Since 1995, the overall U.S. crime rate has fallen 32 percent; that includes all major types of violent crime, including murder, rape, robbery, and assault. Between 2003 and 2004, reports of forcible rapes rose 0.8 percent, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report. But when the growth in population was factored in, the prevalence of rapes actually declined, as well.

A special FBI report said that the number of juveniles arrested on drug charges rose from 159,000 in 1994 to 195,000 in 2003. "Trends for overall arrests involving drug abuse suggest that this social problem shows no signs of abating," the report said.

About 163,000 of the 2003 drug arrests were for possession, with 127,000 of those involving marijuana, and 14,000 involving opiates or cocaine. Arrests for sale or manufacture of illicit drugs totaled about 32,000 juveniles.

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