Capital Punishment, 2005

• In 2005, 36 States and the Federal prison system held 3,254 prisoners under sentence of death, 66 fewer than in 2004. This represents the fifth consecutive year that the population has decreased.

• Of those under sentence of death, 56% were white, 42% were black, and 2% were of other races.

• Fifty-two women were under sentence of death in 2005, up from 47 in 1995.

Capital Punishment, 2004

• In 2004, 36 States and the Federal prison system held 3,314 prisoners under sentence of death, 63 fewer than at in 2003.

• Fifty-two women were under sentence of death in 2004, up from 43 in 1994.

Capital Punishment, 2003

• In 2003, 37 States and the Federal prison system held 3,374 prisoners under sentence of death, 188 fewer than in 2002.

• Of those under sentence of death, 56% were white 42% were black, and 2% were of other races.

• Forty-seven women were under sentence of death in 2003, up from 38 in 1993.

Capital Punishment, 2002

• Of the 6,912 people under sentence of death between 1977 and 2002, 12% were executed, 4% died by causes other than execution, and 33% received other dispositions.

• Fifty-one women were under sentence of death in 2002, up from 36 in 1992.

• After declining for two years, the number of executions increased to 71 during 2002.

Capital Punishment, 2001

• In 2001, 37 States and the Federal prison system held 3,581 prisoners under sentence of death, 20 fewer than in 2000

• Fifty-one women were under sentence of death in 2001, up from 36 in 1991

• Of the 6,754 people under sentence of death between 1977 and 2001, 11% were executed, 4% died by causes other than execution, and 32% received other dispositions.

Capital Punishment, 2000

• Fourteen States executed 85 prisoners during 2000. 

  The youngest death-row inmate was 18; the oldest was 85

• Fifty-four women were under sentence of death in 2000, up from 35 in 1990

Capital Punishment, 1999

• In 1999, 37 States and the Federal prison system held 3,527 prisoners under sentence of death, 2% more than in 1998.

• The 325 Hispanic inmates under sentence of death accounted for 10% of inmates with a known ethnicity.

• Fifty women were under a sentence of death in 1999, up from 35 in 1990.

• Among persons for whom arrest information was available, the average age at time of arrest was 28; 2% of inmates were age 17 or younger.  The youngest inmate was 18; the oldest was 84.

Capital Punishment, 1998

• In 1998, 37 States and the Federal prison system held 3,452 prisoners under sentence of death, 4% more than in 1997.

• The 314 Hispanic inmates under sentence of death accounted for 10% of inmates with a known ethnicity.

• Forty-eight women were under a sentence of death in 1998, up from 35 in 1990.

• Among persons for whom arrest information was available, the average age at time of arrest was 28; 2% of inmates were age 17 or younger. The youngest inmate was 18; the oldest was 83.

Presale Handgun Checks, the Brady Interim Period, 1994-98

• Provides a national estimate of handgun purchase applications, the number rejected, and the reasons for rejection during the interim period before the permanent provisions of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act went into effect. These data were collected by the Regional Justice Information Service (REJIS) of St. Louis, Missouri and focus on the presale handgun checks from March 1, 1994 to November 29, 1998, the interim period. During this time, an estimated 12,740,000 applications for handgun purchases resulted in 312,000 rejections through background checks.

• From January thru November 1998, about 2,384,000 background checks of the potential handgun buyers prevented an estimated 70,000 purchases.

• For all of 1998 including December 1998, the first month of the permanent provisions of the Brady Act, the number of handgun application rejections totaled an estimated 78,000. 6/99 NCJ 175034

Presale Handgun Checks, 1997

• Provides a national estimate of handgun purchase applications, the number rejected, and the reasons for rejection. The project, conducted by the Regional Justice Information Service (REJIS) of St. Louis, Missouri, is an ongoing data collection effort focusing on the presale handgun checks in each State beginning January 1, 1996.

• From March 1, 1994 to yearend 1997, an estimated 10,356,000 applications for handgun purchases resulted in 242,000 rejections through background checks.

• During 1997 about 2,574,000 background checks of the potential handgun buyers prevented an estimated 69,000 purchases.

• The previous report, for 1996, was released in September 1997. NCJ 171130

Presale Handgun Checks, 1996: A National Estimate

• Provides a national estimate of firearms purchasing applications, the number rejected, and the reasons for rejection. The project, conducted by the Regional Justice Information Service (REJIS) of St. Louis, Missouri, is an ongoing data collection effort focusing on the firearms check procedures in each State beginning January 1, 1996. The responses from 44 States summarized in this Bulletin are being used to develop statistics describing implementation of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. 9/97. NCJ 165704

Background checks for firearm transfers

• Federal law prohibits firearm possession by or transfer to prohibited persons including those who are under indictment for or convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year.

• In 2008 over 9.9 million applications for firearm transfers or permits were subject to background checks under the Brady Act and similar state laws.

• From the inception of the Brady Act in March 1994 through December 2008, more than 97 million applications for firearm transfers were subject to background checks. About 1,778,000 applications were rejected.

• Among state checking agencies in 2008, 46% of all rejections for firearm transfers were due to a felony conviction.

• Among all agencies conducting background checks, 48% of applications were denied due to reasons other than a felony conviction in 2008.

Post Release Employment Project

• The Post-Release Employment Project is a long-term study designed to evaluate the impact of FPI prison industrial work experience (alone and in conjunction with vocational and apprenticeship training) on former Federal inmates post-release adjustment.

• After 1 year participants were
  Significantly less likely to recidivate (i.e. be rearrested or have post-confinement or community supervision revoked).
  More likely to be employed during
  Earned slightly higher wages (on average)
• After 8 to 12 years post-confinement inmates were:
  24% less likely to recidivate
  14% more likely to be employed
  Minority groups were benefitted more than their non-minority counterparts
• Inmates who participated in either vocational or apprenticeship training were 33% less likely to recidivate than those who did not participate.

Correctional Education

• One study indicates that those who benefitted from correctional education recidivated 29% less often than those who did not have educational opportunities while in the correctional institution (Steurer, Smith and Tracy, 2001).

• NALS (National Adult Literacy Survey) shows that literacy levels among inmates are:
  70% of inmates scored at the lowest 2 levels (of 5) of literacy which is below 4th grade level.
  75% of inmates are illiterate (at the 12th grade level)
  19% of inmates are completely illiterate
  40% are functionally illiterate (unable to write a letter explaining a billing error)
  National literacy rates for adult Americans are:
  4% overall
  21% for functional illiteracy
• Learning Disabilities:
  Estimated 75-90% for juvenile offenders
  Nationally over 70% of all people entering state correctional facilities have not completed high school
  46% have had some high school education
  16.4% have had no high school education at all

Prison Literacy Programs

• The federal government encourages literacy skill improvement in all entities, including prisons, that receive federal aid and at least 26 states have enacted mandatory educational requirements for certain populations. These policies demonstrate the importance placed on efforts to improve literacy skills.

• Two-thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare. The fourth grade is the watershed year.

• 85 percent of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate.

• More than 60 percent of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate.

• Penal institution records show that inmates have a 16% chance of returning to prison if they receive literacy help, as opposed to 70% who receive no help.

• Illiteracy and crime are closely related. The Department of Justice states, “The link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure.” Over 70% of inmates in America’s prisons cannot read above a fourth grade level.