Matthew R. Durose, Patrick A. Langan, Ph.D., David J. Levin, Ph.D.

October 1, 2001    NCJ 190103

Presents statistics for adults who were convicted of a felony and sentenced in State courts. The data were collected in a nationally representative survey of 344 counties in 1998. Reported within 12 offense categories are the number and characteristics (age, sex, race) of offenders who are sentenced to prison, jail, or probation. Highlighted are trends in the number, sentence type, sentence length, and characteristics of adults convicted of felonies in State courts from 1990 to 1998. This periodic report is published every two years.

Highlights include the following:

• State courts sentenced 44% of convicted felons to a State prison, 24% to a local jail, and 32% to straight probation with no jail or prison time to serve.
• Nationally, of the felons convicted in 1998, 55% were white, 44% were black, and 1% were other races. The average age of felons convicted in State courts in 1998 was 31.
• The average sentence to prison was almost 5 years; to local jail, 6 months; and to probation, 3 years and 4 months

Part of the Felony Sentences in State Courts Series

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