Drug Arrests in Illinois, by Gender

This brief is part of a broader research effort to understand the factors that have influenced the trends and patterns of women sentenced to prison in Illinois. Using data aggregated from Illinois Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) system records, the brief describes custodial arrest patterns and trends for men and women arrested in Illinois for drug offenses between 2005 and 2017. Characteristics of women and men arrested specifically for felony-level drug offenses are compared in terms of age, race, the county where the arrest occurred, the felony-class of the arrest offense, and the criminal history of the arrestee.