U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report Firearm Use by Offenders November 2001, NCJ 189369 --------------------------------------------------------- This file is text only without graphics and many of the tables. A Zip archive of the tables in this report in spreadsheet format (.wk1) and the full report including tables and graphics in .pdf format are available from: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/fuo.htm --------------------------------------------------------- By Caroline Wolf Harlow, Ph.D. BJS Statistician ---------------------------------------------- Highlights Percent of prison inmates Type of firearm State Federal Total 18.4 % 14.8 % Handgun 15.3 12.8 Rifle 1.3 1.3 Shotgun 2.4 2.0 Characteristic of inmates who Percent of prison Inmates carried firearms possessing a firearm Offense State Federal Violent 30.2 % 35.4 % Property 3.1 2.9 Drug 8.1 8.7 Public-order 19.1 27.3 Gender Male 19.1 % 15.5 % Female 7.3 6.2 Age 24 or younger 29.4 % 19.1 % 25-34 16.5 15.5 35 or older 14.8 13.6 Criminal history First-time offender 22.3 % 9.5 % Recidivist 17.2 18.4 Percent of State inmates possessing a firearm Source of gun 1997 1991 Total 100.0 % 100.0 % Purchased from --- 13.9 20.8 Retail store 8.3 14.7 Pawnshop 3.8 4.2 Flea market 1.0 1.3 Gun show 0.7 0.6 Friends or family 39.6 33.8 Street/illegal source 39.2 40.8 Percent of prison inmates possessing a firearm Use of firearm State Federal Total 100.0 % 100.0 % Fired 49.1 12.8 Killed/injured victim 22.8 5.0 Other 26.3 7.8 Brandished to --- 73.2 46.2 Scare someone 48.6 29.3 Defend self 41.1 24.9 * During the offense that brought them to prison, 15% of State inmates and 13% of Federal inmates carried a handgun, and about 2%, a military-style semiautomatic gun. * Among inmates in prison for homicide, a sexual assault, robbery, assault or other violent crime, 30% of State offenders and 35% of Federal offenders carried a firearm when committing the crime. Almost a fourth of State inmates and almost a third of Federal inmates serving a sentence for a violent crime had carried a handgun during the offense. * 29% of State inmates under age 25 at the time of the survey were carrying a gun when they committed their current offense compared to 15% of those 35 or older. * In 1997 among State inmates possessing a gun, fewer than 2% bought their firearm at a flea market or gun show, about 12% from a retail store or pawnshop, and 80% from family, friends, a street buy, or an illegal source. * On average, State inmates possessing a firearm received sentences of 18 years, while those without a weapon had an average sentence of 12 years. * Among prisoners carrying a firearm during their crime, 40% of State inmates and 56% of Federal inmates received a sentence enhancement because of the firearm. ---------------------------------------------- Approximately 203,800 prisoners serving a sentence in a State or Federal prison in 1997 were armed when they committed the crime for which they were serving time. An estimated 18% of State prison inmates and 15% of Federal inmates reported using, carrying, or possessing a firearm during the crime for which they were sentenced. In 1991, 16% of State inmates and 12% of Federal inmates said they were armed at the time of their offense. Among all inmates in 1997, 9% of those in State prisons and 2% of those in Federal prisons said they fired a gun while committing their current offense. Of violent offenders, 18% of State inmates and 9% of Federal inmates discharged a firearm. Less than 2% of inmates serving time for a drug, property, or public-order offense fired a gun during the crime that resulted in their prison sentence. Among prisoners who carried a firearm during the offense for which they were serving time in 1997, 14% had bought or traded for the gun from a store, pawnshop, flea market, or gun show. The 1997 percentage who had acquired their firearm at a retail outlet represented a significant drop from 21% in 1991. The percentage of inmates receiving their gun from family or friends rose from 34% in 1991 to 40% in 1997. Data for this report are based primarily on personal interviews with large nationally representative samples of State and Federal prison inmates. In the 1997 and 1991 Surveys of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities, inmates were questioned about any firearms they may have used when committing a crime and asked to specify the type of weapon, its source, and its use in committing crimes. In addition, inmates were queried about the types of both current and past offenses for which they were sentenced, including any weapons offenses. Almost a fifth of prison inmates carried a gun during their crime An estimated 18% of State prison inmates and 15% of Federal inmates reported that they used, carried, or possessed a firearm when they committed the crime for which they were serving a sentence to prison.***Footnote 1: A firearm is a weapon which will or could be adapted to expel a projectile by the U.S. Code. Firearms include handguns, rifles and shotguns, which are distinguished by the length of the barrel and type of projectile. A handgun is a firearm, either a pistol or revolver, designed to be fired with one hand. (See Methodology for additional definitions.)*** Inmates reported that a handgun was their preferred firearm; of those carrying a firearm, 83% of State inmates and 86% of Federal inmates said that they carried a handgun during the offense for which they were serving their longest sentence. When asked if they had ever been armed while committing a crime, about a quarter of State prison inmates and a fifth of Federal inmates reported that they had carried a gun while committing at least one crime. Almost half of both State and Federal inmates said that they had owned or possessed a firearm at some time in their lives. Equivalent measures for lifetime gun ownership among adults in the general population are difficult to find. Personal or telephone interviews and polls provide estimates for persons in the general population owning a firearm at the time of the survey. An estimated 25% to 29% of the adult population reported currently owning a firearm when surveyed.***Footnote 2: Cook, Phillip J. and Jens Ludwig, Guns in America: Summary Report, Washington, DC, Police Foundation, 1996, table 2.3.*** According to public opinion polls, members of 4 in every 10 U.S. households have access to a gun. Assault weapons carried by 1 in 10 inmates with firearms About 1 in 10 State and Federal inmates with a firearm carried a military-style, semiautomatic assault gun. These firearms include the UZI, TEC-9, and the MAC-10 for handguns, the AR-15 and AK-47 for rifles, and the "Street Sweeper" for shotguns. These firearms fire rapidly and continuously as long as the trigger is pulled. The handguns have a visible magazine or clip holding more than 19 bullets. The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 made it unlawful to manufacture or transfer assault weapons and for individuals to possess them, unless they had purchased them prior to September 13, 1994, or they had a specific exception (18 USC secs.secs. 921-922). Firearm use during crimes increased from 1991 to 1997 Over the 6 years between surveys of inmates, 1991-97, possession of a firearm during a crime increased from 16% to 18% of State inmates and from 12% to 15% of Federal inmates. Because of the growth in the prison population, the estimated number of inmates carrying a firearm increased dramatically -- from 114,100 in 1991 to 190,900 in 1997 in State prisons and from 6,300 in 1991 to 12,900 in 1997 in Federal prisons. These estimates were based on inmates who reported carrying a firearm during the offense for which they received their longest sentence. 8% of drug offenders and 3% of property offenders armed while committing their crimes Fewer than 1 in 10 offenders serving a sentence for selling or carrying illegal drugs and 1 in 30 inmates in prison for a property crime -- burglary, larceny, fraud, or destruction of property -- had a firearm with them while committing their current offense. Inmates who had been sentenced for homicide, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, or other violent crimes used firearms more often than other prisoners. They were more likely than property, drug, or public-order offenders to have used or possessed a gun during their crime. An estimated 30% of violent offenders in State prisons and 35% in Federal prisons had a firearm at the time of the offense. Offenders sentenced for homicide-- either murder or manslaughter -- or for robbery reported the most extensive use of firearms. Among inmates sentenced for homicide, about 43% in State prisons and 39% in Federal prisons said they were carrying a firearm when they committed the offense. About 35% serving time for robbery in State prisons and 40% in Federal prison had a gun. Male inmates and young inmates carried firearms Male State and Federal offenders were more likely than their female counterparts to have carried a firearm when committing their offense. About 19% of men in State prison and 16% in Federal prison reported using or possessing a firearm when committing their most serious offense, compared to 7% of women in State prison and 6% in Federal prison. An estimated 21% of black non-Hispanic inmates in State prison, 18% of Hispanics, and 15% of white non-Hispanics said they had a gun with them while committing their most serious offense. About 18% of black and white inmates in Federal facilities and 8% of Hispanics had carried a firearm. Young State inmates were more likely than older inmates to use firearms. About 29% of inmates under the age of 25 at the time of the survey were carrying a gun when they committed their current offense, compared to 15% of those 35 or older. Among Federal inmates, about 19% under age 25 and 14% age 35 or older said they had a gun with them. ---------------------------------------------- Weapon offenses and offenders Weapon offenses include unlawful distribution, sale, manufacture, alteration, transport, possession, or use of a deadly or dangerous weapon or accessory. In 1998 an estimated 195,000 persons were arrested by State or local law enforcement or referred to a U.S. attorney for prosecution for a weapon offense"-counting only the most important offense and no secondary offenses. Over 35,000 persons were convicted of a weapon offense. About 49,000 persons were in a local jail or State or Federal prison for a weapon offense in 1998. An additional 100,000 were serving a sentence in the community on probation, parole, or supervised release. An estimated 12% of State prison inmates and 19% of Federal inmates were either currently serving a sentence for a weapon offense or had been sentenced for a weapon offense in the past. Weapons as the most serious offense or charge in the criminal justice system, 1998 Percent Number of total State/local jurisdictions Arrested 190,600 1.3 % Defendants at initial filing -- 2.8 Convicted of a felony 31,904 3.4 In local jails 13,630 2.3 In State prisons 26,730 2.4 On probation/parole 100,440 2.3 Federal jurisdiction Received by U.S. attorneys as suspects 4,907 4.3 % Prosecuted 3,347 5.1 Convicted 3,413 5.6 In Federal prison 8,742 8 On probation/supervised release/parole 4,038 4.4 Note: The weapon offense is the offenders' most serious offense. Statistics on persons in Federal jurisdiction are for fiscal year 1998. --Not available. Sources: Data on weapon offenders come from the FBI's Crime in the United States, 1998, table 29; from BJS' Compendium of Federal Justice Statistics, 1998; from BJS' Survey of Inmates in Local Jails, 1996, and Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities, 1997, and from the following BJS reports to be available through : Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties, 1998; Felony Sentences in the United States, 1998; Prisoners in 1999; and the press release for probation and parole surveys 2000. Current and past sentences for a weapon offense, for State and Federal prison inmates, 1997 Percent of prison Any current inmates or past offense State Federal Total 100.0 % 100.0 % Current or past weapon offense 12.2 % 18.6 % Current and past weapon offenses 1.3 2.2 Current weapon/past other offenses 4.1 8.5 Current weapon/no past offenses 1.1 2.7 Current other/past weapon offenses 5.8 5.1 Other current and/or past offenses 87.8 % 81.4 % -------------------------------------------------- Background characteristics account for relatively small differences in firearm use When inmates were interviewed for the 1997 Surveys, they were asked about their family background and experiences they had when growing up. Characteristics about which the inmates reported include parental upbringing, parental incarceration, welfare assistance to their family, parental use of alcohol and drugs, and peer participation in criminal behavior. Inmates who grew up living with both parents were less likely to be using or carrying a firearm than those who grew up primarily living with one parent, grandparents, other relatives, friends, or a foster family. An estimated 16% of State inmates and 13% of Federal inmates living with both parents had a gun with them, compared to 20% of State inmates and 17% of Federal inmates living in some other arrangement while growing up. A higher percentage of State inmates with a parent who had served a sentence to incarceration carried a gun (23%) than those whose parents had never been in prison or jail (17%). For Federal inmates, 18% of inmates who had incarcerated parents and 15% of those who did not carried a firearm. Inmates who lived in families receiving welfare or living in publicly-subsidized housing while growing up were more likely than those who did not live under these types of government programs to be carrying a weapon. About 1 in 5 inmates whose family received welfare or who lived in publicly financed housing carried a firearm. About 1 in 6 State inmates and 1 in 7 Federal inmates whose parents were not receiving welfare benefits or living in publicly-financed housing had a gun. A quarter of State inmates who said they had a parent who had abused drugs reported that they were carrying a gun while committing their current offense. In contrast, less than a fifth of those whose parents did not abuse substances had a firearm. About 20% of State and Federal inmates whose friends while growing up used or traded drugs, stole, destroyed or damaged property, broke or entered private property, or robbed someone reported that they had a firearm with them when they committed their controlling offense. An estimated 15% of State inmates and 9% of Federal inmates who did not have friends involved in illegal activities used or possessed a firearm during their current offense. --------------------------------------------- Inmates who had ever been shot at As one measure of violence in inmates' lives, inmates were asked if they had ever been shot at. This experience could have been at any time in their lives, including when they were committing the crime for which they were in prison. About half of State prisoners reported that in the past they had been short at by someone, and more than a fifth had actually been wounded by gunfire. A quarter of State and Federal inmates who had been shot at were carrying a firearm during their current offense, compared to a tenth of those who had never been shot at. State prison inmates Federal prison inmates Percent Percent carrying a carrying Number firearm Number firearm Ever shot at with a gun 516,494 24.6% 30,064 24.0 Wounded 213,429 26.7 12,933 24.4 Shot at but not wounded 302,765 23.1 17,131 23.6 Never shot at 514,676 12.1 56,679 10.1 ------------------------------------------------- Violent recidivists were as likely as first time violent offenders to have carried a gun Recidivism does not appear to be related to whether inmates were carrying guns when the type of current offense is taken into account. Violent offenders who had served a prior sentence and first time violent offenders were about equally likely to be carrying a firearm when committing their current offense -- about 30% of violent offenders in State prisons carried a firearm. About a third of violent Federal offenders, whether recidivist or first time, carried a firearm. Less than 10% of both first time and repeat State offenders serving time for property, drug, and public-order offenses carried a gun. Drug offenders who were recidivists were more likely to be carrying a firearm than first-time drug offenders (9% versus 6% of State inmates and 11% versus 5% of Federal inmates). Inmates who had served prior sentences as a juvenile were more likely to have had a gun than those who did not have a juvenile record. For State offenders 22% who had a juvenile record and 13% with only an adult record had a firearm while committing their current offense; for Federal offenders 27% with a juvenile record and 14% with only an adult record possessed a firearm. Inmates' retail purchase of firearms fell between 1991 and 1997 In 1997, 14% of State inmates who had used or possessed a firearm during their current offense bought or traded for it from a retail store, pawnshop, flea market, or gun show. Nearly 40% of State inmates carrying a firearm obtained the weapon from family or friends. About 3 in 10 received the weapon from drug dealers, off the street, or through the black market. Another 1 in 10 obtained their gun during a robbery, burglary, or other type of theft. From 1991 to 1997 the percent of State inmates with guns who acquired them at a retail outlet fell from 21% to 14%. At the same time the percentage reporting that they used firearms furnished by family or friends increased from 34% to 40%. Between the two surveys the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 was enacted. The act requires background checks for persons applying for firearms from federally licensed firearm dealers and prohibits sales of firearms to felons. Changes in how inmates obtained firearms, when the two surveys are compared, may or may not reflect the requirements in the Brady Act. ---------------------------------------- Victims of violent offenders possessing firearms About 30% of State inmates and 35% of Federal inmates sentenced for a violent offense -- homicide, sexual assault, robbery, or assault -- used or possessed a firearm when committing their current offense. A quarter of violent State prisoners and almost a third of Federal prisoners carried a handgun. Less than 5%, however, carried an assault or military-style weapon or a long gun--a rifle or shotgun. Inmates serving time for violent crimes were more likely to use a firearm when their victims were male rather than female, 18 or older rather than under age 18, and strangers, known by sight, or known casually rather than persons the inmates knew well. * About 40% of violent State offenders who victimized a male had a gun compared to 17% of offenders when the victim was female. * 39% of violent State inmates with a black victim and 33% of those with a Hispanic victim used a firearm, significantly more than the 25% with a white victim. * Less than 10% of those who victimized persons 17 or younger, compared to over 33% of those who victimized persons 18 or older, possessed a firearm. * Over a third of violent offenders used guns when their victims were strangers and casual acquaintances, compared to a fifth who used guns against persons they knew. * 27% of offenders who victimized a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend were armed while committing the crime. About 8% used guns against other relatives, including children, siblings and other family members. Possession of a firearm, by type of firearm, for State and Federal prison inmates sentenced for a violent offense, 1997 Percent of prison inmates who possessed a firearm during current violent offense Type of firearm State Federal Total 100 % 100 % Any firearm 30.2 % 35.4 % Handgun 24.7 30.4 Rifle 2.0 2.4 Shotgun 4.1 3.6 Other 0.7 1.2 Type of firearm by trigger action Single shot 17.0 18.0 Semiautomatic 12.1 16.3 Assault 2.1 4.0 No firearm 69.8 % 64.6 % Characteristics of victims of violent crime, by whether the State prison inmate possessed a firearm, 1997 Percent of violent State prison inmates who possessed Characteristics a firearm during of victim current offense Gender Male 39.8 % Female 16.8 Race/Hispanic origin White 25.4 % Black 38.6 Hispanic 32.8 Other 29.1 Age 17 or younger 8.2 % 18-24 40.9 25-34 37.0 35 or older 33.8 Relationship to offender Stranger 35.6 % Known by sight or casually 36.2 Well known 20.6 Intimate* 27.0 Other relative 8.2 Friend 26.3 Other 23.9 *Includes spouse, ex-spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, ex-boyfriend, and ex-girlfriend. ------------------------------------------ Recidivists less likely than first timers to buy their gun from a retail establishment Although existence of a prior record did not change inmates' likelihood of having carried a gun while committing their current crime, it did influence where they acquired their gun. Recidivists were less likely than those who were first time offenders to have purchased their gun from a retail store, pawnshop, flea market, or gun show. About a tenth of recidivists and a fifth of first timers purchased their gun from a retail establishment. A larger percentage of recidivists than first time offenders obtained their weapon through illegal activities or from the street or a black market source -- 42% of recidivists and 31% of first timers. Recidivists with firearms were as likely as first time offenders to obtain their gun from a family member or friends in 1997 about 40% received their guns from either family or friends. The percentage of inmates who purchased or traded from a retail outlet, such as a store or pawnshop, fell during this period for both those with prior sentences and those without them. For repeat offenders, purchasing from retail fell from 17% to 11%, and for first time offenders from 33% to 20%. For recidivists the percentage of inmates with firearms who obtained them from family or friends rose from 1991 to 1997 -- for recidivists from 33% in 1991 to 39% in 1997 and for first timers from 36% in 1991 to 41% in 1997. ------------------------------------------ Victim, police, and inmate reports of gun use during violent crime The FBI reports that over two-thirds of homicide victims were killed with a firearm. About 4 in 10 inmates serving a sentence for murder or manslaughter in State and Federal correctional facilities said that they had used a gun in committing the crime. About 23% of robbery victims and 28% of aggravated assault victims told the National Crime Victimization Survey that the offender used a gun. Possession of firearms during violent crime, as reported by victims, police, and prison inmates, 1997 Percent of offenders possessing a during a violent crime FBI's Supplemental Homicide National Reports/ Crime Uniform Victimization Crime Violent crime Survey Reports Homicide 67.8% Sexual assault 2.4% Robbery 23.0 39.7 Aggravated assault 28.4 20.0 Survey Survey of of Inmates Inmates in in State Federal Correctional Correctional Violent crime Facilities Facilities Homicide 42.9% 39.3% Sexual assault 2.9 0.0 Robbery 34.5 40.5 Aggravated assault 31.2 26.0 Sources: FBI, Crime in the United States, 1997, tables 2.11, 2.22, and 2.24; BJS, Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1997, table 66,