BJS: Bureau of Justice Statistics

  Advanced
Search
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
Home | Courts | Criminal Cases | Felony defendants
Felony defendants
On This Page
About this Topic

Summary findings

In the nation's 75 largest counties, an estimated 58,100 defendants were charged with a felony offense in 2006.

  • More than three-quarters of felony defendants had a prior arrest history, with 69% having multiple prior arrests.
  • Fifty-eight percent of felony defendants in the nation's 75 largest counties were released prior to adjudication and about a third of the released defendants committed some form of pretrial misconduct.
  • About two-thirds of felony defendants were eventually convicted and more than 95% of these convictions occurred through a guilty plea.
  • Seventy percent of defendants convicted were incarcerated in a state prison or local jail.
Among the estimated 1.1 million persons sentenced for a felony in state courts nationwide in 2006—
  • An estimated 69% of all defendants convicted of a felony in state courts were sentenced to a period of confinement—41% to state prison and 28% to local jails.
  • State prison sentences averaged 4 years 11 months in 2006.
  • Men (83%) accounted for a larger percentage of persons convicted of a felony, compared to their percentage (49%) of the adult population.
  • Most (94%) felony offenders sentenced in 2006 pleaded guilty.

Of the defendants who had state felony charges filed against them in the nation's 75 largest counties during May 2006—

  • An estimated 58% were released by the state court prior to the disposition of their case. Forty-two percent were detained until case disposition, including 5% of felony defendants who were denied bail.
  • Released defendants were most likely to be released on commercial surety bond (42% of released defendants) or their own recognizance (28% of released defendants).
  • Murder defendants (8%) were the least likely to be released prior to case disposition, followed by defendants whose most serious arrest charge was motor robbery (39%), motor vehicle theft (44%), or burglary (44%).
  • Less than half of defendants with an active criminal justice status, such as parole (14%) or probation (34%), were released, compared to 65% of those with no active status.
  • About a third of released defendants were either rearrested for a new offense, failed to appear in court as scheduled, or committed some other violation that resulted in the revocation of their pretrial release.
  • Of the 18% of released defendants who had a bench warrant issued for their arrest because they did not appear in court as scheduled, about a fourth, representing 4% of all released defendants, were still fugitives after 1 year.
  • An estimated 18% of all released defendants were rearrested while awaiting disposition of their case. About two-thirds of these new arrests were for a felony.

     

Back to Top
Publications & Products