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The number of new convictions for cases referred to federal prosecutors by the Drug Enforcement Administration continued to decline during the early months of this fiscal year, a new analysis of Justice Department data reveals.
According to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), during the first two months of FY 2017 — which began in October — the Justice Department reported 1,493 new convictions for cases referred by the DEA.
Based on a TRAC case-by-case analysis of data, obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request, the number of DEA convictions were down 6.2 percent compared to “the comparable period” in FY 2016. The drop continues a decade-long decline in DEA convictions.
During the entirety of FY 2016, DEA referrals resulted in 9,553 convictions — down 27.5 percent compared to five years ago (when there were 13,170 DEA convictions) and down 35.7 percent compared to 2006 (when there were 14,855 DEA convictions), according to TRAC.
To be sure, FY 2016’s DEA conviction level was higher than it was in 1996, when DEA referrals to federal prosecutors resulted in 9,109 convictions.
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