The National Inmate Survey (NIS) is part of the BJS National Prison Rape Statistics Program that gathers mandated data on the incidence of prevalence of sexual assault in correctional facilities under the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA; P.L. 108- 79). The Act requires a 10% sample of correctional facilities to be listed by incidence of sexual assault, with a minimum of one prison and one jail facility in each state. Data are collected directly from inmates in a private setting using audio computer-assisted self interview (ACASI) technology with a touch-screen laptop and an audio feed to maximize inmate confidentiality and minimize literacy issues. See Methodology in reports for sampling and weighting information.
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Collection Period |
Questionnaires |
NIS ACASI instruments | ||
2009 PDF (221K) | 2007 PDF (727K) | ||
NIS Paper and Pencil Instruments -- Females | ||
2009 PDF (476K) | 2007 PDF (107K) | ||
NIS Paper and Pencil Instruments -- Males | ||
2009 PDF (251K) | 2007 PDF (107K) |
Methodology |
The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA; P.L. 108-79) requires a 10% sample of correctional facilities to be listed by incidence of sexual assault, with a minimum of one prison and one jail facility in each state. See Methodology section in reports for sampling and weighting information, which varies by collection year. Inmates are randomized to either a survey on sexual victimization or an alternative survey on substance abuse and treatment (questions from which are also used to pad out time for respondents completing the victimization survey quickly).
Publications & Products |
Data Tables
PREA Data Collection Activities, 2012 The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA; P.L. 108-79) requires the Attorney General to submit to Congress, not later than June 30 of each year, a report on the activities of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) for the preceding calendar year. | |
PDF (388K) | ASCII file (23K) Part of the PREA Data Collection Activities Series |
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PREA Data Collection Activities, 2011 The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA; P.L. 108-79) requires the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to carry out, for each calendar year, a comprehensive statistical review of the incidence and effects of prison rape in randomly selected federal, state, and county correctional facilities. | |
PDF (470KB) | ASCII file (14KB) Part of the PREA Data Collection Activities Series |
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Sexual Victimization in Prisons and Jails Reported by Inmates, 2008-09 Presents data from the National Inmate Survey (NIS), 2008-09, conducted in 167 state and federal prisons, 286 local jails, and 10 special correctional facilities (operated by U.S. Armed Forces, Indian tribes, or the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)) between October 2008 and December 2009, with a sample of 81,566 inmates ages 18 or older. | |
Press Release | PDF (1.1M) | ASCII file (92K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 98K) |
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Sexual Victimization in Local Jails Reported by Inmates, 2007 Presents data from the 2007 National Inmate Survey (NIS), conducted in 282 local jails between April and December, with a sample of 40,419 inmates. | |
Press Release | PDF (265K) | ASCII file (37K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 47K) | To order paper version |
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Sexual Victimization in State and Federal Prisons Reported by Inmates, 2007 Presents data from the National Inmate Survey, 2007, conducted in 146 State and Federal prisons between April and August 2007, with a sample of 23,398 inmates. | |
Press Release | PDF (419K) | ASCII file (42K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 39K) |
Sexual Victimization in Prisons and Jails Reported by Inmates, 2008-09 Presents data from the National Inmate Survey (NIS), 2008-09, conducted in 167 state and federal prisons, 286 local jails, and 10 special correctional facilities (operated by U.S. Armed Forces, Indian tribes, or the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)) between October 2008 and December 2009, with a sample of 81,566 inmates ages 18 or older. | |
Press Release |
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Sexual Victimization in Local Jails Reported by Inmates, 2007 "3.2 percent of inmates report sexual victimization in local jails" | |
Press Release | More information about this release |
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Sexual Victimization in State and Federal Prisons Reported by Inmates, 2007 "4.5 percent of inmates report sexual victimization in the Nation's State and Federal prisons" | |
Press Release | More information about this release |
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Bureau of Justice StatisticsBJS Statistical Principals and Practices Scientific Integrity Statement OJP Freedom of Information Act |
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