New Jersey residents may be interested in learning that about one quarter of arrests are for consuming alcohol or drugs without permission. Statistics show that 9% of arrests for men and 8% of arrests for women are connected to drugs while 11% of arrests for women and 16% of arrests for men are linked to underage drinking.
This does not mean that all arrests are for minor or nonviolent crimes. The truth is that 19% of arrests for men and 28% of arrests for women are for things like theft, robbery and assault. Other misdemeanors represent around 31% of arrests for women and 28% for men.
These numbers represent an increase in the number of arrests over the past few years despite crime rates continuing to drop. This means that young people today have a higher chance of getting arrested than their grandparents. Americans who are between the ages of 26 and 35 are 3.6 times more likely to get arrested or to have been arrested by the time they are 26 as opposed to those who are 66 years of age or older.
Only 6.4% of Americans born prior to 1949 have ever been arrested. However, 23% of Americans born between 1979 and 1988 have been arrested. This has led to what some have referred to as the growing criminalization of American youth. This is something that crosses racial lines and gender lines. About one third of black men have been arrested, and the arrest rate of white men has tripled over the past few years. It is leading to a convergence of the probability of being arrested regardless of race. This same trend is being seen with gender.
When a person is arrested and convicted, there exists a real risk of them losing their employment, losing their housing and even losing custody of their children. This underscores the importance of not trying to fight a criminal charge alone. A criminal defense attorney may be able to help their client defend against a criminal charge in court. The attorney may work with their client to investigate the evidence presented against them and work toward the best possible outcome.