STATISTICAL DESCRIPTION OF COMMITMENTS TO MASSACHUSETTS HOUSES OF CORRECTIONS DURING 1977

• NCJ Number: 62454
• Author(s): C METZLER
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 16 pages
• Corporate Author: Massachusetts Dept of Correction
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

COURT COMMITMENTS TO THE MASSACHUSETTS COUNTY FACILITIES (HOUSES OF CORRECTION) DURING 1977 REPRESENT THE THIRD LOWEST NUMBER OF COMMITMENTS IN OVER 40 YEARS, AND SHOW A CONTINUING DOWNWARD TREND IN COMMITMENTS.

Abstract

THE COUNTY FACILITIES WITH THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF COMMITMENTS WERE BILLERICA AND WORCESTER, BOTH RECEIVING 18 PERCENT OF THE COMMITMENTS POPULATIONS. THE MAJORITY OF COMMITMENTS (84 PERCENT) WERE FOR NONPERSON OFFENSES: 47 PERCENT FOR PROPERTY OFFENSES, 8 PERCENT FOR DRUG OFFENSES AND 29 PERCENT FOR OTHER OFFENSES. THE SINGLE OFFENSE FOR WHICH INDIVIDUALS WERE MOST FREQUENTLY SENTENCED WAS BURGLARY (18 PERCENT). COMMITMENTS FOR PROPERTY OFFENSE DECREASED WHILE DRUG AND OTHER OFFENSES INCREASED SLIGHTLY. THE MAJORITY OF SENTENCES WERE FOR 3 MONTHS OR LESS, AND THE MEDIUM AGE FOR COMMITMENTS WAS 23 YEARS - THE SAME AS COMMITMENTS FOR 1977. THE VAST MAJORITY OF COMMITMENTS WERE ALSO MALE (98 PERCENT), AND MOST INDIVIDUALS WERE SINGLE (64 PERCENT). TABULAR DATA COMPRISE THE BULK OF THE REPORT. (MJW)