BJS: Bureau of Justice Statistics

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Home | Corrections | Special populations | Jails in Indian Country
Jails in Indian Country
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In 1998, the Bureau of Justice Statistics began collecting detailed information on confinement facilities, detention centers, jails, and other facilities operated by tribal authorities or the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) through the Survey of Jails in Indian Country (SJIC). Information is gathered on inmate counts, movements, facility operations, and staff. In selected years (1998, 2004, 2007, and 2011), additional information is collected on facility programs and services, such as medical assessments and mental health screening procedures, inmate work assignments, counseling, and educational programs.

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Data Collections & Surveys

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Publications & Products


Jails in Indian Country, 2017-2018 This report is the 17th in a series that began in 1998. It provides statistics from BJS's Annual Survey of Jails in Indian Country on the demographic characteristics, most serious offense, and conviction status of the tribal inmate population, and it describes facility characteristics, including bed space and staffing.
  Full report (PDF 796K) | Data tables (Zip format 34K)
Part of the Jails in Indian Country Series

Tribal Crime Data-Collection Activities, 2020 Describes activities by the Bureau of Justice Statistics to collect and improve data on crime and justice in Indian country, including data-collection programs and activities during 2020.
  Full report (PDF 550K) | Data tables (Zip format)
Part of the Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities Series

Tribal Crime Data-Collection Activities, 2019 Describes activities by the Bureau of Justice Statistics to collect and improve data on crime and justice in Indian country, including data-collection programs and activities during 2018 and 2019.
  Full report (PDF 403K) | Data tables (Zip format 12K)
Part of the Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities Series

Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2016-18 Describes activities by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to collect and improve data on crime and justice in Indian country, as required by the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 (TLOA).
  Full report (PDF 377K)
Part of the Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities Series

Jails in Indian Country, 2016 Describes jails, confinement facilities, detention centers, and other correctional facilities operated by tribal authorities or the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
  Summary (PDF 174K) | Full Report (PDF 467K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format 30K)
Part of the Jails in Indian Country Series

American Indian and Alaska Natives in Local Jails, 1999-2014 Describes the population of American Indian and Alaska Natives (AIAN) held in local jails, including national and state level estimates, characteristics of adult AIAN inmates, and comparisons to all other races and Hispanic origin.
  Summary (PDF 211K) | Full report (PDF 703K) | ASCII file (40K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format 18K)
Part of the American Indians and Crime Series

Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2017 Describes Bureau of Justice Statistics' (BJS) activities to collect and improve data on crime and justice in Indian country, as required by the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010.
  Full report (PDF 401K) | ASCII file (30K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Spreadsheet 1K)
Part of the Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities Series

Jails in Indian Country, 2015 Describes jails, confinement facilities, detention centers, and other correctional facilities operated by tribal authorities or the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
  Summary (PDF 211K) | Full report (PDF 845K) | ASCII file (17K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format 41K)
Part of the Jails in Indian Country Series

Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2016 Describes Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) activities to collect and improve data on crime and justice in Indian country, as required by the Tribal Law and Order Act, 2010.
  Full report (PDF 421K) | ASCII file (23K) | Spreadsheet (2K)
Part of the Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities Series

Jails in Indian Country, 2014 Presents findings from the 2014 Survey of Jails in Indian Country, an enumeration of 79 jails, confinement facilities, detention centers, and other correctional facilities operated by tribal authorities or the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
  Press Release | Summary (PDF 210K) | Full report (PDF 874K) | ASCII file (23K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format 53K)
Part of the Jails in Indian Country Series

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Terms & Definitions

Indian country Statutory term that includes all lands within an Indian reservation, dependent Indian communities, and Indian trust allotments (18 U.S.C. § 1151). Courts interpret section 1151 to include all lands held in trust for tribes or their members. See United States v. Roberts, 185 F.3d 1125 (10th Cir. 1999). Tribal authority to imprison American Indian offenders is limited to one year per offense by statute (25 U.S.C. § 1302), a $5,000 fine, or both.
 
Indian country jails Indian country adult and juvenile detention centers, jails, and other correctional facilities operated by tribal authorities or the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior.
 
Tribal jurisdiction Tribal law enforcement agencies act as first responders to both felony and misdemeanor crimes. For most of Indian country, the federal government provides felony law enforcement concerning crimes by or against American Indians. Certain areas of Indian country are under Public Law 83-280, as amended. P.L. 280 conferred jurisdiction on certain states over Indian country and suspended enforcement of the Major Crimes Act (18 U.S.C. § 1153) and the General Crimes Act (18 U.S.C. § 1152) in those areas. Indian tribes retain concurrent jurisdiction to enforce laws in Indian country where P.L. 280 applies.
 
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