DURING 1976, A TOTAL OF 136,589 FELONY ARRESTS WAS REPORTED, AN 8.7 PERCENT INCREASE OVER 1975. THIS REFLECTS AN INCREASE OF 15.3 PERCENT IN ARRESTS FOR DRUG FELONIES AND 7.7 PERCENT FOR NONDRUG FELONIES. AN INCREASE OF 40.2 PERCENT IN DRUG FELONY ARRESTS WAS REPORTED BY NEW YORK CITY, WHILE SUBURBAN AND UPSTATE AREAS REPORTED DECLINES. MOST OF THESE ARRESTS WERE FOR 'SALES' RATHER THAN 'POSSESSIONS.' NEW YORK CITY ALSO REPORTED A 9.6 INCREASE IN NONDRUG FELONY ARRESTS. THE SUBURBAN AREAS OF NASSAU, ROCKLAND, SUFFOLK, AND WESTCHESTER COUNTIES REPORTED A 5.3 INCREASE IN FELONY ARRESTS WHILE THE REMAINDER OF THE STATE REMAINED VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED. FEWER INDICTMENTS WERE PROCESSED, REFLECTING THE NEW YORK CITY 'EARLY CASE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM' WHICH TOOK EFFECT IN JULY 1976. CASES DISPOSED OF BY TRIAL TOTALED 12.3 PERCENT IN 1976, 9.3 PERCENT IN 1975. OF THESE, 75.8 PERCENT WERE CONVICTIONS, COMPARED TO 66.5 PERCENT IN 1975. THE MEDIAN TIME FOR PROCESSING THE 32,554 REPORTED DISPOSITIONS WAS 160 DAYS. FELONY CASES RESULTING IN DISMISSAL OR ACQUITTAL TOOK MORE THAN TWICE AS LONG (343 DAYS AND 322 DAYS RESPECTIVELY) AS CASES RESULTING IN CONVICTIONS (132 DAYS). APPENDIXES GIVE INDICTMENTS AND DISPOSITIONS BY COUNTY, CASE PROCESSING FLOWS BY JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT, AND THE DCJS-1020 FORM USED TO COLLECT THE DATA FOR THIS REPORT.