Latest Statistics |
 |
This page will try to publish the most recent statistics involving the
3-Strikes law. For the latest general CDC statistics,
click here.
7,234 Third Strike Cases as of September 30,
2003
Third Strike Cases by Ethnic and Sex, September 30, 2003
|
Sex (Gender) |
|
|
| Ethnic |
Female |
Male |
Total |
Percentage |
| Black |
37 |
3204 |
3241 |
45% |
| Hispanic-Mexican |
9 |
1840 |
1849 |
26% |
| Other |
3 |
308 |
311 |
4% |
| White |
23 |
1810 |
1833 |
25% |
| Total |
72 |
7162 |
7234 |
100% |
Third Strike Cases by Offense Group, September 30,
2003
| Offense Group |
Frequency |
Percentage |
| Murder 1st |
0 |
0.00 |
| Murder 2nd |
62 |
0.86 |
| Manslaughter |
41 |
0.57 |
| Vehicular Manslaughter |
9 |
0.12 |
| Robbery |
1,585 |
21.91 |
| Assault Deadly Weapon |
379 |
5.24 |
| Other Assault/Battery |
365 |
5.05 |
| Rape |
119 |
1.65 |
| Lewd Act w/ Child |
243 |
3.36 |
| Oral Copulation |
30 |
0.41 |
| Sodomy |
12 |
0.17 |
| Penetration w/ Object |
18 |
0.25 |
| Other Sex Offenses |
148 |
2.05 |
| Kidnapping |
48 |
0.66 |
| Burglary 1st |
837 |
11.57 |
| Burglary 2nd |
466 |
6.44 |
| Grand Theft |
121 |
1.67 |
| Petty Theft w/ Prior |
354 |
4.89 |
| Receiving Stolen Property |
168 |
2.32 |
| Vehicle Theft |
226 |
3.12 |
| Forgery/Fraud |
64 |
0.88 |
| Other Property Offenses |
34 |
0.47 |
| Cont. Sub.-Possession |
672 |
9.29 |
| Cont. Sub.-Possess for Sale |
297 |
4.11 |
| Cont. Sub.-Sales |
194 |
2.68 |
| Cont. Sub.-Manufacturing |
28 |
0.39 |
| Cont. Sub.-Other |
46 |
0.64 |
| Marij. Possess for Sale |
4 |
0.06 |
| Marij. Sales |
29 |
0.40 |
| Other Marij. Offenses |
1 |
0.01 |
| Escape |
17 |
0.24 |
| Driving Under the Influence |
43 |
0.59 |
| Arson |
27 |
0.37 |
| Possession of Weapon |
388 |
5.36 |
| Other Offenses |
159 |
2.20 |
| Total |
7,234 |
100.0 |
Third Strike Cases by Offense Category, September 30, 2003
| Category |
Frequency |
Percent |
| Crimes Against Person |
3,059 |
42.29% |
| Property Crimes |
2,270 |
31.38% |
| Drug Crimes |
1,271 |
17.57% |
| Other Crimes |
634 |
8.76% |
| Total |
7,626 |
100% |
Report prepared by the Data Analysis Unit of the Department of
Corrections, dated November 2003.
U.S. prison and jail population tops 1.8
million
The U.S. prison and jail population was more than 1.8 million by Dec.
31, 1997 as the adult prison population grew to more than 1,244,554 the Justice
Department reported August 2, 1998 (with a jail population of 567,079 as of
June 30, 1997).
During 1997, there was a net prison gain of 61,186 inmates during the
year--very close to the annual average of 63,900 since 1990, when prison
inmates numbered only 774,000. The total U.S. incarceration rate of 645 people
per 100,000 population is six times to 10 times higher than in most industrial
nations, the project said.
Between 1990 and 1996 adult arrests for murder and rape each were down
19%; robbery arrests were down 17%; and burglary, larcenty and auto theft
arrests also dropped. But drug abuse arrests rose by 28%, and aggravated
assault arrests were up 8% over the siz years.
Among the states, Texas had the highest incarceration rate, 717 inmates
per 100,000 residents, followed by Louisiana at 672, and Oklahoma, at 617. The
Lowest incarceration rates were in North Dakota, at 112 per 100,000 population,
and Minnesota, at 113. LATimes,
8/3/98.
The number of state and federal prisoners:
1990: 773,919
1991:
825,559 (up 6.7%)
1992: 882,500 (up 6.9%)
1993: 970,444 (up 7.4%)
1994: 1,054,702 (up 8.7%)
1995: 1,125,874 (up 6.7%)
1996: 1,183,368 (up
5.1%)
1997: 1,244,554 (up 5.2%)
Source Bureau of Justice
Statistics
California was first nationally in state prison inmates with 157,547
and Texas second with 140,729. OCRegister, 8/3/98.
The U.S. prison and jail population was more than 1.7 million by June
30, 1997, the Justice Department said on 1/18/98.
Two-thirds of all inmates, more than 1.1 million, were incarcerated in
federal and state prisons, and the rest, 567,079 prisoners, were held in local
facilities. Hawaii recorded the biggest prisoner increase with 21.6%. Next in
line were North Dakota, up 15.5% and Wisconsin, up 15.4%. The only states to
report declines were Massachusetts, down 0.7% and Virginia, down 0.5%. The
District of Columbia also reported a decrease, 0.2%.
LATimes, 1/19/98.
Total U.S. inmates grew from 700,000 in 1985 to 1.1. million in 1990 to
1.6 million in 1995 and 1.7 million in 1996.
LATimes, 3/5/98.
U.S. prison and jail population grows from 458 per
100,000 in 1990 to 645 per 100,000 in 1996.
The U.S. prison and jail population went from 458 per 100,000 in 1990
to 645 per 100,000 in 1996. The incarceration rate was 16 times higher
for men than for women. The rate for men was 835 per 100,000 U.S.
residents; for women the figure was 52 per 100,000.
LATimes, 3/5/98.
In 1996 the California prison population was 466 per
100,000 and the prison and jail population was 685 per 100,000.
Based on a California prison population of 153,100, a jail population
of 75,000 and a total California population of 32,834,764, California's 466 per
100,000 per inmates in prison population ranked 10th among the state's in the
nation. When adding in the jail population, the average number of inmates
in prison and jail was 685 per 100,000 in 1996.
Texas had the highest prison rate among states: 677 inmates per 100,000
population. North Dakota had the lowest rate: 104 per 100,000. But
that represented a 15.5% increase for the state from the previous year, the
second highest rise in the country.
Hawaii recorded the largest annual jump in its incarceration rate of
any state: 21.6%. LATimes,
3/5/98.
CDC predicts prison population to be 213,420 by year
2003.
California's already crowded prisons are projected to add 57,733
inmates by 2003, a 37% increase, state officials said on December 10,
1997.
The Department of Corrections said the state's adult prisons now house
155,687 prisoners, compared with 66,965 in 1987. Officials predict that the
population will reach 202,855 in 2002 and 213,420 the next year.
OCRegister, 12/11/97.
CDC prison population is 161,166 as of April
2001.
The California state prison population has increased from 22,500 in
1979 to 138,000 in 1996 and 161,166 as of 2001. The following is the percentage
breakdowns as of 2001.
Classification (males):
| Level I |
14% |
| Level II |
31% |
| Level III |
34% |
| Level IV |
19% |
| Special Security |
2% |
As of June 30, 2002: Lifers, 19,874
LWOP, 1,857
condemned,
482
Males 93.8%
Females 6.2%
Race (males):
| Hispanic |
35.9% |
| Black |
29.9% |
| White |
28.6% |
| Other |
5.6% |
Pro-Family Advocates Newsletter: October 1997, p. 3.
California jail population has grown from
44,000 in 1989 to 72,000 in 1997.
County jails have grown from 44,000 beds in 1989 to more than 72,000
beds in 1997. County jails have state-rated capacities that technically they
are required to comply with. But the counties routinely operate above that
limit. Nearly half of the counties, and nearly all of the large ones, have
court-ordered population caps. In many of those instances the court limits are
higher than the state standards, and so become the operating norms. The average
daily population in the county jails in 1996 was 6,000 more than the
state-rated capacity. And that is the average population. The jails hit a
one-day all-time high in 1996 of 77,163. Little
Hoover Commission Report, Jan. 1998, p. 14.
There have been 42,703 2nd and 3rd strikers
admitted in prison through December of 2002
| |
2nd Strike |
3rd Strike |
Total |
| 1994 |
3,483 |
152 |
3,635 |
| 1995 |
9,927 |
1,000 |
10,927 |
| 1996 |
9,759 |
1,517 |
11,276 |
| 1997 (7/31/97) |
5,393 |
798 |
6,191 |
| Total (12/31/02) |
31,723** |
7,626** |
42,703 |
*As of the end of August 1997, there were about 24,600 2nd-Strikers in
prison or in a community correctional facility and about 4,400 2nd-Strikers on
parole.
**As of the end of August 1997, all were still incarcerated.
Paper presented by the Legislative Analysts Office and program
on Oct. 14, 1997 at the Assembly Committee on Public Safety in Los
Angeles.
CDC projects 2nd and 3rd Strike prison
population will exceed 55,000 by 2002.
Reported in Legislative Analyst's Office paper on Oct. 14, 1997
at the Assembly Committee on Public Safety in Los Angeles.
Nearly 75% of 2nd Strikes and 50% of 3rd Strikes
are for nonviolent and non-serious offenses
The most common second-strike offenses are possession of a controlled
substance, petty theft with a prior theft, and second degree burglary.
The most common third-strike offenses are robbery and first degree
burglary (both are considered violent or serious offenses), followed by
possession of a controlled substance, second degree burglary, and possession of
a weapon.
Reported in Legislative Analyst's Office paper on Oct. 14, 1997
at the Assembly Committee on Public Safety in Los Angeles.
Over 40% of 2nd and 3rd Strikers are from Los
Angeles County
2nd and 3rd Strikers are being sent to prison in numbers that are not
necessarily reflective of each county's general prison commitment patterns. The
differences are primarily the result of variations in charging practices of
prosecutors and sentencing practices in courts.
| Selected Counties |
Total Prison Population |
2nd Strikers |
3rd Strikers |
| Alameda |
3.0% |
1.5% |
1.6% |
| Kern |
3.6% |
3.6% |
5.1% |
| Los Angeles |
32.3% |
42.2% |
40% |
| Orange |
5.2% |
5% |
4.7% |
| Riverside |
5.8% |
5.4% |
4.1% |
| Sacramento |
4.5% |
4.3% |
6.1% |
| San Bernadino |
6.7% |
4.8% |
6.2% |
| San Diego |
8.0% |
10.4% |
8.3% |
| San Francisco |
1.4% |
.6% |
0.5% |
| Santa Clara |
3.9% |
3.8% |
5.2% |
Reported in Legislative Analyst's Office paper on Oct. 14, 1997
at the Assembly Committee on Public Safety in Los Angeles.
More than 600,000 in California prisons, jails,
probation or parole.
At any one time, California agencies have within their jurisdiction
more than 600,000 people--about 1/3 of those behind bars and the rest on
probation or parole. Little Hoover Commission
Report, Jan. 1998, p. 14.
Increase in nation's prison population grew by
55,876 between 1995 and 1996 and California responsible for more than 12,000 of
that increase.
24 of 57 county jail systems in California have
court-ordered population caps.
Of the 57 county jail systems, 24 counties (collectively responsible
for 70 percent of jail inmates) have court-ordered population caps on at least
one of their facilities. In 1996, more than 325,000 county jail inmates--nearly
900 a day--were released before completing their sentence or were released
prior to coming to trial because jailers needed to make room for more serious
inmates. Little Hoover Commission Report, Jan.
1998, p. 17.
Prison system faces serious housing gap
The Legislative Analyst's Office states that the total state prison
population will increase substantially in the coming years, in large part
because of the 3-Strikes law. Based on the most recent projections, the prison
system will exhaust all available space by late 2000 and there will be a
shortage of more than 70,000 beds to house the projected inmate population by
2006.
| |
Capacity of
Funded Prisons |
June 2006 Inmate
Population |
Projected Housing
Gap in 2006 |
| Women |
13,203 |
17,560 |
-4357 |
| Men: |
|
|
|
| Reception |
20,526 |
28,298 |
-7,772 |
| Level I |
26,890 |
50,643 |
-23,753 |
| Level II |
40,929 |
46,907 |
-5,978 |
| Level III |
39,928 |
59,777 |
-19,849 |
| Level IV |
26,225 |
36,035 |
-9,810 |
| Special Housing |
3,030 |
3,045 |
-15 |
| Totals |
170,731 |
242,265 |
-71,534 |
Reported in Legislative Analyst's Office paper on Oct. 14, 1997
at the Assembly Committee on Public Safety in Los Angeles.
According to statistics complied by Michael Judge, the L.A. County
public defender, the most common "strike" charges are drugs (30%), theft (16%)
and burglary (15%). Violent and serious crimes account for only about 1/4 of
all third strikes. Louis Carillo, opinion piece, LATimes.
California state prison population at 181% of
capacity.
The California state prison population has increased from 22,500 in
1979 to 138,000 in 1996 and is approximately at 181% of Department of
Corrections design capacity. The Department of Corrections predicts that by
early 1998, all available prison bed space will have been exhausted, and the
normal delivery of inmates to state prison from counties will have to be
severely restricted to the most serious felons. Even upon completion of one of
the most ambitious prison construction programs in history (over $6 billion)
the California prisons will be more overcrowded in 5 years than they are today.
Letter from Barbara Lee's Office, 1997.
Unemployment rate would increase 1 and 2
percentage points if inmates turned loose.
Another reason politicians want to lock up people: If the 1.6 million
inmates in U.S. prisons and jails were let loose on the job market, the
unemployment rate would jump between 1 and 2 percentage points, economists say.
LA-Times, 10/9/96.
June 30, 1995 national statistics show state and
federal prisons held 1.02 million people.
From 1990 to 1995 corrections officials built 213 prisons. (168 stated
and 45 federal). As of June 30, 1995, state or federal correctional facilities
held 1.02 million people, up from 715,649 in 1990 reported the Bureau of
Justice Statistics.
Approximately one in four state correctional facilities was under court
order or consent decree to limit population or address specific confinement
conditions. by 1995, about half the state and federal prisons were more than 20
years old, and almost 40% of the inmates were incarcerated in facilities built
since 1985.
The statistics of inmates as a percentage of the population also rose.
In 1990, prisons held 293 per every 100,000 Americans. by 1995 had risen to 409
inmates per 100,000, and figures already released this year put 1996's number
at 427 per 100,000. OCRegister,
9/8/97.
Breakdown by offenses for 2nd and 3rd strikes
shows most strikes for nonviolent and non-serious offenses
California Sentence by Offense by 2- and 3-Strike Laws as of
December 31, 2002
| |
2 Strikes |
3 Strikes |
| Offense |
Number of Offenses |
Percent |
Sentence in Years |
Number of Offenses |
Percent |
Sentence in Years |
| Murder 1st |
0 |
0.0 |
77.0 |
181 |
2.37 |
85.0 |
| Murder 2nd |
263 |
0.8 |
26.0 |
138 |
1.81 |
39.3 |
| Manslaughter |
234 |
0.7 |
15.0 |
40 |
0.52 |
43.0 |
| Robbery |
4,380 |
13.8 |
10.0 |
1,548 |
20.0 |
44.8 |
| Assault |
2,004 |
6.3 |
6.9 |
453 |
5.94 |
44.3 |
| Rape |
205 |
0.6 |
37.2 |
140 |
1.84 |
93.1 |
| Other Sex Crime |
783 |
2.5 |
12.1 |
147 |
1.93 |
67.1 |
| Kidnapping |
150 |
0.5 |
20.7 |
90 |
1.18 |
42.5 |
| Burglary |
2,525 |
.8 |
5.4 |
826 |
10.83 |
33.6 |
| Grand Theft |
697 |
2.2 |
3.2 |
120 |
1.57 |
26.0 |
| Petty Theft with Prior |
1,974 |
6.2 |
3.3 |
353 |
4.63 |
28.0 |
| Receive Stolen Property |
714 |
2.3 |
3.7 |
168 |
2.20 |
26.9 |
| Auto Theft |
1,121 |
3.5 |
3.7 |
222 |
2.91 |
36.1 |
| Forgery/Fraud |
584 |
1.8 |
3.6 |
64 |
.84 |
27.5 |
| Other Property Crime |
133 |
0.4 |
3.4 |
36 |
0.47 |
27.8 |
| Drug Possession |
4,365 |
13.8 |
3.1 |
673 |
8.83 |
27.2 |
| Drug Possession for Sale |
2,101 |
6.6 |
4.9 |
295 |
3.87 |
29.3 |
| Drug Sale/Manufacture |
221 |
.6 |
6.1 |
27 |
.37 |
29.5 |
| Other Drug Offense |
170 |
.5 |
5.9 |
45 |
.59 |
30.9 |
| Weapons Possession |
1,436 |
4.5 |
4.2 |
393 |
5.15 |
43.7 |
| Other Offense |
851 |
2.7 |
4.6 |
152 |
1.99 |
41.3 |
See "'Three Strikes and You're Out': A Review of State Legislation" by
John Clark, James Austin, and D. Alan Henry, National Institute of Justice,
September 1997 (which can be found on the internet as a pdf file at:
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/165369.pdf
. To read the pdf file, download
adobe
acrobat.
Sex, Age, Race and other breakdowns as of December
31, 2002
| |
2 Strikes |
3 Strikes |
| |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
| Total Intake |
35,077 |
82.1% |
7,626 |
17.9% |
| Sex |
|
|
|
|
| Male |
33,764 |
96.3 |
7,548 |
98.9 |
| Female |
1,313 |
3.7 |
78 |
1.0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Age |
|
|
|
|
| Under 20 |
1,111 |
7.3 |
105 |
7.1 |
| 20-29 |
7,118 |
46.7 |
636 |
43.1 |
| 30-39 |
5,197 |
34.1 |
521 |
35.3 |
| 40-49 |
1,540 |
10.1 |
170 |
11.5 |
| 50+ |
264 |
1.7 |
45 |
3.0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Race/Ethnicity |
|
|
|
|
| Black |
12,840 |
36.6 |
3,419 |
44.8 |
| Hispanic |
11,650 |
33.2 |
1,944 |
25.5 |
| White |
9,199 |
26.2 |
1,931 |
25.3 |
| Other |
1,388 |
3.9 |
332 |
4.3 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Average Sentence |
4.9 Years |
37.4 Years |
See "'Three Strikes and You're Out': A Review of State Legislation" by
John Clark, James Austin, and D. Alan Henry, National Institute of Justice,
September 1997 (which can be found on the internet as a pdf file at:
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/165369.pdf
. To read the pdf file, download
adobe
acrobat.
Please send questions or comments to
factsla@sbcglobal.net.
Everything on this web site can be distributed to the general public,
reprinted, or reposted without permission of Families to Amend California's
3-Strikes.
Date last modified: 12/12/03.
