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New Jersey Department of Corrections: Offender Characteristics Report, 2003

NCJ Number
204504
Date Published
January 2004
Length
42 pages
Annotation
This report presents statistical information on select offender characteristics for the New Jersey Department of Corrections on January 13, 2003.
Abstract
This report has been developed to provide information regarding select offender characteristics in each correctional complex, major institution, and satellite housing unit under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey Department of Corrections on January 13, 2003. The select offender characteristics compiled for this report are base offense, total term at admission, ethnicity, age, county of commitment, and mandatory minimum term. Report highlights include: (1) 39 percent of all New Jersey Department of Corrections residents were committed for crimes against persons which include homicide, sexual assault, aggravated/simple assault, assault, robbery, kidnapping, other sex offenses, and other person offenses; (2) 35 percent of all Department of Corrections residents were committed for narcotics law violations, including possession, sale, and distribution, and 82 percent of all narcotics law violations were sale/distribution offenses; (3) the median term for Department of Corrections residents is 6 years; (4) 31 percent of all Department of Corrections residents were committed with maximum sentences of 10 years or more, of the total 4 percent are serving life sentences and 16 are under capital sentence; (5) 60 percent of the residents housed in the State system have sentences that include parole ineligibility terms; (6) 44 percent of the residents are 30 years of age or younger with the median age for inmates in adult facilities being 32; (7) 64 percent of the residents are African-American while 19 percent are White and 17 percent are Hispanic; and (8) of the 21 New Jersey counties, 10 account for 82 percent of total Department of Corrections residents with Essex County being the highest contributor with 18 percent. Tables