NCJ Number
202869
Journal
Elements of Change Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: January/April 2001 Pages: 1-12
Date Published
2000
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This document discusses the characteristics of offenders that receive prison sentences in Colorado.
Abstract
In 1998, males, non-White, and offenders that were unemployed or not steadily employed at the time of arrest were more likely to receive a prison sentence. A history of criminal activity increased the likelihood of receiving a prison sentence. Most offenders sentenced to prison had at least one prior felony conviction. Three out of four had an adult arrest for a violent offense, and one in two had a violent arrest in his/her juvenile history. Nearly 1 in 4 male offenders sentenced to a criminal justice placement were sent to prison, compared with slightly more than 1 in 10 females. Offenders sentenced to prison were more likely than those sentenced to community placements to be without dependents, unemployed or employed sporadically, unmarried, and have a history of residential movement. Of the offenders that went to prison, 71 percent were convicted of nonviolent offenses, such as drug crimes, property crimes, and forgery/fraud. Ninety percent of this nonviolent group had at least one prior felony conviction or adjudication on their record. Nonviolent offenders sentenced to prison were significantly more likely than violent offenders to have a community corrections revocation in their criminal history. Offenders convicted of a nonviolent crime were primarily granted probation. Nationally, Colorado ranked fourth in prison population growth between 1998 and 1999. Colorado experienced the 10th highest growth rate in average prison population between 1990 and 1999. Admissions outpaced releases in the last 10 years. Prison population growth is expected to slow. Technical violations are expected to double between January 2001 and January 2007. This reflects steep increases in commitments for technical parole violations in each of the last 2 years. The increase in commitments in the last year was due to technical parole violations. Juvenile commitment average daily population is expected to grow 23.8 percent between fiscal year (FY) 2000-2001 and FY 2006-2007. Juvenile parole average daily caseload is expected to grow 26.7 percent between FY 2000-2001 and FY 2005-2006.