Study: Most Felons Have Prior Arrest Record, Conviction

WASHINGTON — More than half of those convicted of a violent felony in the 75 largest counties in the United States from 1990 to 2002 had a prior arrest and conviction, according to a recent study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Using data collected from 33,000 felony cases, the study shows that at the time of arrest 56 percent of violent felons had a prior conviction record, 57 percent had at least one prior arrest for a felony, and 70 percent had a prior arrest record. Thirty-eight percent had previously been convicted of a felony and 15 percent had a previous conviction of a violent felony.

The data was collected from areas that accounted for 61 percent of robberies, 51 percent of murders and non-negligent manslaughters, 47 percent of aggravated assaults and 36 percent of rapes in the United States.

Ninety-one percent of all violent offenders were male, 91 percent of all convicted robbers were male and 93 percent of all murderers were male.

The mean age of those convicted of a violent felony was 29. Six percent of violent felons were minors at the time of arrest, 25 percent were under age 21, and 14 percent were 40 years or older.

According to statistics, 41 percent of violent offenders were black, non-Hispanic; 30 percent were Hispanic; and 26 percent were white, non-Hispanic.

Analysis of adjudication practices shows 50 percent of convicted violent felons received a prison sentence and 31 percent received a jail sentence. Approximately 69 percent of convicted robbers and 62 percent of convicted rapists received prison sentences, while nearly one-fifth were sentenced to jail.