Terms & Definitions
Alcohol use disorder — prisoners who reported drinking 6 or more days in the 12 months prior to admission to prison were defined as having alcohol dependence if they met at least 3 of 7 dependence criteria or at least 1 of the abuse criteria. For more information, see the measurement section of Alcohol and Drug Use and Treatment Reported by Prisoners: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252641, BJS, July 2021).
Any disability — includes hearing, vision, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care, and independent living. Excludes learning disabilities. For more information, see the definitions in Disabilities Reported by Prisoners: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252642, BJS, March 2021).
Body mass index — calculated based on the height and weight prisoners reported at the time of the interview. Based on the body mass index (BMI), prisoners were classified as—
- Normal weight or underweight—based on a BMI of less than 25.
- Overweight—based on a BMI of 25 to less than 30.
- Obese—based on a BMI of grade 1 obesity (30 to less than 35), grade 2 obesity (35 to less than 40), and grade 3 obesity (40 or more).
For more information, see Methodology in Medical Problems Reported by Prisoners: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252644, BJS, June 2021).
Concurrent sentences — sentences for multiple offenses that are served simultaneously. The total maximum sentence length amounts to the length of the longest sentence.
Consecutive sentences — sentences for multiple offenses that are served sequentially. The total maximum sentence length amounts to the sum of all the sentences.
Credited prior jail time — the amount of time an inmate spent in jail before sentencing that the court credited toward the prison sentence(s).
Criminal justice status at arrest — on probation, on parole, or on escape from custody at the time of the arrest for the offense(s) for which the prisoner was serving time. Respondents were able to report only one type of criminal justice status, and the survey established parole as the first category, followed by probation, and then escape from custody.
Current chronic medical condition — includes prisoners who reported they had been told by a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider they had a current chronic medical condition at the time of the interview. See “Ever had a chronic medical condition” for chronic medical conditions prisoners were asked about during the interview. Only prisoners who reported they ever had a chronic medical condition(s) were asked whether a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider had told them they currently had a chronic medical condition(s). For more information, see Methodology in Medical Problems Reported by Prisoners: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252644, BJS, June 2021).
Detailed offense — the specific controlling offense which varies by sentence status and number of offenses. See “Offense type” for the definition of controlling offense.
- Drug trafficking—includes possession with intent to distribute.
- Homicide—includes murder and both negligent and non-negligent manslaughter.
- Other public order—includes commercialized vice, immigration crimes, DUI/DWI, probation/parole violations, and other public-order offenses.
- Other property—includes larceny, theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, fraud, stolen property, destruction of property, vandalism, hit-and-run driving with no bodily injury, criminal tampering, trespassing, entering without breaking, and possession of burglary tools.
- Other violent—includes kidnapping, blackmail, extortion, hit-and-run driving with bodily injury, child abuse, and criminal endangerment.
- Weapons—includes being armed while committing a crime; possession of ammunition, concealed weapons, firearms and explosive devices; selling or trafficking weapons; and other weapons offenses. Among federal prisoners, weapons offense includes violations of federal firearms and explosives.
Drug use disorder — prisoners who had not been incarcerated for the entire 12 months prior to admission to prison and reported using any drug in those 12 months were defined as having drug dependence if they met at least 3 of 7 dependence criteria or at least 1 of the abuse criteria. For more information, see the measurement section of Alcohol and Drug Use and Treatment Reported by Prisoners: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252641, BJS, July 2021).
Education completed — the highest level of education completed prior to admission to prison, excluding GED attainment.
Ever had an attention deficit disorder — includes prisoners who reported they had ever been told by a doctor, psychologist, or teacher that they had an attention deficit disorder, sometimes referred to as ADD or ADHD. For more information, see the definitions in Disabilities Reported by Prisoners: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252642, BJS, March 2021).
Ever had a chronic medical condition — includes prisoners who reported they had ever been told by a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider they had a chronic medical condition, including cancer, high blood pressure/hypertension, stroke-related problems, diabetes/high blood sugar, heart-related problems, kidney-related problems, arthritis, asthma, or cirrhosis of the liver. The measure indicates a diagnosis of having one of the conditions at least once in the prisoner’s lifetime but does not mean the prisoner currently had the medical condition at the time of the interview. For more information, see Methodology in Medical Problems Reported by Prisoners: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252644, BJS, June 2021).
Ever had a learning disability — includes prisoners who reported they had ever been told by a doctor, psychologist, or teacher that they had a learning disability, such as dyslexia or dyscalculia. For more information, see the definitions in Disabilities Reported by Prisoners: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252642, BJS, March 2021).
Ever had an infectious disease — includes prisoners who reported they had ever been told by a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider they had an infectious disease, specifically tuberculosis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), or other sexually transmitted disease. For more information, see Methodology in Medical Problems Reported by Prisoners: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252644, BJS, June 2021).
Ever lived in foster home, agency, or institution — prisoners were asked to report for the period of time when they were age 17 or younger. Includes a mental health facility, group home, or residential treatment facility.
Ever lived in public housing — prisoners were asked to report for the period of time when they were age 17 or younger.
Ever told by mental health professional they had a mental disorder — based on prisoners who self-reported ever being told by a mental health professional they had a mental disorder, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, personality disorder, and schizophrenia/other psychotic disorder. For more information, see the measurement section of Indicators of Mental Health Problems Reported by Prisoners: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252643, BJS, June 2021).
Family members ever incarcerated — includes parents, siblings, spouses or partners, and children.
Gender identity — an individual’s internal sense or perception of their own gender, which can be the same as or different from their sex assigned at birth.
- Cisgender — relating to a person whose gender identity (internal sense of gender, that is, being male or female) is the same as their sex assigned at birth.
- Transgender — relating to a person whose gender identity (internal sense of gender, that is, being male or female) is different from their sex assigned at birth. Estimates in the SPI DAT include persons who reported that they identified as transgender (51% of transgender respondents) or identified with a gender different from their sex assigned at birth (49%).
Homelessness in year before arrest — includes living on the street, in a vehicle, or in a homeless shelter.
Military branch of service — details do not sum to 100% because prisoners could report more than one branch of service. Excludes 1.3% of state and 1.4% of federal prisoners who reported serving in the Coast Guard. For more information, see Methodology in Veterans in Prison: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252646, BJS, March 2021).
Military service combat experience — includes prisoners who reported they experienced combat in a line or combat unit during their military service. For more information, see Methodology in Veterans in Prison: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252646, BJS, March 2021).
Military service — weighted counts may differ from published BJS reports because they are based on known data and do not reflect adjustments for item nonresponse. For more information, see Methodology in Veterans in Prison: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252646, BJS, March 2021).
Number of prior incarcerations — total number of sentences to serve time in a juvenile correctional facility, a local or county jail, or a state or federal prison given prior to the incarceration for which the person was held in prison at the time of the interview.
Number of times ever arrested — total number of arrests during the lifetime of persons, including arrests as a juvenile, arrests for which they did not go to court, and arrests for an offense that did not result in a conviction.
Offense type — the general controlling offense which varies by sentence status and the number of offenses of prisoners:
- For sentenced prisoners and prisoners awaiting sentencing with one offense, that offense is the controlling offense.
- For sentenced prisoners with multiple offenses and sentences, the controlling offense is the one with the longest sentence.
- For sentenced prisoners with multiple offenses and one sentence and prisoners awaiting sentencing with multiple offenses, the controlling offense is the most serious offense. For this report, violent offenses are considered most serious, followed by property, drug, public order, and all other offenses.
Parent of a minor child — includes prisoners who reported having a biological or adopted child age 17 or younger at the time of the interview. Weighted counts may differ from published BJS reports because they are based on known data and do not reflect adjustments for item nonresponse. For more information, see Methodology in Parents in Prison and Their Minor Children: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252645, BJS, March 2021).
Parents or guardians received public assistance — represents the period of time when prisoners were age 17 or younger. Includes welfare; Aid to Families with Dependent Children; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; food stamps; Medicaid; or Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
Past 30-day serious psychological distress — based on prisoners with a score of 13 or more on the past 30-day Kessler 6 scale. The Kessler 6 (K6) nonspecific psychological distress scale was used to assess prisoners who met the threshold for serious psychological distress (SPD) in the 30 days prior to the interview. For more information, see the measurement section of Indicators of Mental Health Problems Reported by Prisoners: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252643, BJS, June 2021).
Prisoner — an individual confined in a state or federal correctional facility.
Possessed a firearm during the offense — includes prisoners who carried or possessed a firearm during the offense for which they were serving time. For more information, see Methodology in Source and Use of Firearms Involved in Crimes: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 251776, BJS, January 2019).
Race/ethnicity — categories "American Indian/Alaska Native", “Asian/Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander", "Black", "Other race”, "Two or more races", and "White" exclude persons of Hispanic origin (e.g., "white" refers to non-Hispanic whites and "black" refers to non-Hispanic blacks).
Relationship to members living in household at arrest — details do not sum to 100% because prisoners could report more than one category. Only includes the top 5 categories reported by respondents.
- Spouse/partner—partner includes boyfriends or girlfriends.
- Minor children—includes biological children, adopted children, and stepchildren of the prisoner age 17 or younger or children of the prisoner's partner age 17 or younger.
- Parents—includes mothers, fathers, and stepparents.
- Nonrelatives—includes foster family, friends, and other nonrelatives.
Relationship to persons prisoner lived with most of the time — represents the period of time when prisoners were age 17 or younger. Details do not sum to 100% because 0.5% of state and 0.4% of federal prisoners who reported “split time between parents,” and an additional 1.7% of state and 2.6% of federal prisoners who reported “someone else” were excluded.
Sex — an individual’s sex assigned at birth, on their original birth certificate.
Sexual orientation — consists of three main components: sexual attraction, sexual behavior, and sexual identity. Sexual attraction or sexual behavior refers to an individual’s attraction to, or engagement in sexual activities with, members of the same sex, the opposite sex, or both sexes. Sexual orientation is defined in the 2016 SPI as sexual identity or the way an individual self-identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight.
Sources/methods used to obtain firearm — prisoners were asked to report all sources and methods of obtaining any firearm they possessed during the offense and they could report more than one category. Details do not sum to more than 100% because 5.6% of state and 8.5% of federal prisoners who reported "other" sources were excluded. For more information, see Methodology in Source and Use of Firearms Involved in Crimes: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 251776, BJS, January 2019).
- Purchased/traded at retail source—retail source includes gun shop/store, pawn shop, flea market, or gun show.
- Obtained from individual—includes purchased, traded, rented, or borrowed from family or a friend, or purchased for the prisoner as a gift.
- Off the street/underground market—includes illegal sources of firearms, such as markets for stolen goods, middlemen for stolen goods, criminals or criminal enterprises, or individuals or groups involved in sales of illegal drugs.
- Theft—includes from a burglary, retail source, family, friend, or unspecified theft. Excludes theft from victim.
- Obtained from crime scene—includes found at the location of the crime or brought by someone else to the crime scene.
Substance use at time of the offense — details do not sum to 100% because prisoners could report use of alcohol and any drug at the time of the offense.
Substance use disorder — based on prisoners who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for either dependence or abuse of alcohol or drugs during the 12 months prior to admission to prison. Includes prisoners who were not incarcerated during for the entire 12 months prior to admission to prison. For more information, see the measurement section of Alcohol and Drug Use and Treatment Reported by Prisoners: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252641, BJS, July 2021).
Suspended sentence — a delayed imposition of some portion of a prison sentence that requires the prisoner meet certain conditions. If the prisoner does not meet those conditions, then the suspended time will be reinstated and the prisoner will have to serve that time in prison.
Time left to expected release — the time remaining to be served on the total maximum sentence reported by respondents. It is calculated as the time between the date of interview and the date of their expected release. Estimates exclude persons for whom an expected release date was unknown and persons in state prison who were not yet convicted or sentenced.
Time served since admission — the amount of time a prisoner spent in prison from the date of admission to the date of the interview. Includes time spent in jail that was credited to the prison sentence for the current offense(s). Estimates exclude persons for whom time served since admission could not be calculated.
Total maximum sentence length — the longest time, as stated by the court, that a person could be required to serve for all offenses. For those serving consecutive sentences, this reflects the sum of the sentences imposed. For those serving concurrent sentences, this reflects the longest sentence imposed. Excludes any part of the sentence that was suspended by the court. Estimates exclude persons for whom offense was unknown and persons in state prison who were not yet convicted or sentenced.
- Life/death—includes prisoners sentenced to life, life plus additional years, life without parole, or death.
Total time expected to serve — the amount of time a person will spend in prison from the date of admission to the expected data of release. Includes time spent in jail that was credited to the prison sentence for the current offense(s). Estimates exclude persons for whom total time expected to serve could not be calculated, and persons in state prison who were not yet convicted or sentenced.
Type of housing 30 days prior to arrest — details do not sum to 100% because respondents could report more than one type of housing. Excludes 1.9% of state and 1.2% of federal prisoners who reported some "other" type of housing.
- House/apartment—includes houses, apartments, and mobile homes owned or rented by the prisoner or someone else.
- Homeless—includes living on the street, in a vehicle, or in a homeless shelter.
- Correctional facility—includes prisons, jails, or other correctional facilities.
- Institution/group living—includes transitional housing, halfway houses, hospitals, residential treatment facilities, or other group living situations.
Type of discharge from military service — includes honorable discharge and combines all other types of discharge into “Other type of discharge.”
- Other type of discharge—includes discharge types of general under honorable conditions, general without honorable conditions, other than honorable, dishonorable/bad conduct, medical, psychological, and other unspecified types.
For more information, see Veterans in Prison: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 252646, BJS, March 2021).
Used a firearm during the offense — includes prisoners who showed, pointed, or discharged a firearm during the offense for which they were serving time. For more information, see Methodology in Source and Use of Firearms Involved in Crimes: Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 (NCJ 251776, BJS, January 2019).