With the Commonwealth v. Mattis decision shining a spotlight on criminal justice reform in Massachusetts, here’s a look at Massachusetts and federal crime trends.

Homicide rates decrease in Boston, Worcester and increase in Springfield

Over a nearly 10 year period, homicide rates in the U.S. increased more than 24% from 2015 to 2023, according to the latest available data from the FBI. In Massachusetts, homicide rates increased more than 21% — following the increase in population in both the country and the state. 

In recent years, however, some Massachusetts cities reported a significant reduction in homicides in contrast with its growing population rate. In Boston, numbers dropped from 58 in 2020 to 39 in 2023, according to Massachusetts Crime Statistics. In Worcester, homicide also dropped from 10 to 8 during that same period. 

Not all cities mirrored this positive downtrend. Springfield, for example, reported 18 homicides in 2020 and 31 in 2023, the highest among New England’s major cities, according to local reporting.

Younger adults convicted of felonies tended to receive shorter sentences

In fiscal year 2023, the median prison sentence for felony convictions, which includes first-degree murder, was 40 months — nearly unchanged from the 41-month median in FY 2022, according to Federal Justice Statistics.

Types of sentencing varied by demographic, including age of the convicted individual. For U.S. citizens convicted of a felony at ages 19 or younger, around 60% were sentenced to prison in 2023. For individuals between the ages of 20 to 24, around 73% were sentenced to prison.

Lengths of sentencing also varied by age of the sentenced individuals. For U.S. citizens convicted of a felony at ages 19 or younger, the average prison sentence was 18 months in 2023. For individuals between the ages of 20 to 24, the average prison sentence was 33 months.

The median age of sentenced individuals was 36, according to the data.

Racial disparities in sentencing were also evident, which 85% of Black defendants received prison sentences, the highest rate among racial groups. However, median sentence length for those sentenced to prison was 60 months for both Black and white defendants.

What are youth getting arrested for?

According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), the number of arrests involving individuals under age 18 declined over the past two decades.

In 2020, law enforcement agencies in the U.S. made an estimated 424,300 arrests of persons under the age of 18 — 71% less than the number of arrests in 2011, according to Department of Justice statistics.

Property crimes among juveniles decreased by 39% from 2019 to 2020, while arrests for violent crimes fell by 33% during the same period.

According to the latest available data, more youth were arrested for larceny theft, simple assault, drug abuse and disorderly conduct in 2020.

Despite the overall decrease, data indicates that minority youth, particularly Black and Hispanic males, continue to be overrepresented in juvenile arrest statistics,