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Drug sentences to corrections by offense class
The offense class for drug crimes in Vermilion Vermilion County (which includes offenders arrested by VMEG) also was examined. Class 4 felonies accounted for the largest proportion (41 percent) of sentences to IDOC for drug offenses during the period studied, followed by Class 1 felonies (28 percent), Class 2 felonies (18 percent), Class 3 felonies (7 percent) and Class X felonies (6 percent). Jail data is not currently available by offense type.
Between 2001 and 2010, the number of Class 4 felony sentences in Vermilion County nearly doubled, from 14 to 24, while Class 2 felony sentences increased from 10 to 18, Class 3 felony sentences remained stable at 3, and Class 1 felony sentences decreased from 16 to 13. The number of Class X felonies decreased from 5 to 2 during the same period.
Drug sentences to corrections by sentence length
An offender can be sentenced for a Class 4 felony to a period of incarceration from one to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). The incarceration length for a Class 3 felony is two to five years and a Class 2 felony is three to seven years in IDOC. The length of incarceration in IDOC for a Class 1 felony is four to 15 years. A person who pleads guilty to or is found guilty of a Class X felony can be sentenced to a minimum of 6, 9, 12, or 15 years depending on the amount of the drug, and a maximum of 30 years extendable in certain cases to 60 years.
According to IDOC, the mean sentence length for Class 4 felony drug offenders has slightly increased, from 1.8 to 1.9 years. The mean sentence length for Class X felony drug offenders decreased from 8.9 to 8.8 years. Mean sentence length for Class 3 felony drug offenders in Illinois increased, from 2.9 to 3.0 years. Class 2 felony drug offender mean sentence lengths increased from 4.0 to 4.2 years and Class 1 drug offender mean sentence length increased from 5.1 to 5.5 years.
