Line chart with four lines: number of defendants prosecuted in U.S. district courts who were charged with (1) drug offenses, (2) public-order offenses such as weapons, immigration, and tax offenses, (3) property offenses, and (4) violent offenses for the period 1980 through 2002.

The number of defendants prosecuted for drug offenses increased at an average annual rate of 10% between 1980 and 1993. Between 1993 and 1995, drug prosecutions decreased by 18.9% before increasing to the level attained during 2002. Since 1995, drug offense prosecutions increased at an average annual rate of 5.3%.

Between 1995 and 2002 prosecutions of public-order offenses increased at an average annual rate of 5.5%. Prosecutions of property offenses remained relatively stable – increasing at an average annual rate of 0.8%. And, prosecutions of violent offenses were flat – decreasing slightly with an average annual rate of -0.3%.