Research Bulletin

              Class 4 felony prison
sentences for drug offenses
account for a substantial
proportion of the increase in
Illinois Department of
Corrections admissions.
A profile of Class 4 felony offenders
sentenced to prison in Illinois
By Jessica Ashley, ICJIA Research Analyst
and Christopher Humble, ICJIA Research Analyst
Vol. 4, No. 7 December 2005
Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
Research Bulletin
The overall prison popula-tion
in Illinois has
experienced unprec-edented
growth during the past 20
years, due to increased admis-sions
for drug offenses, longer
sentences for violent offenders,
and increased numbers of drug,
violent, and property offense
convictions requiring prison
terms. Class 4 felony prison
admissions, particularly those
involving drug offenses, account
for a substantial proportion of the
increase in admissions to the
Illinois Department of Correc-tions
(IDOC). At the same time a
dramatic increase was seen in the
number of adults given probation
sentences for felony drug
offenses.
This Research Bulletin examines the criminal histories
and incarceration trends of Class 4 felons. Illinois
officials have grappled with increasing funding de-mands
by the criminal justice system during a period
of declining state fiscal resources. According to IDOC,
the monthly cost of housing an inmate rose 7 percent
between state fiscal years (SFY) 1999 and 2003 (state
fiscal years run from July 1 through June 30). Results
of this study may assist justice practitioners and
policymakers as they determine whether incarceration
is appropriate for this population of offenders.
In Illinois, felony offenses that can result in prison
sentences range from murder and Class X, which are
non-probationable, to Class 1 through Class 4. Results
of this study may assist justice practitioners and
policymakers as they determine whether incarceration
is appropriate for this population of offenders. Class 4
felonies include theft, possession of a controlled
substance, and driving under the influence. Only a
Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor
Sheldon Sorosky, Chairman
Lori G. Levin, Executive Director
Research Bulletins are published periodically by the Illinois
Criminal Justice Information Authority. They focus on
research conducted by or for the Authority on a topic of
interest to Illinois criminal justice professionals and
policymakers.
This project was supported by Grant # 03-DB-BX-0037,
awarded to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice
Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view in this
document do not necessarily represent the official position
or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
For more information about this or other publications from
the Authority, please contact the Authority’s Criminal
Justice Information Clearinghouse at 312-793-8550, or visit
our website at www.icjia.state.il.us
Printed by authority of the State of Illinois, December 2005.