Sentence length and time served varied little over time for the Nation as a whole. Data came from 33 States and the District of Columbia and covered 121,211 prison admissions and 101,943 prison releases during 1981. Selected data going back to 1926 were also used. Ninety-four of every 100 inmates admitted during 1981 were male, while about 55.5 percent were white and 43.5 percent were black. The median age of persons admitted to prisons during 1981 was 25. Burglary and robbery were the two most prevalent offenses among those admitted, constituting 46 percent of the offenses. Violent offenses made up 39 percent of all admissions. Data on specific jurisdiction, age and offense, median maximum sentences and time served, release trends for selected years, percentage of time served, and related data are also presented in tabular and narrative form. Lists of additional reports and bulletins available from the Bureau of Justice Statistics are provided.
Prison Admission and Releases, 1981
NCJ Number
95043
Date Published
September 1984
Publication Series
Annotation
Compared to earlier decades, imprisonment was more prevalent among the U.S. adult population in 1981, the entering inmate population was more likely to be convicted of violent crimes, and those leaving prison were less likely to exit by a discretionary parole board decision.
Abstract
Date Published: September 1, 1984