Felony firearm conviction statistics show interesting trends

Anyone who has been convicted of a felony knows that their right to have firearms is jeopardized. In fact, most felons aren’t allowed to have any firearms under a federal law. A felon who is in possession of a firearm is said to have committed a 922(g) offense.

The Northern District of Alabama has gained notoriety as being the district in the country with the second-highest caseload comprised of 922(g) offenses. That district has a caseload of 25.7 percent that is comprised of these offenses.

It is interesting to learn about some of the statistics regarding 922(g) offenses. Males overwhelmingly were convicted of the offenses in 2012. Of the 5,768 convictions for 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), 98.2 percent were males. African Americans accounted for 51.2 percent of the convictions, Caucasians for 27 percent, Hispanics made up 18.8 percent and other races accounted for nearly 3 percent.

Almost all of the people who were convicted, 95.6 percent, were sent to prison. The sentencing averages varied greatly, but 75 months was the comprehensive average. Around one-quarter of those convicted were sentenced to 96 months in prison or longer, but around one-quarter were sentenced to two years or less.

The average sentence increased for people who were sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act. The average sentence for those was 180 months, but people who weren’t sentenced under the ACCA averaged only 46 months in prison.

These statistics are an important reminder for people who are charged with felony gun charges to get to work on a defense as soon as possible. Learning the available options and going from there might help.

Source: United States Sentencing Commission, “Quick Facts: Felon in Possession of a Firearm,” accessed Oct. 15, 2015