Findings are presented from a study that examined the records of 370 adult offenders in Hawaii who were convicted of 508 burglary and/or motor vehicle theft charges during calendar year 2010.
Under Hawaii law, these offenders were convicted on 186 counts of burglary in the first degree, 96 counts of burglary in the second degree, and 226 counts of "unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle." The majority of offenders were male (87.3 percent). Almost two-thirds of the offenders were either Hawaiian/part-Hawaiian (37.5 percent) or White (23.9 percent). The average age was 30 years old. Criminal histories involved an average of 25.1 arrests per offender for all offense types, including 9.9 felony arrests, with 4.2 felony convictions, 3.2 misdemeanor convictions, and 2.1 petty misdemeanor convictions. On average, the offenders were classified as being at high risk for recidivism. Regarding case processing and sentencing, the average time between arrest and conviction for all offenders was 412 days. The typical sentence was probation with some jail time. Based on offense type, there were no statistically significant differences in the likelihood of being sentenced to a prison term. Offenders sentenced to prison averaged significantly more prior arrests and convictions for felonies, misdemeanors, and petty misdemeanors than did offenders who were sentenced to probation. In providing tips on preventing burglaries and motor vehicle theft, the study emphasizes the consistent research finding of the link between crime and various victim-related variables, such as the "target hardening" of residences and motor vehicles, as well as criminal justice resources and proficiency. 26 tables