NCJ Number
85442
Date Published
1978
Length
78 pages
Annotation
This report provides statewide objective information and interpretative analysis of the criminal justice system of Pennsylvania, emphasizing trends during the 1970-77 period.
Abstract
Data were derived from the Uniform Crime Reports and from State Courts and corrections branches. Data indicate that Pennsylvania had consistently lower rates with regard to increases in Part I crime totals during the period 1972-77 in comparison with other States of similar size. Larceny remained the crime most often reported. The Pennsylvania criminal court system experienced a 9-percent reduction in dispositions in 1976. When viewed as a single entity, the average daily population of Pennsylvania county prisons and jails is expected to remain relatively stable, assuming no mandatory sentencing legislation is enacted. Since over 70 percent of all arrests are of people under age 25, it is anticipated that all criminal justice workloads will decline in the future as the number of individuals in this age group falls. Data tables, graphs, and maps illustrate the information.