Section 2: Violent Crimes

• Murder and Manslaughter
• Sexual Crimes
• Robbery
• Other Violent Crimes
• Assault or Battery on Law Enforcement Offiers

Violent offenders who have been sentenced to prison under the current minimum 85% of sentence served policy, on average, will serve a significantly longer period of time in prison than at any time over the past 25 years. The average time served under this policy has been 7.1 years of incarceration compared to 6.2 years under the parole system of the early 1980's and 4.7 years during the early prison release policy of the late 80's and early 90's (chart 5).

Violent offenders sentenced to prison in the latest fiscal year (2003-2004) will serve longer prison terms than any year over the past two and a half decades. In fact, actual time served has increased 102.9% (3.5 years to 7.1 years) from FY1987-1988 to FY2003-2004 (chart 6).

16.8% of the violent offenders sentenced under the current minimum 85% time served policy will serve more than 10 years in prison, compared to 10.7% under the parole system and 9.4% when early prison release existed (chart 7).

Chart 5 All Violent Crimes Average Prison Time Served in Years for New Admissions Under Different Sentencing Policies: FY 1979-1980 to FY 2003-2004

Chart 6 All Violent Crimes Average Prison Time Served in Years for New Admissions By Fiscal Year: FY 1979-1980 to FY 2003-2004

Chart 7 All Violent Crimes Percent of Prison Admissions Serving More Than 10 Years Under Different Sentencing Policies: FY 1979-80 to FY 2003-2004

Murder and Manslaughter

Offenders who have been sentenced to prison for murder or manslaughter will serve an average of 19.1 years in prison under the minimum 85% of sentence served policy compared to 13.1 years under the old parole system and 12.2 years when early prison release existed (chart 8).

Murder and manslaughter offenders sentenced to prison in FY2003-2004 will serve an average of 20.5 years, compared to 12.2 years in FY1980-1981 and 9.8 years in FY1987-1988 (chart 9).

Offenders convicted today of Second Degree Murder will serve more time in prison today, 21.6 years. They will serve significantly more time than the low of 6.5 years in FY1986-1987 (chart 11).

Chart 8 Murder/Manslaughter Average Prison Time Served in Years for New Admissions Under Different Sentencing Policies: FY 1979-80 to FY 2003-2004

Chart 9 Murder/Manslaughter Average Prison Time Served in Years for New Admissions By Fiscal Year: FY 1979-1980 to FY 2003-2004

Chart 10 Murder Average Prison Time Served in Years for New Admissions By Fiscal Year: FY 1979-1980 to FY 2003-2004*

*Includes Actual and Attempted Murder.

Chart 11 Second Degree Murder Average Prison Time Served in Years for New Admissions By Fiscal Year: FY 1979-1980 to FY 2003-2004

Sexual Crimes

Sex offenders will serve more time in prison under the current minimum 85% of sentence served policy than under any other previous punishment policy. The average time served for sex offenders under the current minimum 85% of sentence served policy is 7.8 years compared to a low of 6.3 years under the 1983 sentencing guidelines (chart 12).

Sexual battery offenders, on average, served actual prison terms of 2.7 years in FY 1985-1986. In FY 2003-2004, these offenders will serve an average of 6.1 years, a 125.9% increase (chart 13).

Lewd acts on children resulted in actual prison terms of 2.1 years in FY 1986-1987. In FY 2003-2004, these offenders will serve an average of 5.6 years, a 166.7% increase (chart 14).

Chart 12 All Sexual Crimes Average Prison Time Served in Years for New Admissions Under Different Sentencing Policies: FY 1979-1980 to FY 2003-2004*

*Includes Actual and Attempted Sexual Crimes.

Chart 13 Sexual Battery Average Prison Time Served in Years for New Admissions By Fiscal Year: FY 1979-1980 to FY 2003-2004

Chart 14 Lewd Act on a Child Average Prison Time Served in Years for New Admissions By Fiscal Year: FY 1979-1980 to FY 2003-2004

Robbery

Robbery offenders entering prison in FY2003-2004 will serve an average of 7.5 years compared to a low of 2.0 years in FY1987-1988 (chart 16).

Offenders convicted of armed robbery will serve more prison time today, 10.1 years, than any time over the past 25 years and they will serve significantly more time today than the low of 2.8 years in FY1987-1988 (chart 17).

Chart 15 Robbery Average Prison Time Served in Years for New Admissions Under Different Sentencing Policies: FY 1979-1980 to FY 2003-2004

Chart 16 Robbery Average Prison Time Served in Years for New Admissions By Fiscal Year: FY 1979-1980 to FY 2003-2004

Chart 17 Armed Robbery Average Prison Time Served in Years for New Admissions By Fiscal Year: FY 1979-1980 to FY 2003-2004

Other Violent Crimes

Offenders convicted of "Other Violent Crimes," which includes primarily aggravated assault and aggravated battery, entering prison in FY 2003-2004 will serve an average of 3.7 years incarcerated compared to a low of 1.3 years in FY1987-1988 (chart 19).

Chart 18 Other Violent Crimes Average Prison Time Served in Years for New Admissions Under Different Sentencing Policies: FY 1979-1980 to FY 2003-2004

Chart 19 Other Violent Crimes Average Prison Time Served in Years for New Admissions By Fiscal Year: FY 1979-1980 to FY 2003-2004

Assault or Battery on Law Enforcement Officers

In FY1987-1988, the average offender convicted of committing assault or battery on a law enforcement officer served less than one year in prison (0.8 years). In fiscal year 2003-2004, these offenders who harm or make threats to harm police officers will serve 2.7 years in prison, a 237.5% increase (chart 20).

Chart 20 Assault or Battery on Law Enforcement Officers Average Prison Time Served in Years for New Admissions By Fiscal Year: FY 1979-1980 to FY 2003-2004