Census of Jails, 1999 by James J. Stephan U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics -------------------------------------------------- This file is text only without graphics and many of the tables. A Zip archive of the tables in this report in spreadsheet format (.wk1) and the full report including tables and graphics in .pdf format are available from: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cj99.htm -------------------------------------------------- Lawrence A. Greenfeld Acting Director James J. Stephan wrote this report, developed the questionnaire, coordinated the data collection, and with Allen J. Beck, developed the dataset. Allen J. Beck supervised the project. Todd D. Minton provided statistical assistance. Tracy Snell verified the analysis and statistical results. Erika Westry provided a statistical review. Tom Hester and Tina Dorsey edited and produced the report. Jayne Robinson prepared the report for final print. Pamela Butler and Lisa McNelis, the U.S. Census Bureau, conducted the data collection and processing, assisted by Martha Greene, Martha Haselbush, Patricia Torreyson, Barbara Flynn, Albert Swann, and Carolyn Gates. Duane Cavanaugh and Diron Gaskins provided technical assistance. This report and its tables as spreadsheets are available on the World Wide Web at The data presented in this report can be accessed from the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) . Select dataset numbers ICPSR 2979 (1998) and 2980 (1999). Public use tapes, disks, and CD-ROM's are available from NACJD/ICPSR, P.O. Box 1248, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 (1-800-999-0960). September 2001, NCJ 186633 Contents Highlights Jail population growth slowed in the late 1990's A few States housed a majority of inmates The number of jail inmates increased about 25% in 6 years relative to the U.S. resident population Among inmates proportions of men and women and of whites and blacks changed little in the 1990's Compared to 1983, a higher percentage of inmates in 1999 were awaiting trial rather than serving a sentence Facility capacity kept pace with growth in jail population About 219,000 persons were admitted to jail during the week before the 1999 Jail Census Approximately 1 in every 8 persons under jail supervision were not incarcerated The number of privately operated jails and inmates in them went up during the 1990's 11 Federal jails held 11,209 inmates on June 30, 1999 Most jails charged fees to house inmates of other correctional facilities About a third of jail jurisdictions reported inmate assault on staff Relative to the annual total of inmate deaths, the number of causes largely unchanged during the 1990's About 7 in every 10 jail employees supervised inmates or provided facility security Women about a third of jail employees and African Americans about a fifth The number of jail employees grew faster than the number of inmates between 1983 and 1999 Most jails had policies or programs for inmate education, counseling, and health services Methodology Appendix: Table list and index Jail population growth slowed in the late 1990's The Nation's confined jail population increased 32% in the 6 years between censuses, from 459,804 at midyear 1993 to 605,943 at midyear 1999. Following annual percentage increases in double digits (12.7%) during the 1980's, growth in the number of confined jail inmates slowed to single-digit rates in the late 1990's (4.7%). Relative to the U.S. resident population, the jail population more than doubled in 16 years, from 96 inmates per 100,000 residents in 1983 to 222 per 100,000 residents in 1999. At midyear 1999 nearly 1 in every 450 U.S. residents were in a local jail. In the 12 months preceding the 1999 census, the Nation's jails had an average daily population of 607,978, up 30% from the 12-month period reported in the 1993 census. A total of 9,458 persons under age 18 were detained in adult jails on June 30, 1999. About 4 out of every 5 juveniles in jail had been convicted or were being held for trial as adults in criminal court. (See Methodology for changes in the definition of juvenile.) The 2000 Annual Survey of Jails provides updated inmate and facility characteristics In each of the years between the full censuses, a sample survey of jails is conducted to estimate baseline characteristics of the Nation's jails and the inmates housed in the jails. Findings from the 2000 survey include-- *In the 12 months since the 1999 census, the number of inmates increased to 621,149 (up 2.5%). *The rate of incarceration rose to 226 per 100,000 U.S. residents, the equivalent of 1 in every 376 residents on June 30, 2000. *In the 12 months ending June 30, 2000, the Nation's jails added 25,466 beds -- resulting in a 92% occupancy rate at midyear, the lowest level since 1984. *The number of persons under age 18 housed in adult jail facilities dropped to 7,615 on June 30, 2000. *The average daily population for the year ending June 30, 2000, was 618,319, an increase of 1.7% from 1999. Footnote: For more detailed comparisons with the 1999 census, see BJS Bulletin, Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2000, NCJ 185989, March 2001. A few States housed a majority of inmates In 1999 approximately half of all jail inmates were held in 7 States: California, 77,142; Texas, 57,930; Florida, 51,080; New York, 34,411; Georgia, 32,835; Pennsylvania, 26,996; and Louisiana, 25,631. The 10 States with the smallest jail populations each held fewer than 3,000 inmates. Together, jails in these States held 3% of the Nation's jail population. ************* Box: Jails *************** These locally operated facilities -- *receive individuals pending arraignment and hold them awaiting trial, conviction, or sentencing *readmit probation, parole, and bail-bond violators and absconders *temporarily detain juveniles pending transfer to juvenile authorities *hold mentally ill persons pending their movement to appropriate health facilities *hold individuals for the military, for protective custody, for contempt, and for the courts as witnesses *release convicted inmates to the community upon completion of sentence *transfer inmates to Federal, State, or other authorities *house inmates for Federal, State, or other authorities because of crowding of their facilities *relinquish custody of temporary detainees to juvenile and medical authorities *operate community-based programs with day reporting, home detention, electronic monitoring or other types of supervision *hold inmates sentenced to short terms (generally under 1 year). *********************end box ******************************* Louisiana had the largest number of jail inmates per 100,000 State residents (585), followed by Georgia (421), Tennessee (358), and Florida (337). Four States -- Maine (with 89 inmates per 100,000 resident), North Dakota (92), Iowa (104), and Minnesota (105) -- had rates that were less than half of the national rate. In 5 States the jail population rose more than 75% between censuses Since the last census was conducted in 1993, the jail populations more than doubled in Montana (up 124%), Utah (112%), and Wyoming (103%), and increased by more than 75% in Iowa (87%) and Mississippi (83%). Growth was the slowest in the largest States, up 5% in Texas, up 11% in California and New Jersey, and up 12% in New York. The District of Columbia recorded a 2% decline due in part to the housing of inmates outside the District. Over the entire 16 years, between the 1983 and 1999 censuses, all but 6 jurisdictions had at least a doubling in their jail populations. The exceptions were Missouri, which had an 83% increase; Alaska, 84%; California, 85%; Illinois, 91%; and Maine, 99%. Between 1983 and 1999 jail populations increased the most in Wisconsin (314%), Utah (344%), Idaho (365%), and Nevada (421%). Nearly half of all inmates were held in jails with an average daily population of 1,000 or more Most jail inmates were held in relatively few large jails. While almost two-thirds of the jails had a capacity for 100 or fewer inmates, nearly half of all detainees in 1999 were housed in jails with an average daily population of 1,000 or more inmates. About 12% of inmates were in facilities holding fewer than 100 inmates. The growing dominance of very large jails was especially marked during the period. The percentage of inmates in jails holding 2,000 or more nearly doubled from about 17% in 1993 to 30% in 1999, while the percentage in jails holding fewer than 100 dropped from 16% to 12%. Characteristics of jail inmates slowly changing In 1993 men comprised 90.4% of the jail population, and women 9.6%. Six years later the male proportion was 88.8% and the female proportion, 11.2%. An estimated 1 in every 181 adult men and 1 in every 1,538 adult women were held in local jail on June 30, 1999. Between 1993 and 1999, the number of white non-Hispanics increased from 39.3% to 41.3%; black non-Hispanics decreased from 44.2% to 41.5%; Hispanics increased from 15.1% to 15.5%; and American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, and Pacific Islanders increased from 1.3% to 1.7%. Compared to 1993, a higher percentage of inmates in 1999 were awaiting trial rather than serving a sentence The percentage of convicted adult inmates decreased from 50% in 1993 to 46% in 1999, while that of unconvicted adults increased from approximately 50% to 54%. Convicted inmates include those awaiting or serving a sentence, and those who were returned to jail for a violation of probation or parole. Between 1993 and 1999 the number of unconvicted inmates rose by 40% (from 228,900 to 321,000), while the number of convicted rose by 22% (from 226,600 to 275,500). Facility capacity kept pace with growth in jail population Rated capacity increased 37% from 1993 to 1999. Rated capacity is the maximum number of beds or inmates allocated by rating officials to each jail facility. Facility expansion averaged 29,516 new spaces, or 5.4% annually -- equivalent to the addition of 510 beds each week during the 6-year period. The largest annual growth in capacity occurred in 1995 when more than 41,400 spaces were added, followed by 1999 (39,500). The smallest growth year was 1986 when jail capacity expanded by about 17,208 beds. As measured by a ratio of the number of inmates housed in jails to the rated capacity, occupancy ranged from 92% to 97% between 1993 and 1999. According to this measure, facility expansion kept pace with the growth of the inmate population. After beginning the period at 97% of capacity occupied, jail capacity outpaced growth in the jail population. By 1996 jails were operating at 8% below their rated capacity, the lowest level recorded during the 6-year period. Throughout the period from 1983 to 1999 jail occupancy rates were inversely related to facility size. The smallest jails had the lowest percent of capacity occupied and the largest had the highest percent. In 1999 facilities that housed fewer than 50 inmates were occupied at 71% of capacity, whereas those that held 1,000 or more were occupied at 97%. Between 1983 and 1988 occupancy increased among all jails, irrespective of size. After 1988 the smallest facilities experienced an increasing percentage of capacity occupied, while larger jails had a decreasing percentage of capacity occupied. Among facilities housing 1,000 or more inmates, occupancy fell from 126% in 1988 to 97% in 1999. During this period these larger facilities accounted for an increasing percentage of inmates. In 1999 the total jail population exceeded rated capacity in 7 States and the District of Columbia: Percent of State capacity occupied District of Columbia 120% Virginia 118 New Jersey 110 Massachusetts 108 Kentucky 105 Washington 105 California 103 Indiana 102 In every other State the total jail population was below the combined capacity of all jails. Excluding Alaska, 6 States had occupancies below 80%: Percent of State capacity occupied North Dakota 64% South Dakota 66 Utah 68 Missouri 78 Kansas 79 Arkansas 79 Between 1993 and 1999, while the total capacity of the Nation's jails grew 37%, 6 States had jail capacity increases of 70% or more: Virginia (70%); Arizona (71%); Mississippi (83%); New Mexico (87%); Idaho (90%); and Utah (102%). About 219,000 persons were admitted to jail during the week before the 1999 census Jail authorities responding to previous censuses had difficulty separating inmates categorized as new entries from inmates returning from court appearances, medical appointments, work release, and escape. The 1999 census clarified what was meant by entries -- new admissions to jail on a given charge -- and asked for only those occurring from June 24 to June 30, 1999. A total of 2,610 jail jurisdictions, or 85%, reported 193,880 new admissions to their facilities for the week in June 1999. Overall, about 219,000 persons entered jails, including the reported admissions and an estimate based on the population of the nonreporting jurisdictions. Number of jail inmates, 1999 Held in jurisdictions reporting on admissions, 6/30/a 548,005 Reported new admissions, 6/24 - 6/30/b 193,880 Estimated new admissions 6/24 - 6/30/c 219,408 a/A total of 474 jail jurisdictions, or 15%, provided no admissions information. b/Includes all persons officially booked into and housed in jail by formal legal document and by the authority of the courts or other official agency. Excludes returns from escape, work release, medical appointments, treatment facilities, bail, and court appearances. c/See Methodology for estimation procedure. The number of jail jurisdictions under court order or consent decree declined from 1993 to 1999 Among 2,838 local jail jurisdictions reporting data at midyear 1999, about 15% were under court order or consent decree (most often for crowding or other confinement conditions), and 11% were ordered to limit population. By comparison, at midyear 1993, among 2,945 reporting jurisdictions about 17% were under court order or consent decree and 14% were ordered to limit population. Approximately 1 in every 8 persons under jail supervision was supervised outside of a jail facility Many jail authorities also have responsibility for supervising offenders outside of jail facilities in programs such as community service, work release, weekend reporting, electronic monitoring, and other alternative programs. At midyear 1999 jail authorities supervised 82,030 offenders in such community-based programs, up from 25,174 in 1993. These counts excluded offenders under the supervision of probation, parole, or other correctional agencies. Also excluded were inmates allowed to work in the community during the day but required to return to jail at night. Total under supervision, 1999 687,973 Confined 605,943 Nonconfined 82,030 Community service 20,138 Weekender programs 16,089 Pretrial supervision 10,089 Electronic monitoring 9,927 Work programs 7,780 Day reporting 5,080 Alcohol and drug treatment 4,044 Home detention 516 Other programs 8,367 Among persons under community supervision by jail staff in 1999, more than two-thirds performed community service (25%), participated in a weekend reporting program, worked in the community during the week (20%), were under pretrial supervision (12%), or were under electronic monitoring (12%). These offenders supervised outside of jail doubled from about 6% of the jail population in 1993 to 12% in 1999. Local jail Midyear jurisdictions 1993 1999 Reporting on court orders 2,945 2,838 Under court order/ consent decree 494 412 Ordered to limit population 405 325 The number of privately operated jails and inmates in them increased during the 1990's Between 1993 and 1999 the number of private jails operated under contract to local government authorities increased from 17 to 47. During this period the number of persons under private jail supervision rose from 3,229 to 16,656. However, in 1999 private facilities still accounted for 1.4% of all jails and 2.4% of all persons under jail supervision. Most private jails housed both men and women, although 15 held men only and 2 women only. These contract facilities ranged in size from very small to very large, but those holding fewer than 50 inmates or between 250 and 499 were the most common. Like the inmate population in publicly operated jails, the private jail population was largely male (89%). Black inmates made up 38% of the total private population, whites 31%, Hispanics, 16%, and persons with other or unspecified racial classifications, 15%. Texas led the Nation in private jail operations with approximately a fifth of all inmates and facilities. Tennessee had the second-largest number of inmates (2,278), followed by Florida (1,931). Number of privately Number of operated inmates on jails 6/30/99 Texas 8 3,469 Tennessee 3 2,278 Florida 5 1,931 Pennsylvania 5 1,592 New Mexico 4 1,278 Indiana 1 733 Colorado 2 640 Kentucky 2 491 Ohio 2 363 California 8 292 Kansas 1 281 Illinois 1 172 Mississippi 1 157 Minnesota 1 58 Washington 1 42 Missouri 1 23 The number of persons employed in private jails more than tripled from 1,243 in 1993 to 4,178 in 1999. About 54% of the staff in 1999 were men, and 46% women. Correctional officers comprised about 63% of all private staff. By comparison, among the Nation's total jail staff, correctional officers made up about 72%. Most jails charged fees to house inmates for other correctional authorities Approximately 71% of all jail jurisdictions charged fees to house inmates for other correctional authorities in 1999. Thirteen percent did not charge, 6% did not hold inmates for other authorities, and 10% did not report on fee policies. Daily per-inmate fees were an average $48 for Federal inmates, $36 for State inmates, and $38 for inmates held for other local jails. Charges for Federal detainees ranged from $26 per day in Alabama to $105 in Alaska. Charges for housing inmates for State authorities ranged from $4 per day in Alabama to $100 in Alaska. Fees charged for housing inmates for other local authorities ranged from $8 in Louisiana to $79 in Alaska. 5% of the Nation's jail inmates not U.S. citizens On June 30, 1999, approximately 5% of jail inmates were known to be non-citizens. Based on 2,648 jail jurisdictions reporting data, non-U.S. citizens totaled more than 24,000 inmates. Jails in California reported the largest number of non-citizens (8,183 inmates), followed by jails in Texas (3,330) and New York (1,549). As a percentage of all inmates, non-citizens were the most frequent among jails reporting data in New Hampshire (16%), California (14%), and Nevada (13%). Non-U.S. citizens in local jails* Number Percent Total 24,232 5% California 8,183 14% Texas 3,300 8 New York 1,549 6 Florida 1,453 4 Pennsylvania 1,344 7 *Based on data from 2,648 jails jurisdictions that held approximately 78% of all jail inmates on June 30, 1999. ****************** Box: Federal jails ********************* 11 Federal jails held 11,209 inmates on June 30, 1999 During the 1990's the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) maintained a small number of detention facilities that functioned as jails. These were not included among the city, county, or regional adult detention facilities identified as jails in this report. On June 30, 1999, BOP operated 11 jails that held 11,209 persons awaiting adjudication or transfer, up from 7 jails and 5,899 inmates at midyear 1993. See Appendix tables for additional information on Federal jail characteristics. At the time of the 1999 Census of Jails, the Nation's local jails also housed at least 29,000 persons for Federal authorities, including the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Inmate demographics Ninety-three percent of Federal jail inmates in 1999 were men, the same as 6 years earlier. Sixty-three percent were white, 32% black, and 5% were American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, or Pacific Islanders. Conviction status Approximately 74% of the Federal inmates were unconvicted -- awaiting arraignment, trial, or the completion of their trial. By comparison, about 53% of Federal jail inmates were unconvicted at midyear, 1993. Facility capacity The 11 Federal jails had an aggregate rated capacity of 8,040 on June 30, 1999, resulting in an occupancy rate 39% over capacity. In 1993 occupancy exceeded capacity by 55%. Inmate deaths Fifteen inmates died while under the jurisdiction of Federal jail authorities during the annual period ending June 30, 1999. Ten males died from natural causes, 4 from suicide, and 1 from AIDS. Staff Seventy-five percent of Federal jail employees were male, the same proportion as in 1993. Slightly over half were correctional officers. Despite a 55% increase in total staff and a 90% increase in Federal jail inmates between 1993 and 1999, the reported number of clerical and maintenance employees decreased from 263 to 93, and educational employees increased from 26 to 30. However, the number of workers classified as professional and technical nearly doubled from 551 to 1,049. Overall, there were 3.6 inmates per Federal jail employee in 1999, up from 2.9 at the time of the previous census. The number of inmates per correctional officer also rose from 5.5 in 1993 to 6.7 in 1999. By comparison, in local jails in 1999, the ratio of inmates to total staff was 2.9 to 1; and among correctional officers, 4.3 to 1. Characteristic 1993 1999 Number of facilities 7 11 Number of inmates 5,899 11,209 Male 5,490 10,455 Female 409 754 White 4,271 7,080 Black 1,462 3,559 Other/a 166 570 Status of inmates Convicted 47% 26% Unconvicted 53% 74% Rated capacity 3,810 8,040 Percent of capacity occupied 155% 139% Inmate deaths during annual periods ending June 30 1993 and 1999 8 4 Cause Illness/natural cause 4 0 AIDS 0 0 Suicide 2 4 Homicide 0 0 Other/b 2 0 Number of employees 2,009 3,110 Male 1,499 2,318 Female 510 792 Administrators 89 253 Correctional officers 1,080 1,685 Clerical and maintenance 263 93 Educational 26 30 Other/c 551 1,049 Number of inmates per employee All employees 2.9 3.6 Correctional officers 5.5 6.7 Note: The 11 Federal jails in 1999 were in Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA; Miami, FL; Chicago, IL; Oakdale, LA; Brooklyn, NY; New York, NY; Otisville, NY; Oklahoma City, OK; Guaynabo, PR; and Seattle, WA. a/Includes American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, and Pacific Islanders. b/Drug overdose. c/Includes professional and technical workers such as public health service employees, case managers, and transportation specialists. *********************** end of box *********************** About a third of jail jurisdictions reported inmate assaults on staff Between July 1, 1998, and June 30, 1999, there were 9,276 inmate physical or sexual assaults on jail employees in 848 jail jurisdictions. The total number of assaults compared to the average daily population translated into 17.8 assaults per 1,000 inmates during the 12-month period. Inmate assaults on staff, 7/1/98 - 6/30/99 Number Per 1,000 inmates* Total 9,276 17.8 California 923 12.3 New York 855 27.9 Florida 794 6.1 Tennessee 662 36.0 Texas 591 11.2 Kentucky 512 62.6 Pennsylvania 486 21.0 Maryland 363 32.4 Virginia 292 16.4 Arizona 275 26.3 *Based on the average daily population of 522,488 in 2,738 jurisdictions that reported data on inmate-on-staff assaults. Per 1,000 employees there were 48.8 assaults by jail inmates, based on a total staff of 189,984 in jurisdictions reporting data on such assaults. Between July 1, 1998, and June 30, 1999, four jail employees died as a result of assaults by inmates. Two of the four staff deaths resulted from inmate assaults occurring in Indiana, one in Iowa, and one in California. In the 12 months prior to the census, 919 inmates died in local jails, up from 647 prior to the 1993 census A total of 919 inmate deaths were reported in jails during the 12-month period ending June 30, 1999, up from 647 during a similar period preceding the 1993 census. The causes of death in 1999 were distributed similarly to those in 1993. In 1999 the most common cause of death was illness or natural cause excluding AIDS (42%), followed by suicide (35%), AIDS (9%), and homicide (3%). The remaining 11% were from other or unspecified causes. Overall, 16% of jail jurisdictions reported at least one inmate death during the 12-month period, 11% reported only one inmate death, and 5% reported two or more deaths. Number of Percent of inmate deaths jurisdictions* 0 84% 1 11 2 3 3 or more 2 *Based on 3,079 jurisdictions reporting data on inmate deaths. While the number of deaths increased by 42% between the 1993 and 1999 censuses, the overall rate of death per 100,000 inmates based on the average daily population remained nearly unchanged -- 154 in 1999, compared to 149 in 1993. The rates of death by specific cause also remained nearly unchanged. In 1999 the rate of death due to illness/natural causes totaled 64 deaths per 100,000 inmates, and the rate of suicide totaled 54 per 100,000. About 7 in every 10 jail employees supervised inmates or provided facility security Jails employed an estimated 207,600 persons at midyear 1999. This total, which included both full-time and part-time, payroll and nonpayroll staff, grew 42,100 between 1993 and 1999, an increase of 25%. During this same period the number of jail inmates increased 32%. In 1999 most jail staff were payroll employees (98%) and working full-time (95%). Of the estimated 207,600 staff, 5,200 employees were nonpayroll, including staff on the payroll of other governmental agencies. Jail staff 1999 1993 Total 100% 100% Payroll 98 96 Nonpayroll 2 4 Full-time 95 93 Part-time 5 7 More than 1 in 4 jail jurisdictions reported that they also had staff paid through contractual agreements. On June 30, 1999, jail jurisdictions employed an additional 11,700 staff through contractual agreements. Correctional officers, employees who directly supervise inmates and provide facility security, reached 149,600 in 1999. Their proportion scarcely changed from about 71% of all staff in 1993 to 72% in 1999. Other occupational categories varied only slightly during the 6-year period: Administrators were about 7% in both years; clerical and maintenance workers declined slightly from 13% to 12%; professional and technical employees went from 7% to 5%; and educational employees accounted for about 1% in 1993 and 1999. Women comprised a third of all jail employees; a quarter of correctional officers Women accounted for about 34% of all jail employees in 1999, up from 30% of payroll staff in 1993. On June 30, 1999, an estimated 70,700 women were employed in local jails. Among the 149,600 correctional officers in 1999, women comprised 28% (a slight increase from 1993, when they comprised 24% of payroll correctional officers). Minorities accounted for an increasing percentage of jail staff In 1999 about 66% of jail staff were white; 24% black; 8% Hispanic; and 2% other races. By comparison, in 1993, 71% of jail employees were white; 22% black; 6% Hispanic; and 1% other races. The racial and ethnic distributions of correctional officers were similar to that of the total staff; however, a slightly higher percentage of correctional officers was black (26%). In both years, minority employees were under-represented relative to their proportion among inmates. In 1999, 42% of all inmates were black and 15% were Hispanic. The number of jail employees grew faster than the number of inmates between 1983 and 1999 Jail staff grew more rapidly than inmate population between 1983 and 1993. As a result, the number of inmates per employee declined from 3.5 in 1983 to 3.4 in 1988, to 2.8 in 1993. During the 1990's, the number of inmates rose faster than staff, and the ratio rose slightly to 2.9 in 1999. This pattern of growth was also true for correctional officers relative to the inmate population. After declining from 5.0 inmates per correctional officer in 1983 to 3.9 in 1993, the ratio rose to 4.3 in 1999. The pattern of declining inmate-to-staff ratios during the 1980's and slightly rising ratios in the 1990's was consistent across regions except the West. In this region the ratio continued to decline from 3.4 inmates per employee in 1993 to 3.3 in 1999. Most jails had policies or programs for inmate education, counseling, and health services Over half the Nation's jail jurisdictions operated secondary education programs for inmates, and a quarter, basic adult education programs. Eleven percent of jurisdictions offered special education for inmates with learning disabilities, and somewhat fewer had study release (9%), a vocational program (6%), and college courses (3%). Approximately 45,800 inmates, or 8% of all detainees in jurisdictions providing data, were participating in jail education programs on June 30, 1999. Religious or spiritual counseling programs were available in over two-thirds of jail jurisdictions; alcohol and drug dependency or awareness in more than half; and psychological counseling in slightly less than half. Fewer jurisdictions offered life skills (21%), counseling about domestic violence (17%), pretrial services (17%), and guidance for job seeking (15%). Over two-thirds of all jail jurisdictions used a fee-for- service (39%) plan or on-site staff (31%) to deliver inmate health care. Among the more common mental health services were inmate screenings at intake (78% of jurisdictions), psychotropic medication (66%), 24-hour care (47%), routine therapy or counseling (45%), and psychiatric evaluation (39%). Methodology Census of Jails The Census of Jails, 1999, was the seventh in a series of data collections intended to study the Nation's jails. Previous censuses were conducted in 1970, 1972, 1978, 1983, 1988, and 1993. As in previous enumerations, the U.S. Census Bureau collected the data for the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The 1999 census included all locally administered jails that held inmates beyond arraignment (usually more than 72 hours) and that were staffed by municipal or county employees. The census also included 47 private jails operating under contract to governments; 42 regional jails operated for two or more jail authorities; and 11 Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities that functioned as jails. Excluded from the census were physically separate temporary holding facilities, such as drunk tanks and police lockups, that do not hold persons after they are formally charged in court (usually within 72 hours of arrest). Also excluded were State-operated facilities in Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Alaska, which have combined jail-prison systems. Fifteen independently operated jails in Alaska, however, were included. The mailout used for the census was derived from a facility list maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau for BJS, correctional association directories, and other secondary sources. Census questionnaires were mailed to 3,160 jail jurisdictions on June 25, 1999. In addition to a paper form, BJS offered respondents in large jurisdictions an electronic version via the Internet, which allowed them to complete and submit their questionnaire on-line. Six jurisdictions were added to the initial mailout, and 82 were deleted, resulting in a total of 3,084 jail jurisdictions. Extensive follow up in the form of mail and fax reminders, and repeated telephone contacts resulted in a nearly 100% response rate for the following critical data items: gender of inmates held; number of inmates on June 30, 1999; male and female inmates under age 18; male and female inmates age 18 and older; jail rated capacity; number of jail deaths during the preceding 12 months; and total number of staff. Of the 3,084 jurisdictions in the final universe, 251 provided information on critical data items only. Data from six jurisdictions that did not respond to any items on the questionnaire were imputed based on previous survey and census reports. Estimation procedures Because there was nonresponse and incomplete data on census items other than the seven critical items, national totals had to be estimated. The following procedures were used to estimate totals when data were incomplete: 1. Each item was assessed for coverage and internal consistency. To estimate totals, extreme values were examined and verified by checking other census information and originally submitted forms. Detailed categories were also checked to determine if they summed to the reported totals. 2. To provide national and State total estimates of staff, item values were summed and then multiplied by a nonresponse adjustment factor (NAF). The NAF was a ratio of the total number of inmates in all jails to the number of inmates in jails that reported valid staff data. Estimates of total admissions in each State were based on a ratio of the total number of inmates held in all facilities. to number of inmates in jurisdictions reporting at least one admission. Estimated State total admissions were then rounded to whole numbers and summed to regional totals, and then regional totals were summed to provide a national estimate. 3. All estimates were rounded to the nearest 100. 4. All rates, ratios, and percentage distributions were based on reported data only. Juveniles Most, but not all, States define a juvenile as a person under age 18 who is subject to juvenile court jurisdiction. Exceptions usually depend on offense severity or an offender's adjudication history. Statutes and judicial practices sometimes allow youths to be held in adult jails. Often juveniles accused of acts that are crimes for adults may be held in jails or police lockups, given certain conditions: *separation by sight and sound from the general population *detention for a limited time, typically less than 6 hours. In annual jail surveys beginning in 1994 and in the 1999 census, jail authorities were asked to report the number of inmates under age 18. Of the 9,458 persons under age 18 being held in jail on June 30, 1999, 91% were identified as juveniles tried or scheduled to be tried as adults. End of file 9/4/01 th revised 9/05/01 th