U.S. Department of Justice Revised 2/04/02, th Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report November 2001, NCJ 189369 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities Firearm Use by Offenders By Caroline Wolf Harlow, Ph.D. BJS Statistician Highlights Approximately 203,300 prisoners Percent of prison inmates • During the offense that brought them serving a sentence in a State or Type of firearm State Federal to prison, 15% of State inmates and Total 18.4% 14.8% Federal prison in 1997 were armed Handgun 15.3 12.8 13% of Federal inmates carried a when they committed the crime for Rifle 1.3 1.3 handgun; about 2% had a military-style which they were serving time. An Shotgun 2.4 2.0 semiautomatic gun or machine gun. estimated 18% of State prison inmates Characteristic of • Among inmates in prison for and 15% of Federal inmates reported inmates who Percent of prison Inmates homicide, a sexual assault, robbery, using, carrying, or possessing a firearm carried firearms possessing a firearm assault or other violent crime, 30% of during the crime for which they were Offense State Federal Violent 30.2% 35.4% State offenders and 35% of Federal sentenced. In 1991, 16% of State Property 3.1 2.9 offenders carried a firearm when inmates and 12% of Federal inmates Drug 8.1 8.7 committing the crime. Almost a fourth said they were armed at the time of Public-order 19.1 27.3 of State inmates and almost a third of their offense. Gender Male 19.1% 15.5% Federal inmates serving a sentence for a violent crime had carried a Among all inmates in 1997, 9% of Female 7.3 6.2 handgun during the offense. those in State prisons and 2% of those Age in Federal prisons said they fired a gun 24 or younger 29.4% 19.1% 25-34 16.5 15.5 • 29% of State inmates under age 25 while committing their current offense. 35 or older 14.8 13.6 at the time of the survey were carrying Of violent offenders, 18% of State Criminal history a gun when they committed their inmates and 9% of Federal inmates First-time offender 22.3% 9.5% current offense compared to 15% of discharged a firearm. Less than 2% Recidivist 17.2 18.4 those 35 or older. of inmates serving time for a drug, Percent of State inmates property, or public-order offense fired a possessing a firearm • In 1997 among State inmates gun during the crime that resulted in Source of gun 1997 1991 possessing a gun, fewer than 2% their prison sentence. Total 100.0% 100.0% bought their firearm at a flea market Purchased from – 13.9 20.8 Retail store 8.3 14.7 or gun show, about 12% from a retail Among prisoners who carried a firearm Pawnshop 3.8 4.2 store or pawnshop, and 80% from during the offense for which they were Flea market 1.0 1.3 family, friends, a street buy, or an serving time in 1997, 14% had bought Gun show 0.7 0.6 illegal source. Friends or family 39.6 33.8 or traded for the gun from a store, Street/illegal source 39.2 40.8 pawnshop, flea market, or gun show. • On average, State inmates possess- Percent of prison inmates ing a firearm received sentences of 18 The 1997 percentage who had possessing a firearm acquired their firearm at a retail outlet years, while those without a weapon Use of firearm State Federal had an average sentence of 12 years. represented a significant drop from Total 100.0% 100.0% 21% in 1991. The percentage of Fired 49.1 12.8 • Among prisoners carrying a firearm inmates receiving their gun from family Killed/injured victim 22.8 5.0 during their crime, 40% of State or friends rose from 34% in 1991 to Other 26.3 7.8 inmates and 56% of Federal inmates 40% in 1997. Brandished to – 73.2 46.2 Scare someone 48.6 29.3 received a sentence enhancement Defend self 41.1 24.9 because of the firearm. Revised 2/04/02, th Data for this report are based primarily military-style semiautomatic gun or a Some examples of these firearms are on personal interviews with large fully automatic gun during their current the UZI, TEC-9, and MAC10 for hand- nationally representative samples of offense (table 2). These guns, as used guns; the AR-15 and AK-47 for rifles; State and Federal prison inmates. In in the questions and definitions for the and the "Street Sweeper" for shotguns. the 1997 and 1991 Surveys of Inmates personal interviews with prison Possession of these models meeting in State and Federal Correctional inmates, include the following: criteria specified in Federal statutes Facilities, inmates were questioned can be unlawful. about any firearms they may have used • military-style semiautomatic pistol — similar to a conventional semiauto- when committing a crime and asked to To be understood by inmate respon- specify the type of weapon, its source, matic pistol except that the magazine 3 dents who were asked about their gun and its use in committing crimes. In or clip is visible use, the questions and definitions in addition, inmates were queried about the types of both current and past of- • military-style semiautomatic rifle — the survey reflect terminology com- fenses for which they were sentenced, a semiautomatic rifle with military fea- monly used by prisoners to describe including any weapons offenses. tures such as a pistol grip, folding types of weapons. If questioned by stock, flash suppressor, or bayonet respondents, interviewers read to them Almost a fifth of prison inmates mount the definitions included on pages 14 carried a gun during their crime and 15 of this report. Of necessity, this • military-style semiautomatic shotgun language is similar in concept but may An estimated 18% of State prison — a semiautomatic shotgun with differ in wording from technical descrip- inmates and 15% of Federal inmates military features such as a pistol grip, tions in Federal statutes pertaining to reported that they used, carried, or folding stock, flash suppressor, or firearms. possessed a firearm when they bayonet mount committed the crime for which they The Violent Crime Control and Law were serving a sentence to prison • machine gun — a fully automatic gun (table 1).1 Enforcement Act of 1994 made it which, if the trigger is held down, will unlawful, with certain exceptions, to fire rapidly and continuously. When asked if they had ever been manufacture, transfer, or possess armed while committing a crime, about 3The survey interview included in the operational military-style semiautomatic weapons, a quarter of State prison inmates and a definition of a military-style semiautomatic pistol fifth of Federal inmates reported that the phrase "can hold more than 19 bullets." they had carried a gun while commit- ting at least one crime. Table 1. Possession of firearms by State and Federal prison inmates, by type of firearm, 1997 Almost half of both State and Federal Percent of prison inmates inmates said that they had owned or Armed during Ever armed while Ever used or possessed a firearm at some time in current offense committing offense possessed firearm their lives. Equivalent measures for Type of firearm State Federal State Federal State Federal lifetime gun ownership among adults in Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% the general population are difficult to Firearm 18.4% 14.8% 25.1% 20.0% 46.9% 48.9% find. Personal or telephone interviews Handgun 15.3 12.8 21.3 17.2 36.0 38.6 and polls provide estimates for persons Rifle 1.3 1.3 2.0 1.9 12.4 14.6 in the general population owning a Shotgun 2.4 2.0 3.5 3.0 13.7 15.6 firearm at the time of the survey. An Other 0.5 0.6 1.1 0.9 2.7 2.3 estimated 25% to 29% of the adult No firearm 81.6% 85.2% 74.9% 80.0% 53.1% 51.1% population reported currently owning a Note: Detail do not add to total because inmates may have had more than one firearm. firearm when surveyed.2 According to public opinion polls, members of 4 in every 10 U.S. households have access Table 2. Possession of firearms by State and Federal prison inmates, to a gun. by whether the firearm was single shot, conventional semiautomatic, or military-style semiautomatic or fully automatic, 1997 Less than 2% of inmates reported carrying a fully automatic or Percent of prison inmates Armed during Ever armed while Ever used or military-style semiautomatic firearm Specific current offense committing offense possessed firearm type of firearm State Federal State Federal State Federal Fewer than 1 in 50 State and Federal Single shot 9.9% 7.3% 14.2% 10.6% 31.0% 31.4% inmates used, carried, or possessed a Conventional semiautomatic 7.9 7.7 10.9 9.8 22.6 26.0 Military-style semiautomatic 1For definitions of firearms, see Methodology or fully automatic 1.5 1.7 2.5 2.3 5.6 5.6 on pages 14 and 15. 2Phillip J. Cook and Jens Ludwig, Guns in Note: Columns do not add to total percent with firearms because inmates may have America: Summary Report, Washington, DC, possessed more than one firearm. See text above and pages 14 and 15 for definitions. Police Foundation, 1996, table 2.3.