Felony Sentences in State Courts, 2000

• NCJ Number: 198821
• Author(s): Matthew R. Durose, Bureau of Justice Statistics; Patrick A. Langan, Ph.D., Bureau of Justice Statistics
• Date Published: June 2003
• Publication Series: Felony Sentences in State Courts
• Publication Type: Publication

Annotation

Presents statistics for adults who were convicted of a felony and sentenced in State courts in 2000.

Abstract

Presents statistics for adults who were convicted of a felony and sentenced in State courts. The data were collected in a nationally representative survey of 344 counties in 2000. Within the 12 offense categories reported are the number and characteristics (age, sex, race) of offenders who were sentenced to prison, jail, or probation. Trends from 1992 to 2000 highlight the number, sentence type, sentence length, and characteristics of adults convicted of felonies. This periodic report is published every two years.

Highlights

• State courts sentenced 40% of convicted felons to a State prison, 28% to a local jail, and 32% to straight probation with no jail or prison time to serve.
• Drug offenders were 34.6% of felons convicted in State courts in 2000.
• Guilty pleas accounted for 95% of felony convictions in State courts in 2000.