STUDY FINDS LONGER DRUG SENTENCES

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 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% of those
subsequently were charged in court, the figures released Sunday showed.

But criminal justice experts questioned the conclusions, saying that
according to sentencing commission figures, sentences fell during the
1990s. Others questioned whether more punitive prison terms would 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 from 62 months to 74 months on
average. Almost 90% of drug defendants were convicted, the vast majority on
trafficking charges. Less than 5% were convicted of simple possession.