NCJ Number
77424
Date Published
Unknown
Length
161 pages
Annotation
Summary statistics are presented for men and women felons under the jurisdiction of the California Director of Corrections, with attention to characteristics and movement data for 1977 and 1978.
Abstract
The report focuses on institution population and movement, felons newly received from court, characteristics of felons in prison, felons released from prison, felon parole population and movement, characteristics of felons on parole, parole suspension, reinstatement, felons discharged from parole, felons returned to California prison, and the work furlough programs and community correctional centers. The State Department of Corrections institution population was 19,623 on December 31, 1977, and had increased to 21,325 by December 31, 1978. A total of 9,325 felons were received from court in 1978, representing nearly 42 persons per 100,000 State population. This rate was the highest of any in the last 28 years, the closest being 38 in 1960. Men sentenced for homicide, robbery, and assault accounted for 40.2 percent of male felons in prison on December 31, 1967, and for 55.3 percent of male felons at the close of 1978. The age medians of men and women in prison were 28.6 and 29.2 years respectively on December 31, 1978, the lowest during the past 28 years listed. During 1978, 98 percent of both men and women released from prison were paroled. The parole population numbered 9,102 persons at the close of 1978, the lowest count on any December 31 since 1958. On December 31, 1978, 8,685 male felons were on parole, of which 21.9 percent had been committed for robbery, 21.6 percent for burglary, 14.4 percent for drug offenses, and 10.1 percent for homicide. Of the 8,239 men paroled to California supervision for the first time during 1978, 15.8 percent were suspended that same year. About twice as many felons were reinstated to parole during 1978 than during 1977, and a record number of 10,397 felons were discharged from parole during 1978. Of the 8,783 felons released to parole during 1978, 6.4 percent were returned to a California prison by the end of that year. A total of 708 men and 78 women were received in the work furlough programs during 1978, and 721 men and 72 women were released. Tables, charts, and graphs are provided. (Author abstract modified)