Study Finds Longer Drug Sentences

Drug offenders spend a year more in prison on average than they did 15 years ago and drug offenses now make up about one-third of federal criminal cases--both the result of tougher drug sentencing, according to figures from the Department of Justice Bureau of Statistics.

More than 38,200 suspects were referred to federal prosecutors in 1999 for alleged drug offenses, up from 11,854 in 1984. About 84% of those subsequently were charged in court, the figures released Sunday showed.

But criminal justice experts questioned the conclusions, saying that according to sentencing commission figures, sentences fell during the 1990s. Others questioned whether more punitive prison terms would deter drug crime if prevention and treatment did not also become a priority.

Changes in federal statutes mean that, from 1984 to 1999, prison terms imposed on drug offenders have increased from 62 months to 74 months on average. Almost 90% of drug defendants were convicted, the vast majority on trafficking charges. Less than 5% were convicted of simple possession.