U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2001 April 2002, NCJ 191702 ------------------------------------------------------- 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/pjim01.htm 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#pjmidyear ------------------------------------------------------- By Allen J. Beck, Ph.D., Jennifer C. Karberg, and Paige M. Harrison BJS Statisticians ------------------------------------------------------- Highlights From yearend 1995 to midyear 2001 -- * 6-month growth rates for all States combined dropped from 4.8% in the first half of 1995 to -0.1% in the last half of 2000. * The rate of incarceration in prison and jail increased from 1 in every 166 U.S. residents to 1 in every 145. * State, Federal, and local governments had to accommodate an additional 69,074 inmates per year (or the equivalent of 1,328 new inmates per week). In the year ending June 30, 2001 -- * The number of inmates held in jail rose by 10,091, in State prison by 10,954, and in Federal prison by 9,245. In the largest State prison systems, the total number of inmates declined: Texas (down 3,661), California (down 525) and New York (down 2,553). Florida (up 774) became the third largest system. On June 30, 2001 -- * Privately operated prison facilities held 94,948 inmates (up 4.9% since yearend 2000). * Local jails were operating 10% below their rated capacity. In contrast, at yearend 2000 State prisons were operating between 100% and 115% of capacity, and Federal prisons were 31% above their rated capacity. * A total of 3,147 State prisoners, down from 3,896 at midyear 2000, were under age 18. A total of 7,613 persons under age 18 were held in adult jails. * An estimated 12% of black males, 4% of Hispanic males, and 1.8% of white males in their twenties and early thirties were in prison or jail. * There were 113 female inmates per 100,000 women in the United States, compared to 1,318 male inmates per 100,000 men. --------------------------------------- At midyear 2001 the Nation's prisons and jails incarcerated 1,965,495 persons. Prisoners in the custody of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Government accounted for two-thirds of the incarcerated population (1,334,255 inmates). The other third were held in local jails (631,240). On June 30, 2001, 1,405,531 prisoners were under Federal and State jurisdiction, which includes inmates in custody and persons under the legal authority of a prison system but held outside its facilities. The number under State jurisdiction rose by 0.4% -- the smallest annual growth rate in 28 years -- while the number under Federal jurisdiction rose by 7.2%. Mississippi (up 12.5%), West Virginia (up 8.7%), and Vermont and Nebraska (both up 7.7%) had the largest percentage increases. Twelve States had decreases, including New Jersey (-9.6%), Massachusetts (-3.7%), and New York (-3.5%). At midyear 2001 local jail authorities held or supervised 702,044 offenders. Ten percent of these offenders (70,804) were supervised outside jail facilities in programs such as community service, work release, weekend reporting, electronic monitoring, and other alternative programs. More than 1.96 million inmates were in prisons and local jails On June 30, 2001, 1,334,255 inmates were in the custody of State and Federal prison authorities, and 631,240 inmates were in the custody of local jail authorities. These data were collected in the 2001 National Prisoner Statistics program and the 2001 Annual Survey of Jails. (See Methodology, page 13, for description of data collections.) Since midyear 2000 the total incarcerated population has increased 1.6%. Including inmates in public and privately operated facilities, the number of inmates in State prisons increased 0.9%; in Federal prisons, 7.0%; and in local jails, 1.6%. At midyear 2001, 7.2% of inmates were held in Federal prison, up from 5.1% in 1990. Between 1995 and midyear 2001, the incarcerated population grew on average 4.0% annually. During this period the Federal and State prison populations and the local jail population grew at the average annual rates of 8.6%, 3.4%, and 3.7%, respectively. In the 12 months before midyear 2001, the number of inmates in prison and jail rose an estimated 30,505 inmates, or 587 inmates per week. Since yearend 1990, the total custody population has risen by 816,793 inmates, the equivalent of 1,490 inmates per week. The rate of incarceration in prison and jail in 2001 was 690 inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents -- up from 686 at midyear 2000. At midyear 2001, 1 in every 145 U.S. residents were incarcerated. U.S. prison population rose 1.1% -- the smallest annual growth rate since 1972 Between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2001, the number of inmates under State jurisdiction grew 0.4%, and the number under Federal jurisdiction, 7.2%. Jurisdiction counts include prisoners in custody and persons under the legal authority of a prison system while being held outside its facilities. Compared to the previous 12-month period ending June 30, 2000, State prison growth rates were significantly smaller (down from 1.5%), while the Federal prison growth rate was down from 9.3%. Annual increase in the number of prisoners under State or Federal jurisdiction, July 1-June 30 Years Number Percent 2000-01 15,472 1.1% 1999-00 30,710 2.3 1998-99 56,059 4.4 1997-98 57,726 4.7 1996-97 56,710 4.9 1995-96 57,507 5.2 1994-95 90,881 9.0 1993-94 72,854 7.7 1992-93 69,525 8.1 1991-92 51,020 6.3 1990-91 49,446 6.5 Average growth, 1990-2001 55,265 5.8 In absolute numbers, the total increase of 15,472 prison inmates between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2001, was the smallest 12-month increase in the decade and less than a third of the annual average growth (55,265) since 1990. About two-thirds of the growth in the prison populations during the 12 months ending June 30, 2001, was accounted for by the Federal system (10,258 additional inmates). During this 12-month period, several States experienced growth, including Mississippi (12.5%), West Virginia (8.7%), Vermont and Nebraska (each 7.7%). Twelve States experienced a decline in their prison population. New Jersey had the largest percentage decrease (-9.6%), followed by Massachusetts (-3.7%), New York (-3.5%), and Kansas (-2.7%). Since 1995, State growth rates have dropped, while Federal rates have increased Since January 1, 1995, 6-month growth rates for all States combined have dropped sharply (from 4.8% in the first half of 1995 to -0.1% in the last half of 2000). The 0.6% growth between January and June 2001 offset the decline in the last 6 months of 2000. Throughout the entire 6 1/2 years, State prison growth rates in the first half of each year have been substantially larger than rates in the second half. During this time, Federal growth rates rose dramatically, reaching a peak of 6.0% in the first 6 months of 1999. Although the Federal rates of growth in the first 6 months of 2000 and 2001 dropped to 5.4% and 5.1% (respectively), the absolute increases in the number of prisoners reached record levels. In the first 6-months of 2001, the Federal system added 7,372 inmates, the largest 6-month growth ever recorded in the number of inmates under Federal jurisdiction. ------------------------------------ Prison incarceration rates have risen sharply since 1990 The incarceration rate of State and Federal prisoners sentenced to more than 1 year was 472 per 100,000 U.S. residents on June 30, 2001, down from 481 per 100,000 on June 30, 2000. (See Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2000, NCJ 185989.) The overall drop reflects the impact of shifting to the 2000 decennial census population estimates. Midyear incarceration rates prior to 2001 were based on estimates from the 1990 Census of Population and Housing. Using newly released estimates from the 2000 Census, the revised incarceration rate for midyear 2000 was 470 sentenced prisoners per 100,000. Estimates (in 1000's) of Number of sentenced inmates per U.S. resident population 100,000 residents at midyear 1990 Census 2000 Census 1990 Census 2000 Census 1999 272,876 468 2000 275,133 282,125 481 470 2001 277,737 284,797 484 472 Twelve States led by Louisiana (795 sentenced prisoners per 100,000 State residents), Texas (731), Mississippi (689), and Oklahoma (669), exceeded the national rate. Three States -- Maine (126), Minnesota (131), and North Dakota (158) -- had rates that were less than a third of the national rate. The District of Columbia, a totally urban jurisdiction, held 592 sentenced prisoners per 100,000 District residents at midyear 2001. The number of sentenced inmates in the District of Columbia dropped from 7,904 at yearend 2000 to 3,388 at midyear 2001, as a result of an ongoing transfer of responsibility for sentenced felons to the Federal system. Since 1990 the number of sentenced inmates per 100,000 residents has risen from 292 to 472. During this period prison incarceration rates rose the most in the South (from 316 to 532) and West (from 277 to 414). The rate in the Midwest rose from 239 to 370, and the rate in the Northeast rose from 232 to 305. The number of sentenced Federal prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents increased from 20 to 46 over the same period. Privately operated prisons held almost 95,000 State and Federal inmates On June 30, 2001, 31 States, the District of Columbia, and the Federal system reported a total of 94,948 prisoners held in privately operated facilities. These private facilities held 6.8% of all State and Federal inmates, up from 6.5% at yearend 2000. The Federal system (with 18,185 inmates in private facilities), Texas (with 17,746), and Oklahoma (with 7,023) reported the largest number at midyear 2001. Four States New Mexico (45%), Alaska (34%), Montana (30%), and Oklahoma (30%) -- and the District of Columbia (47%) had at least 30% of their prisoners in private facilities. Except for Wisconsin (with 20% of its State inmates in private facilities) and New Jersey (with 9%), the use of private facilities was concentrated among Southern and Western States. --------------------------------------- Four States have more than 20% of their inmates held in other States or in Federal facilities On June 30, 2001, 11,800 State prisoners nationwide had been placed in other States or in Federal facilities representing about 0.9% of all State prisoners. In addition to housing inmates out of State to ease prison crowding, State correctional authorities often house inmates under an interstate compact. Such inmates may be housed in other States because of special security needs (e.g., for safekeeping from other inmates) or special inmate needs (e.g., housing inmates closer to their families). At midyear 2001 Wisconsin placed the most inmates (4,526), followed by Hawaii (1,225), Alaska (777) and Connecticut (657). Vermont (24.3%), Hawaii (22.6%), Wyoming (22.6%), and Wisconsin (21.6%) had more than 20% of their prison population housed in facilities out of State or in the Federal system. Female prisoner population has more than doubled since 1990 From July 1, 2000, to June 30, 2001, the number of women under the jurisdiction of State and Federal prison authorities grew from 93,681 to 94,336, an increase of 0.7%. The number of men rose 1.1%, from 1,296,378 to 1,311,195. At midyear 2001 California, Texas, and the Federal systems housed nearly 4 of every 10 female inmates. Since 1990 the annual rate of growth of female inmates has averaged 7.5%, higher than the 5.7% average increase of male inmates. While the number of male prisoners has grown 80% since 1990, the number of female prisoners has increased 114%. By June 30, 2001, women accounted for 6.7% of all prisoners, up from 5.7% in 1990. Relative to their number in the U.S. resident population, men were about 15 times more likely than women to be in a State or Federal prison. On June 30, 2001, the rate for inmates serving a sentence of more than 1 year was 59 female inmates per 100,000 women in the United States, compared to 900 sentenced male inmates per 100,000 men. Number of State inmates under age 18 declining A total of 3,147 State prisoners were under age 18 on June 30, 2001, down from 3,896 at midyear 2000. Overall, fewer than 1% of State inmates were under age 18. Florida (with 395) and Connecticut (with 330) reported the largest number of prisoners under age 18 at midyear 2001, followed by New York (254), North Carolina (212), and Texas (208). Except for South Carolina, all of the States with 100 or more inmates under the age of 18 at midyear 2000 reported the decline in their populations during 12 months ending June 30, 2001. Five States reported increases New Hampshire (from 0 to 4), New Jersey (from 20 to 28), Delaware (from 19 to 26), Alaska (9 to 16) and Idaho (4 to 8). Number of prisoners under age 18 Percent 06/30/01 06/30/00 change Florida 395 466 -15.2 % Connecticut 330 382 -13.6 New York 254 264 -3.8 North Carolina 212 263 -19.4 Texas 208 263 -20.9 Arizona 142 152 -6.6 % South Carolina 133 131 1.5 Illinois 110 145 -24.1 California 95 106 -10.4 Wisconsin 92 96 -4.2 Mississippi 90 138 -34.8 Ohio 81 106 -23.6 Among States, Louisiana had the highest prison incarceration rate; Maine, the lowest At midyear 2001 the 10 jurisdictions with the largest prison populations had under their jurisdiction 844,535 inmates, or 60% of the Nation's total prison population. Texas (164,465), California (163,965) and the Federal system (152,788) accounted for a third of the population. The 10 States with the smallest prison populations held a total of 25,701 inmates, 1.8% of the Nation's total prison population. Louisiana had the highest prison incarceration rate (795 sentenced inmates per 100,000 residents), followed by Texas (731), Mississippi (689), and Oklahoma (669). Five States had prison incar- ceration rates below 200, led by Maine (126), Minnesota (131), and North Dakota (158). Growth slows as rising State prison releases outpace admissions Underlying the dramatic slowdown in the rate of growth in State prison populations has been a rise in prison releases. During 2000, 570,966 sentenced prisoners were released from State prisons, up from 526,905 in 1998-- an increase of 8.4%. At the same time, total admissions to State prison rose by 1.7% (from 572,779 in 1998 to 582,232 in 2000). In 37 of the 44 States reporting comparable data the difference between annual admissions and releases was reduced. In 11 States the number of releases increased while admissions dropped; in 18 States releases increased faster than admissions; and in 8 States releases decreased more slowly than admissions. Overall, State prison release rates dropped from 37 per 100 inmates in 1990 to 31 per 100 in 1995 and then remained nearly unchanged (reaching 32 per 100 in 2000). However, as a result of increasing total prison populations, the absolute number of releases increased 25% (from 455,139 in 1995 to 570,966 in 2000). (See Prisoners in 1999, NCJ 183476.) Prior to 1998 growth in prison admissions reflected increasing numbers of offenders returning for parole violations. Between 1990 and 1998, the number of returned parole violators increased 54% (from 133,870 to 206,751), while the number of new court commitments increased 7% (from 323,069 to 347,270). The number of parole violators returned to prison in 2000 totaled 203,569; the number of new court commitments, 350,431. (See Trends in State Parole, 1990-2000, NCJ 184735.) State prison admissions, by type New court Parole Year All* commitments violators 1990 460,739 323,069 133,870 1995 521,291 337,492 175,726 1998 572,779 347,270 206,751 1999 573,013 345,648 198,639 2000 582,232 350,431 203,569 *Based on inmates with a sentence of more than 1 year. At midyear the Nation's jails supervised 702,044 persons As defined in this report, jails are locally operated correctional facilities that confine persons before or after adjudication. Inmates sentenced to jail usually have a sentence of 1 year or less, but jails also incarcerate persons in a wide variety of other categories. (See box below.) Based on the 2001 Annual Survey of Jails, the Nation's local jails held or supervised 702,044 offenders on June 29, 2001. Jail authorities supervised 10% of these offenders (70,804) in alternative programs outside the jail facilities. A total of 631,240 persons were housed in local jails. ------------------------------------ Jails -- * 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 * sometimes operate community- based programs as alternatives to incarceration * hold inmates sentenced to short terms (generally under 1 year). --------------------------------------- Among persons under community supervision by jail staff in 2001, nearly 25% were required to perform community service (17,561) and 20% to participate in a weekend reporting program (14,381). Fourteen percent of offenders in the community were under electronic monitoring; 9% were under other pretrial supervision; 7% were in a drug, alcohol, mental health, or other type of medical treatment program; and 7% were in a work release or other alternative work program. Number of jail inmates rose 10,100 in 12 months ending June 29, 2001 Between July 1, 2000, and June 29, 2001, the number of persons held in local jail facilities grew 1.6% -- from 621,149 to 631,240. The 12- month increase was well below the average growth (3.7%) from midyear 1995 to midyear 2001. The 1.6% growth in 2001 was the smallest annual increase in the last decade. In absolute numbers, the total increase of 10,091 inmates in 2001 was less than the increase in 2000 (15,206). Jail incarceration rates continue to rise Since 1990 the Nation's jail population on a per capita basis has increased over a third. During this period the number of jail inmates per 100,000 residents rose from 163 to 222. Number held Incarceration Year in jail rate/a 2001/b 631,240 222 2000/b 621,149 220 1999 605,943 222 1998 592,462 219 1997 567,079 212 1996 518,492 196 1995 507,044 193 1990 405,320 163 When offenders under community supervision by jail authorities are included with those in custody, the rate was 247 offenders per 100,000 U.S. residents at midyear 2001. A total of 7,613 persons under age 18 were housed in adult jails on June 30, 2001 Eighty-nine percent of these young inmates had been convicted or were being held for trial as adults in criminal court. The average daily population for the year ending June 30, 2001, was 625,966, an increase of 1.2% from 2000 and 22.8% from 1995. Characteristics of jail inmates changing slowly Male inmates made up 88.4% of the local jail inmate population at midyear 2001- over 2 percentage points lower than at midyear 1990. During the 12-month period ending June 29, 2001, the number of female inmates rose 3.1%, while the percent of male inmates rose 1.5%. On average the adult female jail population has grown 6.3% annually since 1990, while the adult male inmate population has grown 3.8%. At midyear 2001 a majority of local jail inmates were black or Hispanic. White non-Hispanics made up 43.0% of the jail population; black non-Hispanics, 40.6%; Hispanics, 14.7%; and other races (Asians, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, and Alaska Natives), 1.6%. Relative to their number of U.S. residents, men were nearly 8 times more likely than women to have been held in a local jail on June 29, 2001. Black non-Hispanics were 5 times more likely than white non-Hispanics, over 21/2 times more likely than Hispanics, and 11 times more likely than persons of other races to have been in jail. Estimated Incarceration count rate/a Total 631,240 222 Gender Male 558,110 399 Female 73,130 50 Race/Hispanic origin White/b 271,700 138 Black/b 256,200 703 Hispanic 93,000 263 Other/c 10,300 61 Note: Inmate counts were estimated and rounded to the nearest 100. Resident population figures by gender are based on the 2000 Census and then estimated for July 1, 2000. Figures by race/Hispanic origin are counts from the 2000 Census as enumerated on April 1, 2000. a/Number of inmates per 100,000 residents in each group b/Non-Hispanic only. c/Includes American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders. On June 29, 2001, an estimated 58.5% of the Nation's adult jail inmates were awaiting court action on their current charge. An estimated 258,700 adults held in local jails were serving a sentence in jail, awaiting sentencing, or serving time for a probation or parole violation. At midyear 2001, 90% of jail capacity was occupied In the 12 months ending June 29, 2001, more beds than inmates were added to the Nation's jails. At midyear 2001 the rated capacity of the Nation's local jails was estimated at 699,309, an increase of 21,522 in 12 months. Rated capacity is the maximum number of beds or inmates allocated by State or local rating officials to each jail facility. The growth in jail capacity during the 12-month period ending on June 29, 2001, was less than the average growth of 25,591 beds every 12 months since midyear 1995, and was less than the growth in beds during 2000 (25,466). As of June 29, 2001, 90% of the local jail capacity was occupied.**Note: On December 31, 2000, State prisons were operating between 100% and 115% of capacity, while Federal prisons were operating at 31% above capacity. See Prisoners in 2000, August 2001, NCJ 188207.** As a ratio of all inmates housed in jail facilities to total capacity, the percentage occupied decreased by 14 percentage points from 1990 to 2001. At midyear 1990 local jails operated at 4% above their rated capacity. Jail jurisdictions that on average held between 500-999 inmates reported the highest occupancy rates. At midyear 2001 occupancy was 90% of rated capacity in jail jurisdictions with an average daily population of 1,000 or more inmates, compared to 67% in those with fewer than 50 inmates. Percent Size of of capacity occupied jurisdiction* 2001 2000 Total 90% 92% Fewer than 50 inmate 67 66 50-99 87 80 100-249 92 94 250-499 90 96 500-999 94 94 1,000 or more 92 94 *Based on the average daily population in the year ending June 30. The 50 largest jail jurisdictions housed a third of all jail inmates On June 29, 2001, the Nation's 50 largest jail jurisdictions held 32.6% (205,875) of all jail inmates. Twenty-two States had at least one jurisdiction which ranked in the top 50 for average daily population. States with more than one jurisdiction among the Nation's 50 largest jurisdictions are California (10), Florida (7), Texas (7), Georgia (3), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (3), and Tennessee (2). The two jurisdictions with the most inmates, Los Angeles County and New York City, together held approximately 34,200 inmates, or 5.4% of the national total. Twenty-three jurisdictions among the 50 largest experienced a decrease in the number of inmates held between July 1, 2000, and June 29, 2001. Jurisdictions with the largest decreases were Oklahoma County, Oklahoma (down 22.4%), Harris County, Texas (down 21.1%), Tarrant County, Texas (down 16.6%), Shelby County, Tennessee (down 13.0%), and San Diego County, California (down 10.2%). The jurisdiction with the largest increase in jail population was Reeves County, Texas, whose population was up 75.7% and whose rated capacity increased by 87.1% (as a result of a new addition to the jail). Other jail jurisdictions with substantial population increases were Essex County, New Jersey (up 21.2%), King County, Washington (up 17.0%), and York County, Pennsylvania (up 16.0%). Nineteen of the 50 largest jail jurisdictions operated at over 100% of their rated capacity. On June 29, 2001, Clark County, Nevada, operated at 171% of their capacity; Franklin County, Ohio, operated at 143%; and Maricopa County, Arizona, operated at 134% of capacity. An estimated 12% of black males in their twenties and early thirties were in prison or jail in 2001 When total incarceration rates are estimated separately by age group, black males in their twenties and thirties are found to have high rates relative to other groups. Among the more than 1.96 million offenders incarcerated on June 30, 2001, an estimated 601,800 were black males between the ages of 20 and 39. Expressed in terms of percentages, 13.4% of black non-Hispanic males age 25 to 29 were in prison or jail, compared to 4.1% of Hispanic males and about 1.8% of white males in the same age group. Although incarceration rates drop with age, the percentage of black males age 45 to 54 in prison or jail in 2001 was an estimated 3.4% -- nearly twice the highest rate (1.9%) among white males (age 30 to 34). Female incarceration rates, though significantly lower than male rates at every age, reveal similar racial and ethnic disparities. Black non-Hispanic females (with a prison and jail rate of 380 per 100,000) were 3 times more likely than Hispanic females (119 per 100,000) and 5 1/2 times more likely than white females (67 per 100,000) to be incarcerated in 2001. These differences among white, black, and Hispanic females were consistent across all age groups. Among black non-Hispanic females, the rate was highest (1,389 per 100,000) among those age 30 to 34. This rate was only slightly lower than the highest rate among white males (1,934 per 100,000). Black incarceration rate highest in Wisconsin; Hispanic rate highest in New Hampshire Louisiana led the Nation at midyear 2001 with 1,013 prison and jail inmates per 100,000 State residents, followed by Texas (966) and Georgia (952) (table 16). Maine (222), Minnesota (225), and Vermont (226) held the fewest inmates relative to their State populations. When incarceration rates by State are estimated separately by gender, race, and Hispanic origin, male rates are found to be 11 1/2 times higher than female rates; black rates 6 times higher than white rates; and Hispanic rates 2 times higher than white rates. The largest differences in incarceration rates between men and women are in Massachusetts (18 times higher for men) and Maine (17 times higher for men). The largest differences in rates between whites and blacks are in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Minnesota (approximately 13 times higher for blacks), and between whites and Hispanics in Connecticut and Pennsylvania (7 times higher for Hispanics), Massachusetts and North Dakota (6 times higher). Wisconsin led the Nation with an estimated 4,058 black prison and jail inmates per 100,000 black State residents, followed by Iowa (with 3,302) and Texas (3,287). New Hampshire with 1,747 Hispanic inmates per 100,000 Hispanic residents, Pennsylvania (1,680), and Connecticut (1,434) had the highest Hispanic rates. Methodology National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) The Bureau of Justice Statistics, with the U.S. Census Bureau as its collection agent, obtains yearend and midyear counts of prisoners from departments of correction in each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In an effort to collect comparable data from all jurisdictions, NPS distinguishes between prisoners in custody from those under jurisdiction. To have custody of a prisoner, a State must hold that person in one of its facilities. To have jurisdiction, a State has legal authority over the prisoner. Prisoners under a State's jurisdiction may be in the custody of a local jail, another State's prison, or other correctional facility such as a privately operated institution. Some States are unable to provide both custody and jurisdiction counts. (See National Prisoner Statistics jurisdiction notes.) Excluded from NPS counts are persons confined in locally administered confinement facilities who are under the jurisdiction of local authori- ties. NPS counts include all inmates in State- operated facilities in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont, which have combined jail-prison systems. Annual Survey of Jails, 2001 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 these jails. Based on information from the 1999 Census of Jails, a sample of jail jurisdictions was selected for the 2001 survey. A jurisdiction is a county (parish in Louisiana) or municipal government that administers one or more local jails. The sample included all jail facilities (948) in 878 jurisdictions. In drawing the sample, all multi-jurisdictional (47) jails were included in the sample with certainty. These jails are operated jointly by two or more jurisdictions. Other jurisdictions (357) were included automatically in the sample if their jails held juvenile inmates on census day and had an average daily population of 250 or more inmates, or if their jails held only adults and had an average daily population of 500 or more. The remaining jurisdictions were stratified into two groups: jurisdictions with jails holding at least one juvenile on June 30, 1999, and jurisdictions with jails holding adults only. Using stratified probability sampling, 474 jurisdictions were then selected from 10 strata based on the average daily population in the 1999 census. Data were obtained by mailed and web-based survey questionnaires. After follow-up phone calls to respondents, the response rate for the survey was 100% for critical items such as rated capacity, average daily population, and number of inmates confined. Survey estimates have an associated sampling error because not all jurisdictions were contacted for the survey. Different samples could yield some-what different results. Standard error is a measure of the variation among the estimates from all possible samples, stating the precision with which an estimate from a particular sample approximates the average of all possible samples. The estimated relative sampling error for the total number of persons under the jurisdiction of jail authorities of 702,044 on June 29, 2001, was 0.47%; for persons held in the custody of jail authorities of 631,240 was 0.43%. Estimating incarceration rates by gender, race and Hispanic origin The number of prison and jail inmates by State was estimated for men, women, whites, blacks, and Hispanics. Estimates for midyear 2001 were produced by combining custody data from the National Prisoners Statistics (NPS1-A) and from the 1999 Census of Jails. The following procedures were used: Jail custody counts by State were estimated for 2001 using the certainty jurisdictions in the 2000 and 2001 Annual Survey of Jails. These jurisdictions (covering 71% of all inmates) provide estimates of growth in 41 of the 45 States and the District of Columbia that operate local jails. In States without certainty jails regional growth rates were applied. Estimates by gender were calculated by multiplying the gender distribution in 1999 by the 2001 State jail totals and then adjusting for the increase in percent female in 2001. The jail estimates were then added to prison custody counts (including inmates held in private facilities). Jail counts by race and Hispanic origin for 2001 were estimated using the totals aggregated by State in 1999, converting them to percentages, and multiplying by the 2001 State totals. The estimates were then adjusted for the changes in race/Hispanic origin since 1999. Estimates of prisoners by race and Hispanic origin were obtained by estimating Hispanic counts in States reporting race counts only. The revised distributions by race/Hispanic origin were converted to percents and multiplied by the custody counts in 2001. Incarceration rates were calculated by dividing the inmate estimates for each group by the latest available resident population data. For all inmates, State resident population figures were available for July 1, 2001. For rates by gender, race, and Hispanic origin, State population data were based on the 2000 Census as enumerated on April 1, 2000. National Prisoner Statistics jurisdiction notes Alabama -- Counts are for September 29, 2000, and June 30, 2001. Alaska -- Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include jail and prison populations. Jurisdiction counts exclude inmates held in local jails that are operated by communities. Arizona -- Counts are based on custody data. California -- Jurisdiction counts include felons and unsentenced in- mates temporarily housed in local jails or in hospitals. Colorado -- Counts include 2,152 inmates in private facilities under contract to local jails and 271 inmates in the Youthful Offender System, which was established primarily for violent juvenile offenders. Counts of inmates with sentences of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less. Connecticut -- Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include jail and prison populations. Counts exclude inmates in halfway houses (729). Delaware -- Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include jail and prison populations. Racial categories include 301 inmates of Hispanic origin. District of Columbia -- Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include jail and prison populations. Counts exclude inmates held in the Federal system as a result of the ongoing transfer of responsibility for sentenced felons. Custody counts exclude 1,635 jail inmates included in the 2001 Annual Survey of Jails. Federal -- Custody counts include inmates housed in privately operated secure facilities under contract with BOP or with a State or local government that has an intergovernmental agreement. Custody counts exclude offenders under home confinement. Florida -- Counts are based on custody data. Georgia -- Counts are based on custody data. Hawaii -- Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include jail and prison populations. Illinois -- Counts of inmates with sentences of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year. Iowa -- Counts are based on custody data. Kansas -- Counts of inmates with sentences of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less. Louisiana -- Data system does not include Hispanic origin. Maryland -- Counts by sentence length are estimates extracted from actual sentence length breakdowns from automated data and applied to totals based on manual data. Data system does not include Hispanic origin. Massachusetts -- Counts are for July 1, 2001. Jurisdiction counts exclude approximately 6,200 male inmates in the county system (local jails and houses of correction) serving a sentence of over 1 year. These male inmates are included in Massachusetts' incarceration rate. By law offenders may be sentenced to terms up to 2½ years in locally operated jails and correctional institutions. Michigan -- Jurisdictions counts exclude inmates who are out to court and inmates housed in local jails awaiting return to prison. Minnesota -- Racial categories include 330 inmates of Hispanic origin. New Hampshire -- Racial categories include 107 inmates of Hispanic origin. New Jersey -- Counts of inmates with sentences of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year. North Carolina -- Counts by sentence length are estimates. Ohio -- Counts of inmates with sentences of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less. Oklahoma -- Counts of inmates with sentences of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less. Oregon -- Counts of inmates with sentences of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less. Pennsylvania -- Inmates in contracted group homes were included in custody counts in 2000 but reported as held in private facilities in 2001. Rhode Island -- Prisons and jails form one integrated system. All NPS data include jail and prison populations. Tennessee -- Jurisdiction and custody counts for June 30, 1999, were revised to reflect NPS definitions. Texas -- Jurisdiction counts include inmates serving time in a pre-parole transfer (PPT) or intermediary sanctions facility (SAFPF), temporary releases to counties, and "paper ready" inmates in local jails. Counts of inmates with sentences of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less. Vermont -- Prisons and jails form an integrated system. All NPS data include jail and prison populations. Inmates of Hispanic origin were reported in racial categories only. Washington -- Racial categories include 1,816 inmates of Hispanic origin. Wisconsin -- Custody counts exclude inmates held in non-Wisconsin DOC facilities under contract. Counts for June 30 and December 31, 2000, have been revised as a result of data cleansing efforts during 2001. Racial categories include 1,126 inmates of Hispanic origin. ------------------------------------ The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Lawrence A. Greenfeld is acting director.BJS Bulletins present the first release of findings from permanent data collection programs such as the National Prisoner Statistics program and the Annual Survey of Jails. Allen J. Beck, Jennifer C. Karberg, and Paige M. Harrison wrote this report. Tom Hester edited and produced the report. Jayne E. Robinson administered final production. Data collection and processing for the National Prisoner Statistics program were carried out by Nicole Gist under the supervision of Marilyn Monahan, Demographic Surveys Division, Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. Data collection and processing for the Annual Survey of Jails were carried out by Lisa McNelis, Diron Gaskins, and Duane Cavanaugh, under the supervision of Pam Butler, Governments Division, Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. March 2002, NCJ 191702 ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ This report in portable document format and in ASCII, its tables, and related statistical data are available at the BJS World Wide Web Internet site: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ ----------------------------------- End of file 03/06/02 ih