Vol.25 No.3 - DOJ Study Finds

Sep 29, 2026

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Volume 25, issue 3 compiles U.S. Department of Justice coverage and related analysis dated February 9, 1994. It reports findings on nonviolent, low-level drug offenders making up about 20% (21.5%) of federal prisoners, reviews policy and budget implications for prison beds, and summarizes Bureau of Justice Statistics data on the pretrial release rates of federal felony defendants. Additional sections preview congressional and state actions affecting criminal justice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

DOJ Study Finds:

What The Study Found...

BIS Finds:

DOJ Budget

Felony Defendants

Texas

Congress

Go0 Gun

3-Strikes Bills

Vol.25 No.3 ## DOJ Study Finds: PETTY,NONVIOLENT DRUGVIOLATORS COMPRISE 20 PERCENTOF FEDERAL PRISONERS More than one in five Federal prisoners arelow-level drug criminals with no record of violenceand no involvement in sophisticated criminal activi-ty,according to a Justice Department study re-leased Feb.4. The study was ordered by Attorney GeneralJanet Reno to see if the growing use of mandatoryminimum sentences for drug crimes was wastingspace in overcrowded Federal prisons that she feltcould be better used for violent,repeat criminals. The study found 16,316 prisoners,or 21.5percent of Federal inmates,have no current orprior violence on their records,no involvement insophisticated criminal activity and no previousprison time. The study,produced by the office of DeputyAttorney General Philip Heymann,the Bureau ofPrisons and selected U.S.attorneys,offered norecommendations,but noted that it costs $20,000 ayear to house a Federal inmate. "And that's not the only cost,"said JulieStewart of Families Against Mandatory Minimums,which claims 22,000 members,including many inprison."Each modern prison holds about 600inmates,so it works out to 27 prisons full.That'sa lot of money wasted." "Some might argue that these resourcescould be used more efficiently to promote othercriminal justice needs such as providing moremoney for additional police in our communities,"the 50-page report said. February 9,1994 Page 1 IN THIS ISSUE- NONVIOLENT DRUG OFFENDERS:Make Up20%Of Federal Prison Population……… …… ……1 DOJ BUDGET:More Money Sought For Corrections .1 FELONY DEFENDANTS:FedsRelease 62%Bcfore Trial…… …………… …2 TEXAS:Executes Inmate…………… ……………3 CONGRESS:Anti-Crime BillIs A Tough Balancing Act…… ……… ………3 GO0 GUN:Will Be Useful In Disturbances…… …7 3-STRIKES BILLS:Will They Be Effective?…… …7 DOJ SEEKS FY95 BUDGETHIKE FOR MORE PRISON BEDS;REMONAL OF CRIMINAL ALIENS By Dr.Betty B.BosargeManaging Editor Listening to a nationwide hue and cry forpoliticians to "do something"about crime,the U.S.Department of Justice is proposing to increase thecapacity of correctional facilities in Fiscal Year1995 in order to incarcerate more violent criminals. The proposed budget,submitted by PresidentClinton to Congress Feb.7,seeks $450 million toactivate 9,673 new beds and pay for the increasedcosts of operating existing facilities.It also re-quests $83 million for construction(4,224 newbeds)and leasing of new correctional facilities. (See DOJ BUDGET,page nine) (FEDERAL PRISONERS,from page one) ## What The Study Found... The report has these findings about thepetty offenders: ● Their average sentence is 81.5months,which means that they willserve an average of 69 months. ● Two out of three received mandatoryminimum sentences. ● 42.3 percent were couriers or playedperipheral roles in drug trafficking. ● They were much less likely than high-level drug defendants to commit newcrimes after release.Those that didreturn to crime wereunlikely tocommit a violent offense. ● Length of prison time had no effecton whether or not they returned tocrime."At least for the low-leveldefendants,a short prison sentence isjust as likely to deter them fromfuture offending as a long prisonsentence,"the study team reported. ● The length of sentences dependedmore on the amount of drugs involvedin the crime than on the role playedby the criminal in a drug organiza-tion. ● Non-citizens received longer sen-tences than U.S.citizens,but therewere no sentencing differences byrace or gender. ● Many defendants are receiving prisontime who previously would havegotten probation. The report noted that long sentences "doserve important criminal justice goals such asretribution and incapacitation"and may pro-mote general deterrence.On the other hand,itsaid,they "may diminish the value of longsentences for crimes considered more serious,such as those involving violence,"and under- February 9,1994 mine the de

FAQs

What percentage of federal prisoners are described as petty, nonviolent drug offenders?

The report states that petty, nonviolent drug offenders comprise about 20% of federal prisoners, specifically 21.5% of federal inmates (16,316 prisoners).

What key factors describe the study’s low-level drug offender profile?

The findings indicate no current or prior violence, no involvement in sophisticated criminal activity, and no previous prison time. Many received mandatory minimum sentences and often played peripheral roles in drug trafficking.

What does the Bureau of Justice Statistics say about federal felony defendants released pending trial?

Federal trial courts release about 62% of felony defendants pending trial. Among those released, 3% are subsequently rearrested for a new offense and another 3% fail to show up in court.

Sep 29, 2026

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