John Scalia, Bureau of Justice Statistics

August 19, 2001    NCJ 187285

Describes offenders investigated for and charged with Federal drug offenses during 1999. This report includes statistics describing type of drug involved in the offense, criminal history of defendants charged, demographic characteristics of defendants charged, defendants' role in the drug conspiracy, and sentences imposed. Also included are statistics describing the change in the number of suspects investigated, prosecuted, proportion sentenced to prison, and time to be served for the period 1984 through 1999. This report is based on data from BJS's Federal Justice Statistics Program.
 

Highlights:

• Between 1984 and 1999, the number of defendants charged with a drug offense in Federal courts increased from 11,854 to 29,306
• 65% of those charged during 1999 had previously been arrested; 28% had 5 or prior arrests. Half of those charged had previously been convicted; a third of a felony
• 16% of incarcerated drug offenders reported being an importer, grower, or manufacturer of illicit drugs; 25% reported that they distributed drugs to street-level dealers.

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