FEDERAL PRISON TERMS UP FOR DRUG OFFENSES

WASHINGTON -- 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 new 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 percent of these
suspects were subsequently charged in a U.S. court, according to the
figures released Sunday.

But criminal justice experts questioned the agency's conclusions. According
to Sentencing Commission figures, sentences had fallen during the 1990s.
Others questioned whether more punitive prison terms would in reality 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, on average, from 62 months to 74
months. Almost 90 percent of drug defendants were convicted, and the vast
majority were convicted of drug trafficking. Less than one in 20 were
convicted of simple possession of drugs.

Of 38,288 suspects referred to federal prosecutors for alleged drug
offenses during 1999, 31 percent involved marijuana, 28 percent involved
cocaine powder, 15 percent involved crack cocaine and 15 percent involved
methamphetamine. The rest were involved with opiates and other drugs. Just
over half of the suspects were under 30 and most were importers,
manufacturers and large-scale dealers.

Racial differences were stark: 86 percent of crack cocaine offenders were
black, while 72 percent of methamphetamine offenders were white.

During 1999, the longest prison terms were imposed on drug offenders
involved with crack (114 months), drug offenders who possessed firearms
(156 months), and those with extensive records (125 months). Twenty-eight
percent of defendants received reduced sentences after providing
substantial assistance to prosecutors.