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First Three Weeks in Harris County: An Analysis of Sentencing Dynamics of State Jail Felony Offenders

NCJ Number
155539
Author(s)
P Martinez; E Benson; W L Cawthon; S Dhir
Date Published
1994
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This report presents an analysis of all offenders sentenced as State jail felons in Harris County, Texas, between September 1 and September 19, 1994.
Abstract
Harris County was used for the report because of data accessibility and because the county generated the largest number of State jail sentences in the 3 weeks following implementation of the new penal code in Texas. For 108 State jail felons, processing time from arrest to sentencing took a median of 33 days. More than half of all State jail felony filings were for drug offenses, and half of all State jail felony offenders were sentenced with no confinement time. The median State jail time was 60 days, and the median county jail time was 30 days. More than half of all State jail felony offenders sentenced had no prior felony convictions, and most State jail felons sentenced were not under parole supervision. 6 figures and 3 tables