The Utah Compact for Dummies
The Utah Compact for Dummies
The Utah Compact for Dummies
Executive Summary
Sharp growth in illegal immigration and increased enforcement of immigration laws have dramatically altered the ethnic composition of offenders sentenced in federal courts. In 2007, Latinos accounted for 40% of all sentenced federal offendersmore than triple their share (13%) of the total U.S. adult population.
The share of all sentenced offenders who were Latino in 2007 was up from 24% in 1991, according to an analysis of data from the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC) by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center.
Between 1991 and 2007, enforcement of federal immigration laws became a growing
priority in response to undocumented immigration. 1 By 2007, immigration offenses represented nearly one-quarter (24%) of all federal convictions, up from just 7% in 1991. Among those sentenced for immigration offenses in 2007, 80% were Hispanic.
This heightened focus on immigration enforcement has also changed the citizenship profile of federal offenders. In 2007, Latinos without U.S. citizenship represented 29% of all federal offenders. Among all Latino offenders, some 72% were not U.S. citizens, up from 61% in 1991. By contrast, a much smaller share of white offenders (8%) and black offenders (6%) who were sentenced in federal courts
Demographics of Sentenced Federal Offenders
Hispanics represented 40% of all sentenced federal offenders in 2007 the single largest racial and ethnic group among sentenced federal offenders.
The rest constituted 27% of federal sentenced offenders and blacks 23%.
The remainder (10%) are Asians, Native Americans and those whose race
and ethnicity is indeterminate.
About this Report
This report examines the characteristics of offenders sentenced in federal courts. It does not provide an examination of offenders in state or local courts, where the majority of all offenders are sentenced. The data for this report are from the USSC's Monitoring of Federal Criminal Sentences data for fiscal years 1991 to 2007. These files are the main source of information about the characteristics of federal offenders and their sentences.
A Note on Terminology The terms "Hispanic" and "Latino" are used interchangeably in this report. The terms "whites" and "blacks" are used to refer to the non-Hispanic components of their population.
The terms "undocumented" and "illegal" are used interchangeably in this report. Non-U.S. citizens are individuals who are legal (resident) aliens, illegal aliens or individuals without U.S. citizenship whose alien status is unknown. U.S. citizens are citizens by birth or naturalized citizens.
About the Authors
Mark Hugo Lopez is the associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center. Prior to joining the Center, Lopez was research director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement as well as a research assistant professor at the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland. His areas of expertise include labor economics, civic engagement, voting behavior and the economics of education. He received his Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University.
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