e released with out giving at least the majority of their due time to society.Because of the reform act of 1984 release practices in federal systems underwent a series of changes. There have been mandatory penalties established in federal sentencing most notably for drug offenses. In 1987, 26684 offenders entered the federal prison system. They were sentenced on average forty-two months but only served approximately twenty-three months. That is only fifty-eight percent of their sentence. The number of inmates released at the federal and state level has decreased substantially over the last twenty years. From 1986 through 1997 the sentence for federal offences increased from thirty-nine months to an average of fifty-four months. Offenders who entered the system in 1986 served only 58 percent of their sentenced time while as of 1997 offenders were serving 87percent of sentenced time; increasing the overall served time by twenty-five months. For weapon offenses inmates’ time served increased from twenty-three to seventy-five months. Drug offenders increased by thirty-six months and bank robbery by nine months. Because of the new sentencing laws and changes in the criteria for releasing inmates, the amount of inmates in prison for federal crimes increased from 38,156 to 98,944. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, “approximately 65% of the increase in federal prison population is attributed to an increase in time served”(Sabol,W. June 1999,1). The length of time for immigration offenders also increased. Time served under new laws increased from 3.6 months in 1998 to 15.1 months in 1997. Although it has become rare for offenders to be released because of parole and other incentive programs such as good credit earned, district courts can still grant reductions in sentences up to one year after sentenced for assisting the government. In 1988 twenty-seven inmates were given reduction in sentences for assisting the go...
