KINGPINS OR MULES: AN ANALYSIS OF DRUG OFFENDERS INCARCERATED IN FEDERAL AND STATE PRISONS

Author: Sevigny EL / Caulkins JP
Publication: Criminology & Public Policy
Topics: Criminology Law Enforcement Social Science
Keywords: drug offender prison spectrum
Bibliographic information +

The authors evaluate incarcerated drug offenders with regards to their participation in drug groups, the type and amount of drugs, their involvement with firearms, and their criminal conviction and arrest history, using data from the 1997 Survey of Inmates in Federal and State Correctional Facilities. They find that most offenders fall into a middle spectrum. The seriousness of their involvement depends on what factors are emphasized in the analysis (e.g. drug distribution versus possession of firearms).