Conducted periodically, the survey provides information on individual characteristics of prison inmates, current offenses and sentences, characteristics of victims, criminal histories, family background, gun possession and use, prior drug and alcohol use and treatment, medical and mental health history and treatment, educational programs and other services provided while in prison, as well as other personal characteristics. Data are collected through personal interviews with a nationally representative sample inmates in state prisons. The survey utilized a two-stage sample design in which prisons were selected in the first stage and inmates within prisons were selected in the second stage.
On This Page |
Collection Period |
Questionnaires |
Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities | ||
2004 PDF (1M) | 1997 PDF (560K) |
Documentation |
Methodology |
The sample for the 2004 survey was selected from two different universe files: the primary file was a list 1,549 state prisons obtained from the BJS 2000 Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities as enumerated on June 30, 2000; the secondary file contained 36 prisons which had been opened between June 30, 2000, and April 1, 2003.The sample design was a stratified two-stage selection, in which prisons were selected in the first stage and inmates to be interviewed were selected in the second stage. In the first sampling stage, 14 male and 7 female facilities were selected with certainty based on the size of the facilities. The remaining facilties were separated into 16 separate strata based on the geographic region in which the facility was located and the male and female populations in each prison. The weighting procedure consisted of a base weight for each inmate, and three adjustment factors that produced the final weight for the survey. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with inmates using computer-assisted personal interviewing.
Changes Over Time |
The questionnaire is modified with each iteration in order to capture information on evolving issues in criminal justice and topics of the greatest interest to users. Recent modifications include enhanced questions on medical and mental health histories of inmates.
Publications & Products |
Data Tables
Press Releases
Medical Problems of Prisoners Presents findings on state and federal prisoners who reported a current medical problem, a physical or mental impairment, a dental problem, or an injury since admission based on data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities. | |
Press Release | HTML | PDF (355K) |
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Veterans in State and Federal Prison, 2004 Presents data on the military and criminal backgrounds of incarcerated veterans, uses new measures to describe their substance abuse and dependence histories, and provides a detailed measure of their mental health problems. | |
Press Release | PDF (152K) | ASCII file (28K) | ZIP Format (Spreadsheet 22K) | Codebooks and Datasets | To order paper version Part of the Veterans in State and Federal Prisons Series |
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Drug Use and Dependence, State and Federal Prisoners, 2004 Presents data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities on prisoners' prior use, dependence, and abuse of illegal drugs. | |
Press Release | PDF (147K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 60K) | To order paper version |
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Firearm Use by Offenders Describes firearm use of State and Federal prison inmates including types of firearms used, characteristics of inmates using firearms, why and where inmates used their firearms, and where they obtained their firearms. | |
Press Release | PDF (120K) | ASCII file (47K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 39K) | Codebooks and Datasets | To order paper version |
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Incarcerated Parents and Their Children Presents data from the 1997 Surveys of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities concerning inmates with children under the age of 18, whether or not inmates lived with their children prior to admission, and the children's current care givers. | |
Press Release | PDF (144K) | ASCII file (70K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 70K) | Codebooks and Datasets | To order paper version |
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Survey of State Prison Inmates, 1991 Presents data about State prison inmates: their background and families, criminal histories, gang membership, drug and alcohol use, HIV/AIDS infection, gun use and possession, sentence, time served, and participation in prison programs. | |
Press Release (14K) | PDF (477K) | ASCII file (129K) | Codebooks and Datasets |
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Profile of Inmates in the U.S. and in England and Wales, 1991 Compares findings from the 1991 prison inmate survey in England and Wales with data from the BJS surveys of inmates in local jails and in State prisons and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons survey of Federal prisoners. | |
PDF (259K) | ASCII file (59K) | Codebooks and Datasets |
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Prisoners and Alcohol Data from a 1979 survey on state prison inmates' alcohol use suggest a relationship between alcohol consumption just prior to the crime and the crime itself, although figures are inconclusive. | |
PDF Part of the Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities Series |
Related Topics |
Bureau of Justice StatisticsBJS Statistical Principals and Practices Scientific Integrity Statement OJP Freedom of Information Act |
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