The State - News from Feb. 15, 1987

Convicted felons have been doing time more often in California, according to state officials and academic experts who released a study of sentencing. The report--prepared by Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp’s office and the University of California, Berkeley--examined sentences handed down in 1975 and 1985 to adults convicted of felonies. About two out of three felons--68.6%--went to jail or a state institution in 1975. Ten years later, the proportion had risen to about seven out of eight--87.3%. Felony convictions in superior court, where more serious crimes are adjudicated, also led to an increased proportion of sentences behind bars. In 1975, 79.1% lost their freedom; in 1985, 92.3% of those convicted in superior court of a felony went to jail or a state institution.