CRIMINAL SENTENCING STATISTCS In 1998, was the first year State and Federal courts convicted a combined total of nearly 980,000 adults of felonies -- State courts convicted 927,717 adults and Federal courts convicted 50,494 adults (accounting for 5% of the national total.) Between 1990 and 1998 the number of felony convictions increased 12% in State courts. The general trend has been upward since 1990. From 1990 to 1998 the number of felony convictions increased faster than the number of arrests. In 1998, 68% of all felons convicted in State courts were sentenced to a period of confinement - 44% to State prisons and 24% to local jails. Jail sentences are for short-term confinement (usually for a year or less) in a county or city facility, while prison sentences are for long-term confinement (usually for over a year) in a State facility. State courts sentenced 32% of convicted felons to straight probation with no jail or prison time to serve. Felons sentenced to a State prison in 1998 had an average sentence of 5 years but were likely to serve almost a half (47%) of that sentence - or just over 2 years - before release, assuming that 1998 release policies continue in effect. The average sentence to local jail was 6 months. The average probation sentence was about 3 1/4 years. Besides being sentenced to incarceration or probation, 36% or more of convicted felons also were ordered to pay a fine, pay victim restitution, receive treatment, perform community service, or comply with some other additional penalty. A fine was imposed on at least 21% of convicted felons. Click here to view the lengths of felony sentences imposed by State Courts, 1998