Noncitizens in the Federal Criminal Justice System, 1984-94

• NCJ Number: 160934
• Date Published: August 1996
• Author(s): J Scalia
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Series: BJS Special Reports
• Agencies: BJS
• Publication Type: Survey

Annotation

Between 1984 and 1994, the number of noncitizens serving a sentence of imprisonment in Federal prisons increased by an average of 15 percent annually, from 4,088 to 18,929; in contrast, the overall Federal prison population increased by an average of 10 percent annually, from 31,105 to 87,437.

Abstract

This Special Report describes noncitizens processed in the Federal justice system, including the number prosecuted and incarcerated from 1984 to 1994, the offenses for which they were prosecuted, and the sanctions imposed. The number of noncitizens prosecuted in U.S. district courts increased almost 350%, from 3,462 during 1984 to 10,352 during 1994. Approximately 50% of noncitizens prosecuted in U.S. district courts were charged with a drug offense. More than 50% of the noncitizens prosecuted in U.S. district courts were prosecuted in the Federal judicial districts near the Southwest border. Information describing classes of noncitizens, the processing of illegal aliens, and Federal grants to States to help defray the costs of incarcerating illegal aliens is also presented.