Facts About Drugs and Criminal Offenses
According to the United States Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), approximately 17% of state prisoners and 18% of federal inmates admitted to committing the offense they were incarcerated for in order to obtain money for drugs.
Around 25% of those incarcerated for property or drug offenses in local jails also said they had committed the crime they were convicted of in order to obtain money to buy drugs. Only around 5% of violent or public order offenders stated that the reason they committed the crime they were incarcerated for was in an effort to obtain money to buy drugs.
Types of Crimes Committed
Across the board, whether the inmate was incarcerated in a local jail, state prison, or federal penitentiary it was more likely that they committed a property or drug offense in order to buy drugs as opposed to a violent crime.
Local jail inmates who committed an offense in order to buy drugs were more likely to commit a property crime compared to any other crime. Just over 16% of all local jail inmates admitted to committing a crime in an effort to get money to buy drugs.
Drug-Related Murders
In 2007, 3.9% of murders were drug-related, a decrease from the previous year where 5.3% of all homicides were drug-related.
Offenders Under the Influence
An estimated 26% of victims of violent crimes perceived the offender to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the offense. According to data from the BJS, over 15% of victims of violent crimes reported that they believed the offender was under the influence of alcohol. Around 5% believed the offender was under the influence of alcohol and drugs and 5% believed the offender was under the influence of drugs only.