than 1 year in prison. In 2006, state courts sentenced an estimated 1,132,290 persons for a felony conviction. That total represents a 37% increase from the number of felony offenders sentenced in 1990. The num- ber of sentenced felons in 2006 per 100,000 adult residents (18 or older) in the United States was 503. The corresponding rate in 1990 was 447. . In 2006 an estimated 69% of all persons con- victed of a felony in state courts were sen- tenced to a period of confinement-41% to state prison and 28% to local jails. State prison sentences averaged 4 years and 11 months in 2006. Number and rate of persons sentenced for a felony in state courts Rate per 100,000 resi- Estimated number dents age 18 or older 1990 829,340 447 1994 872,220 448 1998 927,720 454 2002 1,051,000 489 2006 1,132,290 503 Note: See Methodology for source of resident population estimates. During this 16-year period, state courts experi- enced a rise in the average age of persons sen- tenced for a felony, a trend that is reflected in the overall U.S. population. In 1990, persons age 30 or older accounted for 74% of U.S. adult resi- dents and 42% of felony offenders in state courts (not in table). By comparison, persons age 30 or older comprised 78% of the adult U.S. popula- tion in 2006 and 53% of felons sentenced in state courts that year. The average age of sentenced felons rose from 29 years in 1990 to 33 years in 2006. . Men (83%) accounted for a larger percentage of persons convicted of a felony, compared to their percentage (49%) of the adult population (not shown in table). . Most (94%) felony offenders sentenced in 2006 pleaded guilty. This publication is one in a series. For a list of all publications in this series go to http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbse&sid=28 1 Felony Sentences in State Courts, 2006 - Statistical Tables December 2009

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