Putting Guns Back Into Criminals' Hands
100 Case Studies of Felons Granted Relief From Disability Under Federal
Firearms Laws
Section Two: Recidivist Crimes Committed by Felons Granted Relief
From Disability
ATF estimates that
for those granted relief from 1985 to 1989, 47 went on to again commit
crimes. The recidivism rate--overall--for this five year period was
2.6 percent. Those most recently granted relief, not surprisingly, have
the lowest recidivist rates, while those granted relief earlier in the
decade--with more time to once again commit a crime--have the highest
rates (see II-1 below).
Recidivist crimes
that those granted relief were subsequently arrested for included: attempted
murder; criminal attempted rape; first degree sexual assault; abduction-kidnapping;
child molestation; illegal possession and sale of a machine gun; trafficking
in cocaine, LSD, and PCP; and illegal firearms possession or carrying.
The severity of
the original crimes of conviction compared with subsequent crimes committed
effectively illustrate the futility in attempting to predict future
criminal behavior based on a felon's criminal past.
Charts II-2 through
II-5 list for the years 1985 through 1988 the 47 recidivists of the
relief from disability program that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms is aware of. For each year the original crime of conviction
with date is listed along with the subsequent recidivist crime. For
the majority of recidivist crimes, ATF is not aware of the final disposition
of the case following arrest. For these cases the term "no disposition
listed" is used. In addition, if a crime is not a felony, or is pleaded
down to a non-felony conviction, the recidivist would still be able
to keep his guns. The information was obtained by the Violence Policy
Center under the Freedom of Information Act.
All contents � 2002 Violence Policy Center
The Violence Policy Center is a national non-profit educational foundation
that conducts research on violence in America and works to develop violence-reduction
policies and proposals. The Center examines the role of firearms in America,
conducts research on firearms violence, and explores new ways to decrease
firearm-related death and injury. |