Collects data from a nationally representative sample of local jails on jail inmate populations, jail capacity, and related information. The collection began in 1982 and has been conducted annually except for 1983, 1988, 1993, 1999, and 2005 in which a complete census of U.S. local jails was conducted.
On This Page |
Data Experts |
Collection Period |
Questionnaires |
Annual Survey of Jails: Certainity Multi-jurisdiction or Private Facility (CJ-5da) | ||
2011 PDF (88K) | 2010 PDF (92K) | ||
Annual Survey of Jails: Certainty jurisdictions (CJ-5d) | ||
2011 PDF (94K) | 2010 PDF (94K) | ||
Annual Survey of Jails: Non-certainty Private Facility (CJ-5a) | ||
2011 PDF (85K) | 2010 PDF (95K) | ||
Annual Survey of Jails: Non-certainty jurisdictions (CJ-5) | ||
2011 PDF (87K) | 2010 PDF (52K) |
Documentation |
Methodology |
BJS periodically conducts census data collections from all local jails in the United States. The most recent Census of Jail Inmates was conducted in 2005. In years between census collections, BJS conducts the Annual Survey of Jails (ASJ). The survey collects data annually from a sample of local jails and uses the data to estimate the number and characteristics of inmates in local jails nationwide.
The U.S. Census Bureau, survey collection agent for the 2006-2011 ASJ, drew a sample of jail facilities from 875 local jail jurisdictions, based on information from the 2005 Census of Jail Inmates. Local jail jurisdictions included counties (parishes in Louisiana) or municipal governments that administered one or more local jails. The ASJ sample included all jails with certainty that were operated jointly by two or more jurisdictions (also referred to as multi-jurisdictional jails). Other jail jurisdictions included with certainty were—
The remaining jurisdictions were stratified into two groups: jurisdictions with jails holding at least one juvenile on June 30, 2005, and jails holding only adults on that date. Using stratified random sampling, jail jurisdictions were selected from eight strata, based on the two conditions described above, and from four strata, based on the average daily jail inmate population during the 2005 Census of Jail Inmates.
See Methodology in each report for details specific to the collection in the Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear series.Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear series.
*For methodologies prior to the 2006 ASJ, please refer to the National Archives of Criminal Justice Data located at <http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACJD/index.html>.
Changes Over Time |
The questionnaire is modified periodically in order to capture information on evolving issues in criminal justice and topics of the greatest interest to users. Future modifications include enhancing our data collection instrument in an effort to address issues related to admissions and releases of inmates, inmate length of stay in jail, jail capacity and crowding, staff workload, and medical, mental health, and substance abuse treatment issues.
Publications & Products |
Jails in Indian Country, 2011 Presents findings from the 2011 Survey of Jails in Indian Country, an enumeration of 80 jails, confinement facilities, detention centers, and other correctional facilities operated by tribal authorities or the Bureau of Indian Affairs. | |
Press Release | PDF (1.2M) | ASCII file (23K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format 58K) Part of the Jails in Indian Country Series |
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Jail Inmates at Midyear 2010 - Statistical Tables Presents data on numbers of jails and analyzes patterns of growth and decline in jail populations. | |
Press Release | PDF (525K) | ASCII file (22K) | Spreadsheets (Zip format 17K) Part of the Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear Series |
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Jail Inmates at Midyear 2007 Presents data on numbers of jails and jail inmates at midyear 2007 and analyzes patterns of growth from 2000 through 2007. | |
Press Release | PDF (121K) | ASCII file (17K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 19K) | To order paper version Part of the Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear Series |
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Drug Use, Testing, and Treatment in Local Jails Describes the drug involvement of jail inmates and the level of drug use, testing, and treatment in jails. | |
Press Release | PDF (114K) | ASCII file (40K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 60K) | Codebooks and Datasets | To order paper version |
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Jail Inmates, 1992 As of June 1992, local jails held an estimated 444,584 persons; from July 1991 to June 1992, the number of jail inmates grew by 4 percent, about the same rate as for the previous 12 months. | |
PDF Part of the Census of Jails Series |
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Jail Inmates, 1991 This report presents findings from the Annual Survey of Jails, conducted on June 28, 1991. | |
PDF Part of the Census of Jails Series |
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Jail Inmates, 1990 This report presents statistics on jail inmates from the Annual Survey of Jails, conducted on June 29, 1990. | |
PDF Part of the Census of Jails Series |
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Jail Inmates, 1987 Mail questionnaires and followup telephone surveys were conducted of 1,135 jails in 866 jurisdictions to produce national estimates for the jail inmate population as of June 30, 1987. | |
PDF Part of the Census of Jails Series |
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Correctional Populations in the United States, 1985 This statistical report on correctional populations in the United States for 1985 is a consolidation of data collected in various statistical programs currently maintained by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. | |
PDF Part of the Correctional Populations in the United States Series |
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Jail Inmates, 1986 A 1986 survey on all jails with an inmate population of 100 or more and on a sample of all other jails shows that by midyear, the estimated inmate population was 274,444, a 7-percent increase over the previous year. | |
PDF Part of the Census of Jails Series |
Jail Inmates at Midyear 2011 - Statistical Tables Presents number of jails and jail inmates at midyear 2011. This report describes annual change in jail populations and patterns of change from 2000 through 2011. | |
Press Release | PDF (757K) | ASCII file (27K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 59K) |
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Jail Inmates at Midyear 2009 - Statistical Tables Presents data on numbers of jails and jail inmates at midyear 2009 and analyzes patterns of growth from 2000 through 2009. | |
Press Release | PDF (2M) | ASCII file (17K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 15K) |
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Characteristics of inmates in local jails, midyear 2000 and 2005-2008 Table 6 from Jail Inmates at Midyear 2008 - Statistical Tables | |
Download CSV file (Data Table 3 KB) |
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Jail Inmates at Midyear 2008 - Statistical Tables Presents data on numbers of jails and jail inmates at midyear 2008 and analyzes patterns of growth from 2000 through 2008. | |
Press Release | PDF (490K) | ASCII file (12K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 17K) | To order paper version |
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Inmates confined in local jails at midyear, average daily jail population, and incarceration rate, 2000-2008 Table 1. from Jail Inmates at Midyear 2008 | |
Download CSV file (Spreadsheet 2 KB) |
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Inmate population in jail jurisdictions reporting on the number of confined non-U.S. citizens, midyear 2000-2008 Table 8 from Jail Inmates at Midyear 2008 Statistical Tables | |
Download CSV file (Data Table 2 KB) |
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Inmate population in jail jurisdictions reporting on confined persons being held for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, midyear 2002-2008 Table 9 from Jail Inmates at Midyear 2008 - Statistical Tables | |
Download CSV file (Data Table 2 KB) |
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Selected Crime, Criminal Justice, and Demographic Data - 90 Most Populous Counties Selected crime data, as well as data on criminal justice resources and demographic variables, for the 90 most populous counties. | |
Download CSV file (Spreadsheet 34K) |
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Criminal Justice Resources - 90 Most Populous Counties Selected crime data, as well as data on criminal justice resources and demographic variables, for the 90 most populous counties. | |
Download CSV file (Spreadsheet 34K) |
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Jail Inmates in Custody Jail inmates held in local jails, by state and gender, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993. | |
Download CSV file (Spreadsheet 6K) |
Jail Inmates at Midyear 2011 - Statistical Tables WASHINGTON -- The U.S. jail inmate population declined for a third consecutive year, the Justice Departments Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today. From June 2010 to June 2011, the jail inmate population declined 1.8 percent, dropping to 735,601 from 748,728. | |
Press Release |
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Jail Inmates at Midyear 2009 - Statistical Tables Presents data on numbers of jails and jail inmates at midyear 2009 and analyzes patterns of growth from 2000 through 2009. | |
Press Release |
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