The Nation : Stiffer Sentences Reported

Federal judges handed down stiffer prison sentences last year than those imposed in 1979, with the average length of sentences, 5 1/2 years, increasing 32%, a Justice Department study said. The average length of a federal prison sentence for a drug offense was 38% longer, while the length of a sentence for fraud increased 43%. Sentences for a weapons offense were 41% longer, and terms for robbery increased 10%. The report by the department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics also showed that the number of people whose parole was revoked for committing new crimes more than doubled over the seven-year period, to 15.4% from 6.8%.