NCJ Number
79510
Date Published
1980
Length
29 pages
Annotation
Recent trends in court commitments to the Massachusetts Department of Correction are analyzed.
Abstract
Court commitments from 1970 to 1979 are reviewed to see what impact this primary source of prison population might have on total population. Court commitments showed great annual variation from 1970 to 1979. There was no indication of a linear trend toward increasing or decreasing court commitments during this time. The number of court commitments alone cannot explain changes in custody population, in particular the increase in population from 1975 to 1979. Some characteristics of the offender population may explain some of the population rise. In particular, sentencing patterns for Walpole and Concord commitments show clear trends toward longer sentences. Any further changes in sentencing practices, such as mandatory sentences, may have similar results on the total population. Offense type may also have an impact on population. There was an increase in sex offenders and a decrease in drug offenders. If the former group is limited in parole eligibility, this will affect population. There is no indication that the department is dealing with offenders with more extensive criminal histories. The age distribution of offenders shows little systematic change. The age changes noted were toward a somewhat older offender group, and the educational level of offenders increased during the past 10 years. Any impact this may have on prison populations remains to be shown. Graphic and tabular data are provided. (Author summary modified)