The Campaign To Repeal The Rockefeller Drugs Laws

TRENDS IN NEW YORK STATE PRISON COMMITMENTS
TOTAL
COMMITMENTS

*VIOLENT
FELONIES

PERCENT
VIOLENT

DRUG
OFFENSES % DRUGS

1980

7,959

4,550

57%

886

11%

2,654

33%

1981

10,311

6,236

60%

1,037

10%

3,318

32%

1982

10,403

6,615

63%

1,243

11%

3,146

30%

1983

12,538

7,926

63%

1,625

12%

3,851

30%

1984

12,248

7,324

59%

1,877

15%

4,069

33%

1985

12,410

6,993

56%

2,218

17%

4,483

36%

1986

14,920

7,759

52%

3,228

21%

5,966

39%

1987

15,705

6,939

44%

5,106

32%

7,608

48%

1988

17,374

6,751

38%

6,432

37%

9,218

53%

1989

21,518

7,116

33%

9,763

45%

12,846

59%

1990

23,098

7,435

32%

10,785

46%

14,030

60%

1991

24,069

8,312

35%

10,766

45%

14,073

58%

1992

25,099

8,628

34%

11,209

45%

14,697

59%

1993

24,834

8,629

35%

10,920

44%

14,398

58%

1994

23,140

7,725

33%

10,508

45%

13,695

59%

1995

22,969

7,122

31%

10,418

45%

13,050

57%

1996

21,171

6,192

29%

9,841

46.5%

12,865

61%

1997

20,800

5,774

27.8%

9,809

47.2%

12,985

62.5%

1998

19,453

5,385

27.7%

9,063

46.6%

11,937

61.4%

1999

19,157

5,374

28.1%

8,520

44.5%

11,641

60.8%

2000

18,561

5,077

27.3%

8,225

44.3%

11,448

61.7%

2001

16,497

4,812

29.2%

6,606

40.1%

9,596

58.2%

2002

16,999

5,104

30.0%

6,647

39.1%

9,751

57.3%

2003

17,336

5,116

29.5%

6,540

37.7%

9,944

57.3%

2004

16,354

4,869

29.8%

5,657

34.6%

9,173

56.1%

2005

16,334

4,755

29.1%

5,835

35.7%

9,283

56.8%

TOTAL

461,257

168,518

174,764

*NON% NONVIOLENT VIOLENT

249,725

*Example of violent felonies include murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, assault, and 1st and 2nd degree burglary.
**Examples of non-violent felonies include the possession or sale of drugs, forgery, larceny, and 3rd degree burglary.
NOTE: The combination of violent and non-violent commitments doesn't equal the total because a number of offenders do not fall neatly into either
category.

SOURCE: New York State Department of Correctional Services

Feb-06