Sentence Length of
Current Commitment

• More than one-fourth (27.1%) of current inmates have sentences of three years or less.
  
  
• Whereas the AVERAGE sentence length of current inmates is 14.6 years, the MEDIAN sentence length (same number of inmates with sentences above and below that number) is 7.0 years.
  
  
• Over three-fourths (78.6%) of current inmates are serving under the 85% law, which means that for crimes committed on or after October 1, 1995, the inmate has to serve at least 85% of his or her sentence.
  
  
• The largest category of sentence length for current inmates is “greater than one year, less than two” (12,790 or 15.1% of the inmate population on June 30, 2005). This category is followed closely by “greater than two years, less than three” (10,112 or 11.9% of all inmates) and those with life or death sentences (9,719 or 11.4% of all inmates).

Total Sentence Length Of Current Commitment (Inmate Population on June 30, 2005)
Category	White Males	White Females	Black Males	Black Females	Other Males	Other Females	Total	Percent	Cumulative Percent
1 Year or Less	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.0%	0.0%
GT 1, LE 2 Yrs.*	5,286	1,088	5,391	675	299	51	12,790	15.1%	15.1%
GT 2, LE 3 Yrs.	4,311	567	4,495	414	289	36	10,112	11.9%	27.1%
GT 3, LE 4 Yrs.	2,538	238	2,755	220	163	19	5,933	7.0%	34.1%
GT 4, LE 5 Yrs.	3,343	311	3,699	289	196	36	7,874	9.3%	43.4%
GT 5, LE 6 Yrs.	1,347	96	1,539	83	105	10	3,180	3.7%	47.1%
GT 6, LE 7 Yrs.	1,365	106	1,283	76	100	11	2,941	3.5%	50.6%
GT 7, LE 8 Yrs.	1,153	61	1,193	56	71	9	2,543	3.0%	53.6%
GT 8, LE 9 Yrs.	600	29	583	25	42	7	1,286	1.5%	55.1%
GT 9, LE 10 Yrs.	2,287	97	2,764	131	176	24	5,479	6.5%	61.6%
GT 10, LE 12 Yrs.	1,177	70	1,207	38	111	17	2,620	3.1%	64.7%
GT 12, LE 15 Yrs.	2,512	90	3,079	82	190	18	5,971	7.0%	71.7%
GT 15, LE 24 Yrs.	2,275	96	3,132	70	152	13	5,738	6.8%	78.5%
GT 24, LE 30 Yrs.	1,726	51	2,518	40	140	9	4,484	5.3%	83.8%
GT 30, LE 40 Yrs.	776	23	1,198	27	59	5	2,088	2.5%	86.3%
GT 40, LE 50 Yrs.	300	9	454	8	18	2	791	0.9%	87.2%
Over 50 Yrs.	427	12	639	7	31	1	1,117	1.3%	88.5%
Life/Death	4,250	124	4,965	75	296	9	9,719	11.5%	100.0%
Data Unavailable	118	11	88	5	10	2	234
TOTAL	35,792	3,079	40,982	2,321	2,448	279	84,901	100.0%
Average**	14.4	7.1	15.7	7.3	15.1	9.6	14.6
Median**	7.0	3.0	8.2	3.5	8.0	5.0	7.0

* GT - Greater than, LE - Less than or equal to.
** Sentence lengths of 50 years or longer, life, and death are coded as 50 years for calculations of averages and medians.