Revised 7/26/99 U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin Felony Sentences in State Courts, 1994 January 1997, NCJ 163391 This report is one in a series. More recent editions may be available. To view a list of all in the series go to http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pubalp2.htm#fssc The full text of this report is available through: *the BJS Clearinghouse, 1-800-732-3277 *on the Internet at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ By Patrick A. Langan, Ph.D. and Jodi M. Brown BJS Statisticians Highlights * State courts convicted 872,217 adults of a felony in 1994. * The decline in the number of convictions from 1992 (893,630 convictions) to 1994 (872,217 convictions) reverses the upward trend after 1988. * In 1994 the average time from arrest to sentencing was just under 6« months, indicating that despite the increased volume of work, courts actually processed cases a little faster in 1994 (872,217 cases) than they did in 1988 (667,366 cases), when the typical convicted felon was sentenced 7 months after arrest. * The proportion of felons sentenced to incarceration or probation in 1994 was generally unchanged from 1988. Prison sentences accounted for just under half of felony sentences in both years. * Drug traffickers (19%) and drug possessors (12.5%) together made up 31.4% of felons convicted in State courts in 1994. Violent offenders -- consisting of murderers (1.4%), rapists (2.3%), robbers (5.3%), assaulters (7.5%), and others convicted of a violent crime (2.4%) -- made up 18.9%. Burglars (11.2%) and larcenists (13%) made up most of the rest. * State courts sentenced 45% of convicted felons to a State prison, 26% to a local jail, and 29% to straight probation with no jailor prison time to serve. * Felons sentenced to a State prison in 1994 had an average sentence of 6 years but were likely to serve roughly a third of that sentence -- or about 2 years -- before release, assuming that 1994 release policies continue in effect. * The average sentence to local jail was 6 months. The average probation sentence was just over 3 years. In addition, a fine was imposed on 21% of convicted felons, restitution on 18%, community service on 7%, and treatment was ordered for 7%. * Of the total number of convicted felons in 1994, 89% had pleaded guilty to their crime. The remaining 11% had been found guilty at trial. * Nationally, of the felons convicted in 1994, 51% were white, 48% were black, and 1% were of other races. In 1994 State courts convicted over 870,000 adults of a felony. Forty-five percent of convicted felons were sentenced to a State prison, and 26% were sentenced to a local jail (usually for a year or less). The remaining 29% were sentenced to straight probation with no jail or prison time to serve. These findings come from a survey that is done every 2 years and that provides the only detailed description of the sentences felons receive in State courts nationwide. ***************************************** National Judicial Reporting Program ***************************************** The National Judicial Reporting Program (NJRP) compiles detailed information on the sentences and characteristics of convicted felons. Previous surveys of felony sentencing in State courts were conducted in 1986, 1988, 1990, and 1992.(See Felony Sentences in State Courts, 1986, NCJ-115210, February 1989; Felony Sentences in State Courts, 1988, NCJ-126923, December 1990; Felony Sentences in State Courts, 1990, NCJ-140186, March 1993; and Felony Sentences in State Courts, 1992, NCJ-151167, January 1995.) The 1994 survey was based on a sample of 300 counties selected to be nationally representative. All but1 of the 300 were in the 1988, 1990, and 1992 surveys. The 300 include the District of Columbia and at least1 county from every State except, by chance, Vermont. Among the 300 sampled counties, 1 sentenced no felons during 1994. The 1994 survey excluded Federal courts and those State or local courts that did not adjudicate adult felony cases. According to the BJS Federal Justice Statistics Program, Federal courts convicted 44,170 persons of a felony in calendar year 1994.(In 1994 the State court in 1 county, Los Angeles, accounted for nearly 48,000 felony convictions, more than in all the Nation's Federal courts combined.) That number represents 5% of the combined State and Federal total number of felony convictions during 1994. The 1994 survey included only offenses that State penal codes defined as felonies. Felonies are widely defined as crimes that have the potential of being punished by more than 1 year in prison. ********************************* Felony conviction offenses ********************************* A total of 872,200 persons were convicted of a felony in State courts in 1994, including 164,600 (or 18.9% of the total) for a violent felony; 275,200 (31.6%) for the property offenses of burglary, larceny, fraud, and forgery; 274,200 (31.4%) for drug offenses; and 31,000 (3.6%) for weapons offenses. The remaining 127,200 (14.6%) consisted of persons convicted of nonviolent offenses such as receiving stolen property and escaping custody. Marijuana trafficking convictions were 1.8% of the conviction total, and marijuana possession convictions were 1.3% of the total. ***************************** Sentences for felonies ***************************** In 1994, 71% of all convicted felons were sentenced to a period of confinement -- 45% to State prisons and 26% to local jails . Jail sentences are for short-term confinement (usually for a year or less) in a county or city facility, while prison sentences are for long-term confinement (usually for over a year) in a State facility. An estimated 29% of all convictedfelons were sentenced to straightprobation with no jail or prison time to serve. *********************** Sentence length *********************** An offender convicted of multiple offenses receives a sentence for each offense. If multiple prison sentences are imposed, the court then decides whether the convicted felon will serve the sentences concurrently (at the same time) or consecutively (one after another). For persons with consecutive sentences, the total time is the sum of the sentence lengths, and for persons with concurrent sentences,the total time is the same as the longest sentence. For persons convicted of a single offense, the total time refers simply to the sentence for that offense. Whenever an offender received a prison sentence range, such as 5 to 10 years, the total time refers to the maximum. For the Nation in 1994, the mean felony sentence to incarceration (prison or jail) was 4 years and 1 month; the median was 2 years. ******************** Prison sentences ******************** In 1994 the mean length of sentences to State prison was almost 6 years; the median term was 4 years. The mean prison sentence for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter was 22« years; the median was 25 years. Life sentences are rare among convicted felons, whether measured as a percentage of all sentences (0.5%) or as a percentage just of prison sentences (1.1%). Among persons convicted of murder or nonnegligent manslaughter, 24% were sentenced to life in prison, and 2% were sentenced to death. Among persons convicted of murder or nonnegligent manslaughter and sentenced to prison, 25% were sentenced to life in prison, and 2% were sentenced to death. When considering those convicted of murder specifically (not including nonnegligent manslaughter), 31% were sentenced to life, and 2% were sentenced to death. Again, among those convicted of murder specifically and sentenced to prison, 32% were sentenced to life in prison, and 2% were sentenced to death.(Not all persons convicted of murder were subject to the death penalty. Thirty-seven States authorized the death penalty in 1994. Within those 37, only certain types of murder were capital offenses. Life sentences in 1994 were-- Life sentences as a percent of-- --------------------------------------- All All prison sentences sentences ---------------------------------------- All offenses .5% 1.1% Murder 23.7 25.2 Rape 1.6 2.2 Robbery 1.9 .1 Aggravated assault .2 .4 Other violent .4 .8 Burglary .2 .4 Larceny -- -- Fraud 0 0 Drug possession .1 .3 Drug trafficking .2 .3 Weapons .2 .3 Other -- -- --Less than 0.05% ********************************** Jail and probation sentences *********************************** Among felons who received a sentence to local jail in 1994, the mean sentence was 6 months, and the median was 4 months. Probation sentences had a mean length of just over 3 years and a median of 3 years. *************************************** Estimated prison time to be served *************************************** The amount of time felons actually serve in prison is typically a fraction of the total sentence received. Two primary reasons explain the difference between sentences received and time served: *In States that impose indeterminate sentences, a judge specifies the minimum and/or maximum sentence length, but a parole board decides when the prisoner will actually be released. *In most but not all States, prisoners gain early release through time credits that they receive automatically or that are granted them for good behavior or special achievements provisions that are intended to help correctional officials manage institutional populations. For both types of sentence reduction, released offenders usually serve the remaining portion of their sentences under supervision in the community. To calculate time to be served by felons sentenced in 1994, the fraction of their sentence they might reasonably be expected to serve was obtained from records of inmates released from prison in a recent year. Life sentences were excluded because it is not possible to specify the percentage served. The percentage of the sentence that released inmates had served was applied to felons sentenced to prison in 1994. Based on data collected by BJS inits National Corrections ReportingProgram, inmates released from prisons in 1993 had served an average of 38% of their total sentence in prison. The percentage of sentence served ranged from a high of 54% for those convicted of rape to a low of 32% for those convicted of drug trafficking. Applying these percentages to State prison sentences received in 1994, it is estimated that felons sentenced in 1994 would serve about 2¬ years, or 38% of their average 6-year prison sentence. Since life sentences are rare for most types of crimes, this method gives reasonably sound estimates of time to be served for most offenses (assuming prison release policies applicable to persons sentenced in 1994 are not markedly different from those governing recent releases). However, life sentences are not rare for murder, though they are rare for nonnegligent manslaughter. Consequently, time to be served shown for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter perhaps substantially underestimates the amount of time all persons convicted of these offenses are likely to serve since the time only applies to persons not receiving a life sentence. *********************************** Convicted felon populations: Sex, race, and age *********************************** In 1994 men comprised 48% of the adult U.S. population but 85% of persons convicted of a felony and 92% of persons convicted of a violent felony. Whites were 85% of the adult U.S. population but 51% of persons convicted of a felony and 48% of the persons convicted of a violent felony. Corresponding figures for blacks were 11% of the adult U.S. population but 48% of convicted felons and 51% of felons convicted of a violent crime. The other races (American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, and Pacific Islanders) represented 4% of the U.S. population but 1% of convicted felons and 1% of those convicted of a violent crime. Persons in their twenties represented about 20% of the adult U.S. population but 43% of convicted felons. The mean or average age of felons was 30 years; the median was 29. ************************************** Number of felony conviction offenses ************************************** At time of sentencing, the vast majority of felons sentenced in 1994 (81%) were sentenced for a single felony offense. An estimated 14% were sentenced for two felony offenses, and the remaining 5% were sentenced for three or more. The number of offenses totals about 1 million felony conviction offenses for which 872,200 felons were convicted and sentenced in 1994.(Note that the 1 million figure pertains to current convictions, not past convictions). The greater the number of felony conviction offenses, the more severe was the sentence. The likelihood of a prison sentence rose from 43% for those convicted of one felony to 52% for two felonies and 58% for three or more. ****************************************** Felony convictions and sentences relative to the number of arrests, 1994 ****************************************** Using data from the NJRP and the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) on offenses and arrests, the number of felony convictions in 1994 was compared with the number of crimes reported to police for offenses likely to be felonies and the number of arrests made for these crimes in 1994. These numbers are aggregates and should not be interpreted as representing the disposition of individual cases tracked across processing stages of the criminal justice system. In fact, a person arrested for a specific offense may be convicted of a different crime. Nevertheless, the comparisons illustrate the approximate odds of conviction and a prison sentence, given an arrest for a felony. For example, the FBI reports that in 1994 about 18,387 adults were arrested for murder (including nonnegligent manslaughter). NJRP data show that 12,007 persons were convicted of murder and 11,282 murderers received a prison sentence. Together the data show that for every 100 persons arrested for murder in the United States in 1994, 65 were convicted of murder, and 61 were sentenced to prison for that offense. Corresponding figures for drug traffickers were 52 convictions and 25 prison sentences for every 100 arrests for drug trafficking. *********************************** Trends in the United States: 1988 to 1994 *********************************** Number of convictions Felony convictions in State courts have fluctuated over the years. The decline from 1992 to 1994 reverses the upward trend after 1988. 1988 667,366 1992 893,630 1990 829,344 1994 872,217 Likelihood of arrest leading to conviction The likelihood of a felony arrest leading to a felony conviction is approximated by dividing the number of adult felony convictions in a year by the number of adult felony arrests that year. In 1994, for example, robbery convictions totaled 46,028, and robbery arrests totaled 117,157, indicating a likelihood of conviction of about 39% for robbery. Approximate likelihood of felony arrestleading to felony conviction ---------------------------- 1988 1990 1992 1994 ---------------------------- Murder 48% 55% 65% 65% Robbery 32 37 41 39 Aggravated assault 10 13 14 14 Burglary 33 38 41 39 Drug trafficking 39 53 55 52 Although the Nation's annual arrest statistics do not distinguish felony from misdemeanor arrests, this method for estimating the likelihood of conviction from aggregate statistics is still valid for certain crimes -- such as robbery -- that are always or nearly always defined in State law as felonies. Conviction rates for these crimes have generally shown similar trends over time. Conviction rates rose from 1988 to 1992 and then fell slightly from 1992 to 1994. Case processing time Though 1994 had considerably more convictions than 1988, there were indications that courts were able to keep up with the increased workload. One measure of how well courts keep pace is the amount of time taken to dispose of a case. In 1988 the typical convicted felon was sentenced 7 months after being arrested. In 1994 it took just under 6« months, indicating that, despite the increased volume of work, courts actually processed cases a little faster in 1994 than they did in 1988. Guilty pleas An indirect measure of how well courts keep pace with a growing workload is the percentage of cases disposed by guilty plea. Since guilty pleas take less time than trials, a rising workload might exert pressure on prosecutors and judges to dispose of more cases by plea rather than trial. While that would help courts to keep pace, a check of the data did not uncover evidence of more guilty pleas. In 1988 guilty pleas accounted for 91% of all felony convictions, and trials accounted for the remaining 9%. Corresponding figures for 1994 were 89% guilty pleas and 11% trials. Guilty pleas are a declining rather than a rising percentage of the total. Age of convicted felons The average age of the American population is rising, a trend reflected in the changing ages of convicted felons. Persons age 30 or older comprised 40% of persons convicted in 1988 but 47% in 1994. The median age of convicted felons was 27 years in 1988 but 29 years in 1994. A notable exception to the trend is the younger age of convicted murderers. Teenagers accounted for 10% of convicted murderers in 1988 but 18% in 1994. Race of convicted felons In 1988 blacks were 41% of persons convicted of a felony. In 1994 they were 48%. Part of the increase is attributable to large numbers of persons convicted of drug trafficking, 63% of whom were black. Prison sentences The year 1994 was not significantly different from 1988 in terms of the overall percentage of convicted felons who received a sentence of prison confinement (as opposed to either jail confinement or probation): 44% in 1988 and 45% in 1994. Nevertheless, from 1988 to 1994 percentages of convicted felons with a prison sentence rose for four crime categories: murder, robbery, aggravated assault, and drug trafficking. Percent of convicted felons who received a prison sentence ------------------------------------------ 1988 1990 1992 1994 ----------------------------------------- All offenses 44% 46% 44% 45% Murder 91 91 93 95 Rape 69 67 68 71 Robbery 75 73 74 77 Aggravated assault 45 45 44 48 Burglary 54 54 52 53 Larceny 39 40 38 38 Drug trafficking 41 49 48 48 The mean sentence to prison also increased from just over 5 years for those convicted of one felony to just under 8 years for those convicted of two or more. ************************ Method of conviction ************************ Of the 872,200 convicted felons, the vast majority -- nearly 773,400, representing 89% of those sentenced for a felony in 1994 -- pleaded guilty. The rest were found guilty either by a jury or by a judge in a bench trial. Persons convicted of murder were the least likely to haveleaded guilty (58%) and the most likely to have been convicted by a jury (35%). Contrary to popular belief, however, neither murder nor violent crime generally accounts for most jury trials. Of all jury trial felony convictions in 1994, 45% (23,088 cases) were for violent crime; 55% (28,772 cases) were for nonviolent crime. The single felony category most frequently decided by juries was aggravated assault (7,394 cases, or 14% of all jury convictions), not murder (4,211 cases, or 8%). Murderers convicted by a jury were the most likely to have received a life sentence (41%) or the death penalty (4%). Type of Type of sentence for murder conviction or nonnegligent manslaughter ------------------------------------------------------------ Total Life Death Other Total 100% 25% 2% 73% Trial 100 38 3 59 Jury 100 41 4 55 Bench 100 11 0 89 Guilty plea 100 17 1 82 ****************************************** Juries accounted for 35% of murder convictions but 59% of life and death sentences for murder.(Juries seldom impose a sentence on those they convict. With rare exception, sentencing following a jury trial is the responsibility of the judge, not the jury). ************************* Case processing time ************************* Mean time from arrest to sentencingin 1994 was just over 6 months. Median time was slightly under 5 months. Jury trial cases took the mosttime --10 months on average from arrest to sentencing. Cases disposed by guilty plea took the least amount of time -- a little over 6 months on average. ************************ Additional penalties ************************ Besides being sentenced to incarceration or probation, 41% or more of convicted felons also were ordered to pay a fine, pay victim restitution, receive treatment, perform community service, or comply with some other additional penalty (for example, undergo house arrest or appear periodically for drug testing). A fine was imposed on at least 21% of convicted felons. Conservative estimates of percentages for other penalties are 18% restitution, 7% some form of treatment, and 7% community service. **************** Methodology **************** ------------------------ Sampling ------------------------ Except for 1 county (replaced by another county), the sample of 300 counties drawn for the 1988 survey was also used in the 1994 survey. Every county in the Nation had a nonzero chance of being in the sample. In general, the more felony cases a county had, the more likely it was to be in the sample. The survey used a two-stage, stratified cluster sampling design. In the first stage the Nation's 3,109 counties or county equivalents were divided into 8 strata. Strata 1 and 2 consisted solely of the 75 largest counties in the United States as defined by the 1985 resident population. Strata 3 through 8 consisted of the remaining 3,034 counties. Because the 75 largest counties account for a disproportionately large amount of serious crime in the Nation, they were given a greater chance of being selected than the remaining counties. Stratum 1 consisted of the 19 counties with the largest number of felony convictions in 1985, plus 12 counties whose participation in the survey had been prearranged. Every county in stratum 1 was selected for the sample. Stratum 2 consisted of the 44 most populous counties that were not in stratum 1. The 44 were ordered by their number of felony convictions in 1985, and then approximately every other county was selected. Stratum 2 thus contributed 23 counties to the sample. Altogether, 54 out of the 75 largest counties were sampled. Data on 1985 felony convictions were obtained from a mail survey described in State Felony Courts and Felony Laws (NCJ-106273) and Census of State Felony Courts, 1985 (codebook for ICPSR 8667). The 54 sampled counties in the 1994 NJRP survey were the same 54 as in the 1986 and 1988 surveys. The 3,034 counties not among the 75 largest were placed into 6 strata defined by the total number of felony convictions in 1985 and then arrayed within stratum by region, and within region from largest to smallest on felony conviction totals. Sampling specifications for each stratum are given in appendix table 1 on page 16. The final sample thus included 246 counties from among the 3,034 counties outside the 75 largest. One of the 246 did not participate. That county was then replaced by another in the same stratum. Case-level data were successfully obtained on convicted felons sentenced in 1994 from these 300 counties. (One of the 300 had no felony convictions during the survey period.) The 60 sampled counties in strata 1 and 3 were self-representing only, and their sampled cases therefore had a first-stage sampling weight of 1. The remaining 240 counties sampled from strata 2 and 4 through 8 were selected to represent their respective strata so that the felony conviction cases sampled had first-stage weights greater than 1. At the second stage of sampling, a systematic sample of felons sentenced for murder/nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, felony larceny/motor vehicle theft, fraud/forgery/embezzlement, drug trafficking, drug possession, weapons offenses, and other offenses was selected from each county's official records. The total sample numbered 85,191 cases. Of these, 59,152 cases were in the 75 largest counties. Rates at which cases were sampled varied by stratum and crime type. In smaller counties every felony case was taken. In larger counties all murder cases and rape cases were typically included, but other offense categories were sampled. Before the sample of cases was drawn, each felon sentenced in the sampled county in 1994 was placed into 1 of the 11 offense categories identified above. If the felon was convicted of more than one felony offense, the offense category was the most serious offense. The hierarchy from most to least serious offense was murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, drug trafficking, weapons, forgery/fraud/embezzlement, larceny/ motor vehicle theft, drug possession, and all other felonies. The hierarchy was determined from an analysis of two factors that reflect how seriously the justice system treats different offenses: the sentence length imposed and the time actually served in prison before release. In general, the higher the offense is in the hierarchy, the more serious it is in terms of the two factors. Sample selection procedures gave each sentenced felon a single chance to be in the sample. However, felons who appeared in court on more than 1 day for different offenses and received a sentence at each reappearance had more than a single chance. At the data analysis stage, cases were aggregated according to their offense designation at the time of sampling, with the single exception of "other violent." "Other violent" is a category shown in the report's tables, but it was not a category at sampling. The "other violent" category was formed from the sampling category "other felonies." That is, after sampling, sampled cases designated "other felonies" were coded "violent," "nonviolent," or "not ascertained," based on data available on them. Cases coded "not ascertained" were rare. For data analysis, cases coded "other violent" were removed from the "other felonies" category and shown separately in the report's tables. ******************** Sampling error ********************* NJRP data were obtained from a sample and not from a complete enumeration; consequently, they are subject to sampling error. A standard error, which is a measure of sampling error, is associated with each number in the report. In general, if the difference between two numbers is at least twice the standard error of that difference (the criterion used in this report), there is at least 95% confidence that the two numbers do in fact differ; that is, the apparent difference is not simply the result of surveying a sample rather than the entire population. National estimates of the number of convictions for individual crime categories and for the aggregate total had a coefficient of variation of 3%. ********************* Sources of data ********************* State courts were the source of NJRP data for about 85% of the 300 counties sampled. For other counties, sources included prosecutors' offices, sentencing commissions, and statistical agencies. Individual-level NJRP records were obtained through a variety of collection methods, including magnetic tape (64% of the counties) and field collection (9%). Photocopies of official documents and survey questionnaires completed by court officials were additional data sources (27%). All data were collected by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. ************************ Targeted population ************************ The survey targeted and recorded initial sentences imposed in 1994. If a sentence was imposed on one date and then modified at a later date, the revision was ignored. The survey recorded sentences that were actually executed and excluded suspended sentences. Because the year of conviction was not a defining characteristic, some cases in the sample were of persons convicted before 1994 but not sentenced until 1994. In a few counties where it was impractical to target sentences in 1994, the target was felons convicted in 1994. Hence, in some of the cases the data pertain to sentences imposed after 1994. *********************** Crime definitions *********************** Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter: Murder is (1) intentionally causing the death of another person without extreme provocation or legal justification or (2) causing the death of another while committing or attempting to commit another crime. Nonnegligent (or voluntary) manslaughter is intentionally and without legal justification causing the death of another when acting under extreme provocation. The combined category of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter excludes involuntary or negligent manslaughter, conspiracies to commit murder, solicitation of murder, and attempted murder. Rape: forcible intercourse (vaginal, anal, or oral) with a female or male. Includes forcible sodomy or penetration with a foreign object (which are sometimes called "deviate sexual assault"); excludes statutory rape or any other nonforcible sexual acts with a minor or with someone unable to give legal or factual consent. Includes attempts. Robbery: the unlawful taking of property that is in the immediate possession of another, by force or the threat of force. Includes forcible purse snatching, but excludes nonforcible purse snatching, which is classified as larceny/theft. Includes attempts. Aggravated assault:(1) intentionally and without legal justification causing serious bodily injury, with or without a deadly weapon, or (2) using a deadly or dangerous weapon to threaten, attempt, or cause bodily injury, regardless of the degree of injury if any. Includes attempted murder,aggravated battery, felonious assault, and assault with a deadly weapon. Other violent: violent offenses excluding murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Includes offenses such as sexual assault, kidnaping, extortion, and negligent manslaughter. Includes attempts. Burglary: the unlawful entry of a fixed structure used for regular residence, industry, or business, with or without the use of force, to commit a felony or theft. Includes attempts. Larceny and motor vehicle theft:Larceny is the unlawful taking of property other than a motor vehicle from the possession of a nother, by stealth, without force or deceit. Includes pocket picking, nonforcible purse snatching, shoplifting, and thefts from motor vehicles. Excludes receiving and/or reselling stolen property (fencing) and theftsthrough fraud or deceit. Includes attempts. Motor vehicle theft is the unlawful taking of a self-propelled road vehicle owned by another. Includes the theft of automobiles, trucks, and motorcycles, but not the theft of boats, aircraft, or farm equipment (classified as larceny/theft). Also includes receiving, possessing, stripping, transporting, and reselling stolen vehicles as well as unauthorized use of a vehicle (joyriding). Includes attempts. Fraud, forgery, and embezzlement: using deceit or intentional misrepresentation to unlawfully deprive a person of his or her property or legal rights. Includes offenses such as check fraud, confidence game,counterfeiting, and credit card fraud. Includes attempts. Drug trafficking: includes manufacturing, distributing, selling, smuggling, or "possession with intent to sell." Includes attempts. Drug possession: includes possession of an illegal drug, but excludes "possession with intent to sell." Includes attempts. Weapons offenses: the unlawful sale, distribution, manufacture, alteration, transportation, possession, or use of a deadly or dangerous weapon or accessory. Other felonies: all felony offenses not listed above. Includes receiving stolen property, driving while intoxicated or other traffic offenses, bribery, obstructing justice, escaping from custody, family offenses (such as child neglect, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, nonpayment of child support), and nonviolent sexual offenses (such as statutory rape, incest, pornography offenses, pimping, prostitution). Includes attempts. The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Jan M. Chaiken, Ph.D., is director. BJS Bulletins present the first release of findings from permanent data collection programs. This Bulletin was written by Patrick A. Langan and Jodi M. Brown of the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Dorothea Proctor assisted with verification. Rhonda C. Keith produced and Tom Hester edited the report. Marilyn Marbrook administered final report production, assisted by Yvonne Boston and Jayne Robinson. Data collection and processing were done by the staff of the U.S. Bureau of the Census, including Latrice Brogsdale-Davis, Hugh Cameron, Victoria Campbell,Martha Greene, Martha Haselbush, and Henrietta Herrin, under the supervision of Stephanie Brown of the Governments Division; and including Jennifer Jones of the Field Division. January 1997, NCJ-163391 revised 7/26/99 th End of file