NCJ Number
152205
Date Published
1994
Length
109 pages
Annotation
The offending patterns of recent and past drug offenders in the Los Angeles and Phoenix areas during 1986 and 1990 were examined to assess the crime control potential associated with recent increases in drug offenders within the criminal justice system.
Abstract
The analysis focused on differences over time, differences by sanction imposed, and differences among offenders convicted of different offense types. The analysis revealed no differences over time in the offending levels of drug offenders convicted before and after the large increase in prison populations. Drug traffickers have distinctly lower offending rates in nondrug felonies when compared to convicted robbers and burglars and to individuals convicted of drug possession. This difference was found among convicted offenders and among those offenders sentenced to prison. However, no similar significant differences are found in comparisons of drug possessors with robbers and burglars. Findings have several implications for sentencing policy and suggested differences between offenders convicted of drug trafficking and those convicted of drug possession. Reducing the time served by robbers and burglars by increasing the imprisonment of drug traffickers sacrificed some benefits of incapacitation. However, the similar offending levels of imprisoned traffickers and nonimprisoned robbers and burglars indicated that little or no opportunity costs existed from the tradeoff between imprisoning drug traffickers instead of additional robbers or burglars. Finally, drug possessors much more closely resembled robbers and burglars, resulting in little loss in incapacitative benefits resulting from their increased incarceration. Footnotes, attached tables, and figures, and 60 references