U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics Correctional Populations in the United States, 1996 April 1999 NCJ 170013 This report is one in a series. More recent editions may be available. To view a list of all in the series go to http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pubalp2.htm#cpus Jan M. Chaiken, Ph.D. Director This volume resulted from a collaborative effort of the BJS Corrections Statistics unit, under the supervision of Allen J. Beck. James J. Stephan coordinated the preparation of the volume. Allen Beck updated the correctional population trends section. Jodi Brown, assisted by Coliece Rice, collected the data and prepared the tables for the probation and parole sections; Thomas P. Bonczar reviewed these tables. Darrell K. Gilliard prepared the section on jail inmates. Caroline Wolf Harlow, Ph.D., prepared the tables for the survey of jail inmates. Tracy L. Snell prepared the section on capital punishment. James J. Stephan and Christopher J. Mumola prepared the sections on military corrections. Doris James Wilson prepared the section on prisoners. Tom Hester and Ida Hines produced this volume. Marilyn Marbrook supervised final production for printing, assisted by Yvonne Boston and Jayne Robinson. Pamela Butler, Martha Greene, Martha Haselbush, Henrietta Herrin, Lisa McNelis, and Charline Watz, under the supervision of Alan Stevens of the Governments Division of the U.S. Bureau of the Census, collected the data on jails and jail inmates. Pamela Butler, Martha Greene, Henrietta Herrin, and Martha Haselbush, Lisa McNelis, Patricia Torreyson, and Charline Watz, under the supervision of Alan Stevens of the Governments Division of the U.S. Bureau of the Census, collected and processed the data on State and Federal correctional facilities. Tammy Anderson, LaTerri Bynum, Elizabeth Griffin, and Marita K. Perez of the Crime Surveys Branch, Demographic Surveys Division of the U.S. Bureau of the Census, collected, processed, and tabulated the data on prisoners, from the survey of jail inmates, and on capital punishment. They worked under the supervision of Gertrude B. Odom and Kathleen P. Creighton. Christopher Alaura, Larry Altmayer, Ruth Breads, Dave Pysh, Mildred Strange, Kristin Tokarek, and Dave Watt of the Crime Surveys Programming Branch provided programming assistance while supervised by Stephen T. Phillips. Highlights Note to readers Introduction: Definitions of common terms used in tables Data sources Trends in U.S. correctional populations Jail inmates in 1996 Probation in 1996 Survey of inmates in local jails, 1996 Prisoners in 1996 Parole in 1996 Capital punishment in 1996 U.S. military corrections in 1996 Index Highlights An estimated 5.5 million adult residents of the United States were under some form of correctional supervision in 1996. Seven in every ten of these people were on probation or parole. About 2.8% of all adult residents of the United States were under correctional supervision in 1996, up from 1.6% in 1985. About 9.0% of black adults, 2.0% of white adults, and 1.3% of adults of other races were under correctional supervision in 1996. Jails On June 30,1996, local jails held an estimated 510,400 adults, or about 1 in every 378 adult U.S. residents. Men comprised 89% of adult jail inmates. White non-Hispanic inmates accounted for 42% of the total jail population; black non-Hispanics, 41%; and Hispanics, 16%. The total number of adults in local jails increased by an estimated 11,100 during the year ending June 30, 1996, or 2.2%. Between 1986 and 1996 the adult jail population rose by 237,700, an average annual increase of 6.5%. Probation Nearly 3.2 million adults were on probation on December 31,1996. Probationers made up 57% of all adults under correctionalsupervision in 1996, down from 58% in 1995, and 65% in 1986. Twenty-one percent of the probationers were women, a larger proportion than for any other correctional population. About 66% were white and 32%, black. About 65% of all adults discharged from probation in 1996 had successfully completed their sentences. Between yearend 1995 and 1996, the number of adults on probation increased by 83,834 (2.7%). From 1986 to 1996 the probation population grew by more than 1.1 million, an average of 4.2% annually. Prisons An estimated 1.1 million men and women were in the custody of State and Federal prisons at yearend 1996. Approximately 94% were men. About 48% of the inmates were white, 49% black, and 3% American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian or Pacific Islander. The number of State and Federal inmates rose by 54,237 (5%) during 1996. This gain brought the total increase in prisoner population between 1986 and 1996 to 654,088, which translates to an average annual growth rate of 8.4%. The number of sentenced prisoners under State or Federal jurisdiction per 100,000 U.S. residents increased 45% from 292 in 1990 to 422 in 1996. Between 1990 and 1996 the imprisonment rate of white inmates rose 39% from 139 to 193 per 100,000; the rate for blacks increased 38% from 1,067 to 1,571; and the rate for Hispanics grew 26% from 548 to 688. Among whites, prisoners age 30-34 had the highest incarceration rate in 1996: 469 per 100,000 white residents. Among blacks, prisoners age 25-29 had the highest rate: 4,131 per 100,000. Among Hispanics, prisoners age 20-24 had the highest rate: 1,514. Approximately 64% of sentenced prisoners entering prison in 1996 were new court commitments, and a third were parole or other conditional release violators. Among State prisoners entering prison for the first time for a given offense, the proportion who were black declined from 51% in 1990 to 47% in 1996, and the proportion white increased from 49% to 52%. The opposite was true among Federal new court commitments: Whites decreased from 66% in 1990 to 62% in 1996, while blacks increased from 32% to 34%. In 1996, for the third consecutive year, the number of persons admitted to State prisons for drug offenses (98,700) exceeded the number entering for violent (96,300), property (94,800), or public-order crimes (34,600). However, 1996 was the first year that violent admissions exceeded property admissions. Parole and post-release supervision An estimated 704,700 adults were on parole at yearend 1996, an increase of 0.6% from 1995 . Among persons released from prison in 1996, 73% were placed on probation, parole, or some other type of conditional release. The number of persons leaving State prisons based on parole board decisions declined from 37% in 1990 to 30% in 1996. During the same period, the number departing as mandatory releases grew from 29% to 38%, and as expiration of sentence, from 13% to 17%. Slightly fewer than 9 in every 10 parolees were men. An estimated 54% of persons on parole were white; 44%, black; and 2% of other races. Nearly half of all exits from parole werecategorized as successful completions. The majority of the remainder were returned to incarceration, but only about 1 in every 8 parolees were returned to incarceration with a new sentence. Although the parole population increased by less than 1% during 1996, the average annual rate of increase from 1986 to 1996 was 8.0%. The number of adults on parole rose 116% during the 10-year period. The proportion of adults being actively supervised (79%) and those being supervised out-of-State (4%) declined slightly between 1986 and 1996, whereas the relative number under inactive supervision (10%) increased slightly, and persons classified as absconders remained about the same (7%). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Selected characteristics of jail inmates, by conviction status, 1983, 1989, and 1996 1996 1989 1983 Total Convicted Unconvicted Total Convicted Unconvicted Total Sex Male 89.8 89.8 90.3 90.5 90.0 91.5 92.9 Female 10.2 10.2 9.7 9.5 10.0 8.5 7.1 Race White non-Hispanic 37.3 39.7 32.4 38.6 42.5 33.5 46.4 Black non-Hispanic 40.8 38.9 44.7 41.7 37.1 48.2 37.5 Hispanic 18.5 18.3 19.1 17.4 17.5 16.7 14.3 Other races* 3.5 3.2 3.8 2.3 2.9 1.6 1.8 Age 17 or younger 2.3 1.4 4.1 1.5 1.1 2.0 1.3 18-24 28.5 27.9 30.2 32.6 30.9 35.1 40.4 25-34 37.4 38.9 34.7 42.9 44.0 41.2 38.6 35-44 23.9 24.4 22.6 16.7 17.0 16.5 12.4 45-54 6.3 6.0 6.9 4.6 5.0 4.0 4.9 55 or older 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.7 2.0 1.2 2.4 Note: Total includes inmates with an unknown conviction or no offense. *Includes Asians, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and other racial groups. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Capital punishment During 1996, 299 inmates were received under sentence of death by State and Federal prisons, and 99 had their death sentences removed by means other than execution. As of December 31, 1996, the Nation's prisons held a total of 3,219 inmates under sentence of death. An estimated 57% were white and 42% were black. Half had been under sentence of death for at least 6 years and 3 months. Nineteen States executed 45 male prisoners during 1996, including 31 whites and 14 blacks. Between 1977 and 1996 a total of 358 prisoners were executed under civil authority in the United States. Military confinement On December 31, 1996, the Army, Marine Corps, and Navy held a total of 2,747 prisoners in 28 facilities. The Coast Guard operated no confinement facilities. Data for Air Force facilities were not reported. Approximately 99% of the prisoners held by the Army, 82% of those held by the Navy, and 70% of those held by the MarineCorps at yearend 1996 were convicted inmates; the remainder were unconvicted persons whose cases had not yet been tried. About a third of convicted military prisoners were confined for rape (16%) or sexual assault (15%). Slightly less than a fifth were serving sentences for drugs. Twelve percent were sentenced for larceny/theft, and 11% for murder. Approximately 9% were confined for military infractions, such as AWOL, insubordination, or failure to obey a lawful order. Ninety-eight percent of all prisoners held in military confinement facilities in 1996 were men, and 2% were women. About 52% were non-Hispanic whites; 36%, non-Hispanic blacks; 8%, Hispanics; and 4% other races. Slightly more than 98% were enlisted personnel, and slightly less than 2% were officers. 1996 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails The 1996 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails (SILJ) conducted face-to-face interviews with jail inmates from October 1995 through March 1996. The Survey obtained detailed information about jail inmates' current offenses and sentences, their criminal histories,personal and family characteristics, drug alcohol use and treatment, and health care and jail condition issues. Jail inmate surveys were also conducted in 1972, 1978, 1983, and 1989. During the period that interviews were conducted for the SILJ, approximately 3,328 local jails held an estimated 507,026inmates. Between the fall of 1989, when the previous survey was conducted, and 1996 the jail population grew 28%. Although jail inmates were predominantly male, women accounted for an increasing percentage of the total. The percentage of black and Hispanic jail inmates in 1996 had not changed substantially from 1989 after increasing between 1983 and 1989. The rapid increase in the percentage of jail inmates held for a drug offense during the 1980's abated in the 1990's. The percentage charged with a drug offense rose from 9% in 1983 to 23% in 1989 but remained at 22% in 1996. The percentage of inmates in jail for a violent offense rose slightly, from 23% in 1989 to 26% in 1996. In both years just under a 25% of the inmates were charged with a public-order offense, 7% to 9% were being held for driving while intoxicated (DWI), and 2% for a weapons violation. The most common offense among white jail inmates was driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence (DUI) . An estimated 13% of white inmates, 7% of Hispanics, and 2% of blacks were in jail for DWI/DUI. Violent offenses were most frequent among younger inmates. Almost a third of those 24 or younger, but a fourth of those 25 or older, were in jail for a violent offense. Almost 1 in every 3 jail inmates were on probation at the time of their most recent arrest; 1 in 8 were on parole; and 1 in 8 were on bail or prerelease bond. The percentage of recidivists -- those with a prior sentence to probation or incarceration as an adult or juvenile -- declined from 77% in 1989 to 73% in 1996. The criminal records of jail inmates in 1996 were longer than those of inmates in 1989. About 32% of all inmates in 1996, compared to 23% in 1989, said they had served three or more terms in jail, prison, or other correctional facility. Reported drug use by jail inmates rose sharply between 1989 and 1996. The percentage of inmates who said they had ever used marijuana rose from 71% to 78%; stimulants from 22% to 34%; hallucinogens from 24% to 32%; depressants without a doctor's prescription, from 21% to 30%; and heroin or other opiates from 19% to 24%. Before their most recent admission to jail, 37% of female inmates, compared to 11% of males, said they had been physically abused. Thirty-seven percent of the women, compared to 6% of men, reported they had been sexually abused. About 27% of women and 3% of men had ever been raped. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Probation Persons serving a sentence to probation usually -- * received the sentence from a court as an alternative to confinement * live unconfined in the community while meeting certain conditions * must fulfill conditional requirements like keeping a job, not drinking, not using drugs, not keeping company with known offenders, paying restitution or fine, and regularly reporting to a probation officer. Jail Persons in jail usually-- * are confined in a facility owned by a county or city * are in facility that holds people for 72 hours or more, as opposed to a temporary lockup * if they are sentenced, are serving a sentence of a year or less or are waiting for transfer to prison or for disposition of charges of violation of a conditional release * if they are unsentenced, are waiting for a trial or hearing or for transfer to juvenile, court, or mental health authorities. Prison Persons in prison usually -- * are confined in a facility owned by a State or by the Federal Government * are serving a sentence of more than a year (except in six States combining jails and prisons -- Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont). Parole Persons on parole usually-- * received the parole from an executive authority after a time in prison or jail * live unconfined in the community while meeting certain conditions * must fulfill conditional requirements like keeping a job, not drinking, not using drugs, not keeping company with known offenders, and regularly reporting to a parole officer. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Criminal justice characteristics of persons held in local jails, 1989 and 1996 Percent of jail inmates Characteristic 1996 1989 Total 100 % 100 % Offense Violent 26.3% 22.5% Property 26.9 30.0 Drug 22.0 23.0 Public-order 24.3 22.8 Criminal justice status at arrest None 46.4% 53.5% Statusa 53.6 46.5 On probation 31.7 -- On parole 13.1 -- On bail/bond 12.7 -- On other pretrial release 4.4 -- Criminal history None 27.3% 23.5% Priorsa 72.7 76.5 Probation 63.0 62.9 Jail/prison 58.4 56.6 Prior drug use Never 17.6% 22.3% Evera 82.4 77.7 Regularly 64.2 58.0 In the month before the offense 55.0 43.8 At time of the offense 35.6 27.0 Under the influence of alcohol at the time of the offense 40.6% 41.3% Substance abuse treatment Never 57.7% 67.6% Evera 42.3 32.4 Since admission 10.3 -- Number of inmates 507026 395554 --Not available. aDetail may add to more than total; inmates may fit more than one category. bBased on convicted jail inmates only. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Important note Correctional Populations in the United States presents numbers that describe persons under some form of correctional supervision. In this compilation the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) seeks to help users by making readily apparent the links between different correctional institutions or methods in each State suggesting the similarities and differences between States and regions as our system of criminal justice responds to both common and disparate needs permitting comparisons, however limited they must be, with previous years' statistics. Helping readers find a single number Through an index at the end of the volume, readers can find all topics treated in the tables. The index numbers refer to the tables. Footnotes give extra information about how to interpret the numbers in the tables. Category definitions are available in three places: the explanatory notes in the appendices of sections, the questionnaires also in the appendices, and the definitions of common terms in the Introduction on page 2. To make comparisons across years or between jurisdictions BJS makes every effort to report numbers that are consistent in interpretation with those of the past and between separate jurisdictions in the present. Data collection rules and reporting protocols that fit historical statistics and that impose the least burden on respondents are used. Some jurisdictions depart from the reporting conventions, and some categories for counting have shifted over the years. Users who try to draw conclusions from such numbers by comparing years or jurisdictions must take into account special circumstances and changes. Footnotes, table notes, explanatory notes, and other material highlighting the tables must be consulted for a full understanding of the data. The following symbols are used in the tables: / not reported : not known ... not applicable --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Definitions of common terms used in tables Custody. To have custody of a prisoner, a State must hold that person in one of its facilities. Early statistical reports gave custody counts that largely have been replaced by jurisdiction counts of State prison populations. A State may have custody of a prisoner over whom another State maintains jurisdiction. The tables present both kinds of counting procedures, with jurisdiction counts being more complete; States reporting only on custody are noted. Detention status. This term distinguishes between prisoners, usually in jail, who were convicted or awaiting judgment. Discretionary parole. A release from prison to supervision is discretionary when it is decided by a board or other authority. Hispanic origin. A person of Hispanic origin may be of any race; however, a few States treat the ethnic category as a racial one. Jurisdiction. Jurisdiction refers to a unit of government or to the legal authority to exercise governmental power. According to the latter meaning, the prisoners under a State's jurisdiction may be in the custody of local jails. (See "Custody.") Mandatory parole. Mandatory parole results from statutory or correctional guidelines, and no judgment by a panel or board is required for release of a prisoner to supervision outside prison. Maximum sentence length. Some jurisdictions sentence offenders to a range of years; the larger number in that range is the most that a prisoner may serve on a sentence. Often, good time is subtracted from the maximum sentence. When the tables report on prisoners with sentences longer or shorter than a year, the maximum sentence is used where applicable. Military justice terms -- General court-martial is the highest military court for judging the most serious offenses. A military judge presides. This court includes members (jurors) at the election of the accused, except when the court must have members for imposition of the death penalty. If an enlisted person is accused, in the absence of exigent circumstances at least a third of the court must be enlisted members who are not lower ranking than the accused. A general court-martial may be used to try any person subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Special court-martial is used for judging offenses less serious than those in a general court-martial. A military judge presides. A special court-martial may not impose the following: the death penalty, a dishonorable discharge, dismissal of an officer, confinement in excess of 6 months, hard labor without confinement for more than 3 months, forfeiture of pay in excess of two-thirds of pay per month, or forfeiture of any percentage of pay for more than 6 months. Summary court-martial is the least formal military court, consisting of one active-duty commissioned officer. This court promptly adjudicates minor offenses under a simple procedure. Punishment may not exceed confinement for 1 month, hard labor without confinement for 45 days, restriction to specified limits for more than 2 months, or forfeiture of more than two-thirds pay for more than 1 month. If the service member is above the rank of E-4, the presiding officer may not impose confinement, hard labor without confinement, or reduction of more than one grade. Movement. In corrections, a movement is an admission to or a release from a status such as prisoner, parolee, or probationer. Unless specifically noted, a transfer between facilities does not count as a movement. Most serious offense. The offense with the longest term of incarceration imposed. New court commitments. Inmates who were admitted to prison directly from a court with all new sentences. This category includes probation violators entering prison for the first time on the probated offenses. Parole violators are excluded from this category. One-day count. For a 1-day count a jurisdiction or facility is asked to report how many people were on its roll on a certain day. The average daily population is a year's total number of people on the roll each day, divided by the number of days. The methods of counting in aggregate do not yield estimates of either the number of persons in a status during the year or the average amount of time persons remain in a status. Parole. Unless otherwise specified, parole includes all types of supervision in the community in which the period of community supervision was affixed at the time of release from a prison or jail. Includes discretionary parole, mandatory parole, and other forms of post-release supervision. Excludes persons initially sentenced to incarceration followed by a period of probation, often referred to as a "split sentence." Race. Classification by race often depends on the reporting program and the State. A few States reported two categories: white and nonwhite. A few others categorized Hispanic offenders as belonging to "Other race." The number of persons with certain racial backgrounds were sometimes estimated. Reporting time. The prison and capital punishment figures are from December 31, 1996, unless otherwise noted. The Bureau of the Census surveyed jails on June 30, 1996. The bureau conducted the Survey of Inmates in Local Jails from October 1995 through March 1996. Revisions. Many States revise the yearend number reported for the previous year. Those revisions are made in the total, not the detail. For example, the number of blacks, whites, and members of other races for 1995 were not changed by a State in 1996 to equal its revised 1995 total. Data sources Series that aggregate by reporting unit NPS-1. Annual yearend count of prisoners present by jurisdiction, sex, race, Hispanic origin, and admissions and releases during the year. NPS-1A. Count of prisoners present on June 30 by jurisdiction. NPS-1B. Advance yearend count of prisoners; emergency releases because of prison crowding; rated, operational, and design capacities of prison facilities. NPS-8A. Yearend count of persons in prison under sentence of death. NPS-8B, 8C. Complete survey of States to determine any significant changes in statues or case law relating to the death penalty. CJ-8. Yearend count, admissions, and releases of persons on probation by jurisdiction. CJ-7. Yearend count, admissions, and releases of persons on parole by jurisdiction. CJ-5. Annual survey to estimate the population and rated capacity of jails. CJ-43. Census every 5 to 6 years of all State and Federal prison facilities to record their characteristics. CJ-3. Census every 5 to 6 years of all jail facilities to record their characteristics. Series based on reported individual offenders NPS-8. Characteristics of persons admitted to, under, or released from a sentence of death during the year. NCRP-1A. Individual record data on each offender admitted to prison during the year, covering race, age, Hispanic origin, jail credits, prior prison credit, offenses and number of counts, and maximum and minimum sentence. NCRP-1B. Individual record data on each offender released from prison during the year, covering data from NCRP-1A, offenses and sentences since admission, time spent in halfway houses, time served, and category of discharge. NCRP-1C. Individual record data on each offender discharged from parole supervision, covering data contained in NCRP-1A and NCRP-1B, parole discharge, and category of discharge. Series based on interviews of sampled prisoners SIJ-43. Survey every 5 years of a random sample of jail inmates to determine criminal history, drug and alcohol use, and personal background. NPS-25. Survey every 5 years of a random sample of prison inmates to determine criminal history, drug and alcohol use, and personal background.