NCJ Number
111480
Date Published
1987
Length
40 pages
Annotation
This study examined arrestee characteristics, charges, and court outcomes for 4,145 individuals arrested by New York City Police on crack-related charges between August 1, 1986, and October 31, 1986.
Abstract
The majority of arrests were drug-related, primarily for felony sale or possession. Arrests were spread across the city's precincts, with about a third occurring in Manhattan and a fourth in the Bronx. About 90 percent of arrestees were male and minority group members (black and Hispanic), over half were aged 21-30. Arrestees were primarily from New York City. For more than half, this was either the first arrest or they had no prior convictions. In comparison with previous drug enforcement efforts against powdered cocaine in 1983-1984, crack sale and possession cases were more often charged and processed as felonies, were handled more severely regardless of the severity of the arrest charge or prior criminal record, were more likely to be held in detention, and were more likely to be transferred to the State supreme court for adjudication as a felony and to receive a jail or prison sentence. Results suggest that crack-related arrests are being treated more seriously than other comparable drug cases in the recent past, possibly reflecting policy changes in response to media attention and public pressure. 19 tables.