Felony Sentences in the United States, 1996

Presents the latest available figures for both state and federal sentencing, reporting that in 1996 the Nation's courts convicted a combined total of over one million adults of a felony offense. In 1996 Federal courts convicted 43,839 persons of violent, property, drug, and other felonies. State courts convicted 997,970, bringing the combined U.S. total to 1,041,809 felony convictions. Federal courts accounted for 4% of the national total. Between 1994 and 1996 the total number of felony convictions increased 14% in State courts and 11% in Federal courts.