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drug abuse, and the judge noted that a combination of drugs,
drug dealing, and violent behavior had led Hagos to this point.
Although every case is different, these are common elements of
many drug crimes.

Drug Offenders in Prison

Most drug offenders in state prisons and local jails are serving
time for drug possession, but other crimes are also common.
Some have been convicted of drug dealing or possession with
the intent to distribute. Other offenders are serving time for the
manufacture of drugs.
In the federal system the majority of drug convictions are re-
lated to drug traffi cking, which is the illegal sale and distribution
of a controlled substance. Drug traffi cking generally involves large
quantities of illegal substances. According to the most recent fi g-
ures available from the US Department of Justice (DOJ), more
than half of drug offenders in federal prison (54 percent) commit-
ted crimes involving cocaine.
People of every race, gender, and age are in prison for drug
offenses. In the federal system the race of drug offenders varied
by drug type—88 percent of crack cocaine offenders were Afri-
can American, 54 percent of powder cocaine offenders were La-
tino, and 48 percent of methamphetamine offenders were white,
DOJ statistics show. Overall across all drug types, 21.8 percent
of offenders were white, 38.8 percent were African American,
and 37.2 percent were Hispanic or Latino. Federal drug offend-
ers were also heavily male (92.5 percent) and aged thirty-nine or
younger (62.6 percent), according to the DOJ report.
Punishment for drug crimes often depends on whether the
offender is charged in the state or federal system. Federal laws
apply when a drug crime occurs on federal land, such as a mili-
tary base or Washington, DC. Federal laws also apply if any part
of the drug crime involves multiple states or crosses international
borders. The primary difference between federal and state drug
laws is the severity of punishment after conviction. Drug crimes

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