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(KSL News) The number of people sentenced to prison for drug offenses has skyrocketed at an alarming rate over the last 20 years.
The Utah Department of Corrections says the number of inmates behind bars for drugs has increased by 903 percent since 1988.
Authorities say other crimes have grown too, but not quite like drug crimes, which have increased ten times.
In 1988 drug crimes made up only 16 percent of all prison commitments. In 2005, they reached 42 percent.
Authorities say the reason is more second and third degree felony drug offenders are getting sentenced to prison, and penalties for crimes commited in drug-free zones and repeat violations have gotten tougher.
