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Jail Inmates 1992 August 1993 NCJ-143284 Full text with tables available from: Bureau of Justice Statistics Clearinghouse 800-732-3277 Box 179 Annapolis Junction, MD. 20701-0179 In 1992, for the first time in its 9-year history, the Annual Survey of Jails collected information from the large jurisdictions about the programs that their jails administer -- boot camps, work release, alternatives to incarceration, educational and treatment programs for inmates, and drug testing. The 1992 Annual Survey of Jails and this Bulletin would not have been possible without the generous cooperation of jail administrators and staff whose facilities were selected for the survey. Lawrence A. Greenfeld Acting Director By Allen J. Beck, Ph.D. Thomas P. Bonczar and Darrell K. Gilliard BJS Statisticians At midyear 1992 local jails held an estimated 444,584 persons. From July 1991 to June 1992, the number in jail grew 4%, about the same rate as for the previous 12 months. In 1992 overall jail occupancy was 99% of the rated capacity. The 1992 Annual Survey of Jails provides these findings from data reported by 795 jurisdictions for 1,113 jails, about a third of all jails. Local officials administer these facilities which are able to hold persons for more than 48 hours but usually for less than 1 year. Other survey findings include: *About 1 in every 428 adult U.S. residents were in jail on June 30, 1992. *A majority of jail inmates were black or Hispanic. White non-Hispanic inmates made up 40% of the jail population; black non- Hispanics, 44%; Hispanics, 15%; and non- Hispanic inmates of other races, 1%. *An estimated 2,804 juveniles were housed in adult jails on June 30, 1992. The average daily juvenile population for the year was 2,527. *Based on the most recent census (1988) 503 jurisdictions had an average daily population of at least 100 jail inmates. In 1992, these jurisdictions operated 814 jail facilities, which held 362,217 inmates, or about 81% of all jail inmates in the country. One-day counts On June 30, 1992, the estimated number of inmates held in local jails was 444,584, an increase of 4.2% over the number held on June 28, 1991. About 1 in every 428 adult residents of the United States was in jail on June 30, 1992. Fewer than 1% of the inmates of the Nation's jails in 1992 were juveniles. As estimated 2,804 juveniles were housed in adult jails across the country on June 30, 1992. Most juveniles in correctional custody are housed in juvenile facilities. (For a definition of juveniles and discussion of their detention, see Methodology, page 5.) Since 1970 the number of jail inmates per 100,000 residents has risen 120%, from 79 to 174. During the period, the number of jail inmates at midyear increased more than 2 + times, from 160,863 to 444,584. The rates of incarceration in local jails have risen more rapidly for blacks than whites. In 1984, the earliest year for which data are available, the incarceration rate for blacks was 339 jail inmates per 100,000 residents; by 1992, the rate was 619. For whites, the rates increased from 68 to 109 per 100,000. On June 30, 1992, local jails held an estimated 195,200 blacks and 233,000 whites. Average daily population The average daily population for the year ending June 30, 1992, was 441,889, an increase of 4.6% from 1991. The average daily population for males increased 4.7% from the number in 1991; during the same period, the female average daily population increased 2.8%. The average daily juvenile population for the year ending June 30, 1992, was 2,527. Adult conviction status At midyear 1992, convicted inmates made up 49% of all adult inmates. The number of convicted inmates increased 6% since June 28, 1991. Convicted inmates include those awaiting sentencing or serving a sentence and those returned to jail because they had violated the conditions of their probation or parole. From 1991 to 1992 the number of unconvicted inmates increased 3%. Unconvicted inmates include those on trial or awaiting arraignment or trial. Demographic characteristics Males accounted for 91% of the jail inmate population. The adult male inmate population increased 4% from 1991 to 1992. An estimated 1 in every 226 men and 1 in every 2,417 women residing in the United States were in a local jail on June 30, 1992. White non-Hispanic inmates made up 40% of the jail population; black non-Hispanics, 44%; Hispanics, 15%; and other races (Native Americans, Aleuts, Alaska Natives, Asians, and Pacific Islanders), 1%. Daily population movements On June 30, 1992, local jails had more than 46,000 new admissions and discharges, about equally divided between the two categories. Discharges include sentence completions, bail, and deaths. These data exclude transfers among facilities and readmissions or other departures on June 30, 1992, which can only be estimated to have been within the range of 10,733 and 13,367. (For a discussion on reporting practices, see Methodology.) Occupancy The number of jail inmates increased 4% from 1991, while the total rated capacity of the Nation's jails rose 7%. Between June 28, 1991, and June 30, 1992, the percentage of rated capacity which was occupied fell 2 percentage points to 99%. Facilities with the largest average daily populations reported the highest occupancy rates. Occupancy was 114% of rated capacity in facilities with an average daily population of 1,000 or more, compared to 53% in those with fewer than 20 inmates. Size of Number of Percent of rated facilitya facilities capacity occupied Fewer than 20 1,017 53% 20-49 773 77 50-99 559 82 100-199 370 91 200-999 405 103 1,000 or moreb 76 114 aBased on the average daily population between June 28, 1991, and June 30, 1992. bIncludes an unspecified number of facilities for Cook County, Ill., and Orleans Parish, La., each counted as having 1 facility. Jurisdictions with large jail populations Characteristics In 1992 , an estimated 81% of the total annual number of inmates in the Nation's local jails were housed in the facilities of 503 jurisdictions, each with an average daily population of at least 100 incarcerated persons at the time of the 1988 Census of Jails. Population of large Number jail jurisdictions of large June 30, Daily average jurisdictions 1992 1991-92 Region All 503 362,217 356,471 Northeast 85 68,026 68,384 Midwest 91 44,514 43,329 South 229 152,061 147,644 West 98 97,616 97,114 Between June 28, 1991, and June 30, 1992, these jurisdictions held on average 356,471 inmates. On the day of the survey, June 30, 1992, these large jurisdictions held 362,217. Including an unspecified number of facilities counted as 1 in both Cook County (Chicago), Illinois, and Orleans Parish (New Orleans), Louisiana, these jurisdictions reported data on 814 separate jail facilities -- 73% of all facilities surveyed. Nearly half of these large jurisdictions maintained an average daily population of between 100 and 299 inmates. Although these jurisdictions represented 47% of all large jurisdictions, they held only 13% of the total annual number of inmates in large jurisdictions. Twenty-nine jurisdictions reported an average daily population of between 2,000 and 22,220 inmates. With an average of more than 4 facilities per jurisdiction, they accounted for 16% of all facilities and 41% of the total average daily population in large jurisdictions. 25 largest jail jurisdictions Within the group of jurisdictions that have an annual number of inmates between 2,000 and 22,220 are the Nation's 25 largest jurisdictions. These 25 jurisdictions were in 11 States: 9 in California, 4 in Texas, 4 in Florida, and 1 each in New York, Illinois, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Louisiana, Maryland, and Georgia. These jurisdictions had between 1 and 16 jail facilities in their systems. Six of the jurisdictions had a smaller average daily population in 1992 than in 1991, and six had a smaller population on June 30, 1992, than on June 28, 1991. Harris County (Houston), Texas, reported the largest growth during the year, an increase of 4,919 inmates on the day of the survey. New York City reported the sharpest decline, a decrease of 2,136 inmates. On June 30, 1992, the 25 largest jurisdictions held 32% of all jail inmates nationwide. The two largest jurisdictions, Los Angeles County and New York City, had more than 40,700 inmates, 9% of the national total. Overall, the number of inmates in the Nation's 25 largest jurisdictions on June 30, 1992, was 5% greater than on June 28, 1991. The number of jail inmates in these jurisdictions totalled 143,604, up from 132,506. Inmates held for other authorities Local jail jurisdictions frequently house inmates for other authorities, because of crowding elsewhere or routine needs of other jurisdictions, such as housing detainees pending their transfer or holding convicted inmates while awaiting transfer to State or Federal prison. Among the 503 jurisdictions with 100 or more inmates in 1988, 425 were holding inmates for other authorities in 1992. Approximately 84% of these large jurisdictions had one or more jail facilities holding inmates for other authorities on June 30, 1992. Two-thirds of the large jurisdictions were holding inmates for State authorities; half for Federal authorities. The number of jail inmates being held for other authorities by these large jurisdictions increased by 9,063, up 23% from 1991. The number of State prisoners in local jails grew the most (31%), followed by the number of Federal prisoners (22%). Prisoners held for other local authorities decreased 26%, from 4,548 to 3,355. Court orders to reduce population and improve conditions At midyear 1992 more than a quarter of the 503 large jurisdictions reported that 1 or more of their jail facilities were under court order or consent decree to reduce the inmate population. On June 30, 1992, 131 jurisdictions were under court orders to limit the number of inmates, down from 135 in 1991. Jail administrators in these 131 jurisdictions reported an increase of 13% in their rated capacity during the year, or an increase of 20,160 beds. On average these jurisdictions were operating at about 105% of their rated capacities. Administrators in the 372 jurisdictions not under orders to reduce population or crowding reported less than 1% rise in their rated capacity, and a slight increase in the occupancy rate, from 104% to 105%. Judges intervened most often in the operation of jails with orders to reduce population or crowding, but they also cited other elements of the jail facility, staff, operation, or programs. Overall, 157 of the large jurisdictions were under court order to limit population or to correct a specific condition of confinement. Ninety-four were cited for two or more conditions of confinement: Number of Large jurisdictions conditions with a facility cited by a court under court order 1 63 2-3 33 4-5 11 6 or more 50 Nearly a third of the large jurisdictions with a facility under court order in 1992 were cited for six or more conditions. Forty-one of the 503 jurisdictions were cited for the totality of conditions (that is, the cumulative effect of several conditions). The most frequent condition cited was crowded living units (118 jurisdictions), followed by inadequate recreation facilities (62), medical facilities or services (57), and staffing (53). Fourteen fewer jurisdictions were under court order for specific conditions of confinement on June 30, 1992, than on June 28, 1991. Six fewer jurisdictions were under court order for administrative segregation procedures or policies; three fewer for recreation; and four fewer for food service. Nine more jurisdictions were cited for grievance procedures or policies; eight more for staffing patterns. Jail programs and alternatives to incarceration In 1992, for the first time in the history of the survey, jurisdictions were asked if any of their jail facilities operated a boot camp or daily work release program and if any operated alternative-to-incarceration programs, such as electronic monitoring, house arrest, and day reporting. (Jail jurisdictions reported only for the programs that they operated. Within some counties other agencies may have operated similar types of programs). These programs are defined as follows: boot camp -- a program having a chain of command, highly regimented activity schedules, drill and ceremonies, and stressing physical challenges, fitness, discipline and personal appearance. Work-release -- a program that allows an inmate to work in the community unsupervised by correctional staff during the day and return to jail at night. Electronic monitoring -- a program in which offenders are supervised by correctional authorities outside of the jail facility by use of an electronic signalling device or programmed contact device attached to a telephone. House arrest (without electronic monitoring) -- a program in which offenders are legally ordered to remain confined in their own residence except for medical reasons and employment but are not subject to any electronic surveillance. Day reporting -- a program that permits offenders to remain in their residence at night and weekends while reporting to a correctional official one or more times daily. On June 30, 1992, 9 of the 503 large jurisdictions were operating a boot camp program. About 4% of the jail inmates (1,463) in these jurisdictions with boot camps were participating in the program. Among inmates in all large jurisdictions, fewer than half of one percent were in a boot camp. Daily work release programs were available to inmates in more than two-thirds of the large jurisdictions. On June 30, 1992, 17,887 inmates in 359 jail jurisdictions were in a work release program. On that day, 7% of the inmates in these jurisdictions were participating in work release programs. On June 30, 1992, 180 of the 503 large jurisdictions were operating an alternative-to-incarceration program, such as electronic monitoring, house arrest, or day reporting. Offenders in these programs are not considered jail inmates to be included in the midyear count because they are not in physical custody. They do not serve time in a jail facility but would if not for these programs. Of the differing types of alternative programs, electronic monitoring was the most widely available and had the most participants (118 jurisdictions and 4,582 offenders). Day- reporting programs were offered in fewer jurisdictions (43) and had fewer than 2,445 participants. House arrest programs without electronic monitoring were operated by 18 jail jurisdictions with a total of 602 participants. Other types of alternative programs, such as community service and weekend reporting, were available in 57 jurisdictions. More than 6,100 offenders were participating in these other alternatives. About three-quarters of all jail inmates in boot camps were in two jurisdictions -- Tarrant County (Fort Worth), Texas, and New York City. Each of these jurisdictions had more inmates in a boot camp than the other seven jurisdictions combined. Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties in California had the largest number of jail inmates in daily work release programs. Each of these jurisdictions had more than 1,000 work release participants. Riverside County, California, stretching to the Nevada border east of Los Angeles, had the most offenders (1,435) participating in some type of alternative program. Cook County (Chicago), Illinois, had the second largest number of participants (1,223), and Orange County, California, containing Anaheim and Santa Ana, the third largest number, 1,050 offenders. More than 10% of offenders under the supervision of these jail jurisdictions were in an alternative-to-incarceration program. Drug testing The 1992 Annual Survey of Jails asked the largest jurisdictions if and on whom they conducted urinalysis tests for drugs. Of all large jurisdictions, 308 said that they did test. Jurisdictions were more likely to test upon suspicion (219 jurisdictions) than testing all inmates at least once (35 jurisdictions). The number of jurisdictions that tested at random or on an inmate's return from the community was about the same (159 and 153, respectively). Jurisdictions holding between 2,000 and 3,999 inmates were more likely to have at least 1 facility testing for drugs than any other group, 93%. Those jurisdictions that had from 100 to 199 inmates were least likely to test, 47%. Selected jail programs In the 1992 survey, the 503 largest jurisdictions were asked to report on inmate participation in drug treatment, alcohol treatment, psychological counseling or psychiatric care, and educational programs offered by their jail facilities. On June 30, 1992, at least 1 jail facility in 420 of these jurisdictions reported operating these types of programs. A total of 127 jurisdictions reported operating all 4 types of programs. Educational programs (including literacy, basic education, and GED programs) were offered in more than two-thirds of the large jurisdictions. About 9% of the inmates in these jurisdictions were participating in an education program at the time of the survey. Alcohol and drug treatment programs were offered in more than half of the large jail jurisdictions. On June 30, 1992, 20,100 jail inmates were receiving alcohol treatment; 18,052 were receiving drug treatment. In the jurisdictions operating alcohol or drug treatment programs, the inmate participation rate was lower than 10%. Psychological or psychiatric counseling programs were provided in 212 of the large jurisdictions. More than 14,000 jail inmates were participating in these programs. Inmate deaths A total of 178 large jail jurisdictions (35%) reported one or more jails with an inmate death during the year ending June 30, 1992, compared to 190 (38%) the previous year . Natural causes other than AIDS were the leading cause of death among inmates in large jail jurisdictions (38%), followed by suicide (28%). AIDS-related deaths accounted for 24% of the total, injury by another person, 3%, and accidents or undetermined causes, 7%. Methodology The 1992 Annual Survey of Jails was the ninth such survey in a series sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The first was conducted in 1982. Complete enumerations of the Nation's jails are conducted every 5 years. Annual surveys - - which collect data on all jails in jurisdictions with 100 or more jail inmates and on a sample of all other jails -- are carried out in each of the 4 years between the full censuses. The reference date for the 1992 survey was June 30, 1992. Full censuses were done on February 15, 1978, June 30, 1983, and June 30, 1988. A local jail is a facility that holds inmates beyond arraignment, usually for more than 48 hours, and is administered by local officials. Specifically excluded from the count were temporary lockups that house persons for less than 48 hours, physically separate drunk tanks, and other holding facilities that did not hold persons after they had been formally charged, Federal- or State-administered facilities, and the combined jail-prison systems of Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Included in the universe were five locally operated jails in Alaska and eight jails that were privately operated under contract for local governments. The 1992 survey included 1,113 jails in 795 jurisdictions. A jurisdiction is a county, municipality, township, or regional authority that administers one or more local jails. The jails in 503 jurisdictions were automatically included in the survey because the average daily inmate population in these jurisdictions was 100 or more in the 1988 census. The jurisdictions with large jail populations, referred to as certainty jurisdictions, accounted for 814 jails and 362,217 inmates, or 81% of the estimated inmate population on June 30, 1992. The other jurisdictions surveyed constituted a stratified probability sample of those jurisdictions whose average daily population was less than 100 in the 1988 jail census. Data were obtained by mailed questionnaires. Two followup mailings and phone calls were used to encourage reporting. The response rate was 99% for all jails. For the eight jails in certainty jurisdictions and the one jail in a noncertainty jurisdiction not responding to the survey, data were adjusted by applying the average growth factor for facilities in the same stratum and region with the same type of inmates (men, women, or both sexes). National estimates for the inmate population on June 30, 1992, were produced by sex, race, legal status, and conviction status and for the average daily population during the year ending June 30, 1992, by sex and legal status. National estimates were also produced for rated capacity. Administrators of jails in jurisdictions with large jail populations provided counts of inmates held for other authorities, inmate deaths, and jails under court order. Sampling error National estimates have an associated sampling error because jurisdictions with an average daily population of less than 100 were sampled for the survey. Estimates based on a sample survey are apt to differ somewhat from the results of a survey canvassing all jurisdictions. Each of the samples that could have been selected using the same sample design could yield somewhat 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 result of all possible samples. The estimated relative sampling error for the total inmate population of 444,584 on June 30, 1992, was 0.47%. Results presented in this Bulletin were tested to determine whether statistical significance could be associated with observed differences between values. Differences were tested to ascertain whether they were significant at the 95-percent confidence level or higher. Differences mentioned in the text meet or exceed this 95-percent confidence level. Measures of population Two measures of inmate population are used: the average daily population for the year ending June 30 and the inmate count on June 30 of each year. The average daily inmate population balances out any extraordinary events that may render the 1-day count atypical. The 1-day count is useful because some characteristics of the inmate population -- such as race, Hispanic origin, and detention status -- can be obtained for a specific date, but may not be available on an annual basis. Population movement In contrast with prior years, admission and discharge data were collected for the single day, June 30, 1992, rather than for the entire year preceding the census date to improve data quality and to ease reporting burdens. Intrasystem transfers within jail systems have been removed from counts of admissions and discharges and included with a combined estimate of transfers between jails and long-term medical and mental health facilities and readmissions/other departures. Because some jurisdictions do not maintain separate records for returning inmates who were on temporary transfers to other facilities or readmissions resulting from weekend sentences, medical appointments, and court appearances, it was only possible to provide an estimate of the volume of this movement. Juveniles State statutes and judicial practices allow juveniles to be incarcerated in adult jails and prisons under a variety of circumstances. Juveniles are persons who are defined by State statute as being under a certain age, usually 18 years, and who are initially subject to juvenile court authority even if tried as adults in criminal court. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 requires sight and sound separation from adults for those juveniles not tried as adults in criminal court but held in adult jails. A 1980 amendment to that 1974 act requires the removal of juveniles from local jails, except those juveniles who are tried as adults for criminal felonies. The proportion of juveniles who were housed in adult jails in accordance with these guidelines is not available. This report was written by Allen J. Beck, Thomas P. Bonczar, and Darrell K. Gilliard. Corrections statistics are prepared under the general direction of Lawrence A. Greenfeld. James Stephan reviewed the statistics. Tom Hester edited the report. Marilyn Marbrook administered production, assisted by Betty Sherman, Jayne Pugh, and Yvonne Boston. Collection and processing of the 1992 Jail Survey were conducted by Margaret Ferguson and Linda Huang under the supervision of Alan Stevens, Governments Division, U.S. Bureau of the Census. August 1993, NCJ-143284 Data used in this report will be available from the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data at the University of Michigan, 1-800-99-0960. The data sets will be archived as the Sample Survey of Jails. Jail Inmates 1992 August 1993 NCJ-143284 Full text with tables available from: Bureau of Justice Statistics Clearinghouse 800-732-3277 Box 179 Annapolis Junction, MD. 20701-0179 In 1992, for the first time in its 9-year history, the Annual Survey of Jails collected information from the large jurisdictions about the programs that their jails administer -- boot camps, work release, alternatives to incarceration, educational and treatment programs for inmates, and drug testing. The 1992 Annual Survey of Jails and this Bulletin would not have been possible without the generous cooperation of jail administrators and staff whose facilities were selected for the survey. Lawrence A. Greenfeld Acting Director By Allen J. Beck, Ph.D. Thomas P. Bonczar and Darrell K. Gilliard BJS Statisticians At midyear 1992 local jails held an estimated 444,584 persons. From July 1991 to June 1992, the number in jail grew 4%, about the same rate as for the previous 12 months. In 1992 overall jail occupancy was 99% of the rated capacity. The 1992 Annual Survey of Jails provides these findings from data reported by 795 jurisdictions for 1,113 jails, about a third of all jails. Local officials administer these facilities which are able to hold persons for more than 48 hours but usually for less than 1 year. Other survey findings include: *About 1 in every 428 adult U.S. residents were in jail on June 30, 1992. *A majority of jail inmates were black or Hispanic. White non-Hispanic inmates made up 40% of the jail population; black non- Hispanics, 44%; Hispanics, 15%; and non- Hispanic inmates of other races, 1%. *An estimated 2,804 juveniles were housed in adult jails on June 30, 1992. The average daily juvenile population for the year was 2,527. *Based on the most recent census (1988) 503 jurisdictions had an average daily population of at least 100 jail inmates. In 1992, these jurisdictions operated 814 jail facilities, which held 362,217 inmates, or about 81% of all jail inmates in the country. One-day counts On June 30, 1992, the estimated number of inmates held in local jails was 444,584, an increase of 4.2% over the number held on June 28, 1991. About 1 in every 428 adult residents of the United States was in jail on June 30, 1992. Fewer than 1% of the inmates of the Nation's jails in 1992 were juveniles. As estimated 2,804 juveniles were housed in adult jails across the country on June 30, 1992. Most juveniles in correctional custody are housed in juvenile facilities. (For a definition of juveniles and discussion of their detention, see Methodology, page 5.) Since 1970 the number of jail inmates per 100,000 residents has risen 120%, from 79 to 174. During the period, the number of jail inmates at midyear increased more than 2 + times, from 160,863 to 444,584. The rates of incarceration in local jails have risen more rapidly for blacks than whites. In 1984, the earliest year for which data are available, the incarceration rate for blacks was 339 jail inmates per 100,000 residents; by 1992, the rate was 619. For whites, the rates increased from 68 to 109 per 100,000. On June 30, 1992, local jails held an estimated 195,200 blacks and 233,000 whites. Average daily population The average daily population for the year ending June 30, 1992, was 441,889, an increase of 4.6% from 1991. The average daily population for males increased 4.7% from the number in 1991; during the same period, the female average daily population increased 2.8%. The average daily juvenile population for the year ending June 30, 1992, was 2,527. Adult conviction status At midyear 1992, convicted inmates made up 49% of all adult inmates. The number of convicted inmates increased 6% since June 28, 1991. Convicted inmates include those awaiting sentencing or serving a sentence and those returned to jail because they had violated the conditions of their probation or parole. From 1991 to 1992 the number of unconvicted inmates increased 3%. Unconvicted inmates include those on trial or awaiting arraignment or trial. Demographic characteristics Males accounted for 91% of the jail inmate population. The adult male inmate population increased 4% from 1991 to 1992. An estimated 1 in every 226 men and 1 in every 2,417 women residing in the United States were in a local jail on June 30, 1992. White non-Hispanic inmates made up 40% of the jail population; black non-Hispanics, 44%; Hispanics, 15%; and other races (Native Americans, Aleuts, Alaska Natives, Asians, and Pacific Islanders), 1%. Daily population movements On June 30, 1992, local jails had more than 46,000 new admissions and discharges, about equally divided between the two categories. Discharges include sentence completions, bail, and deaths. These data exclude transfers among facilities and readmissions or other departures on June 30, 1992, which can only be estimated to have been within the range of 10,733 and 13,367. (For a discussion on reporting practices, see Methodology.) Occupancy The number of jail inmates increased 4% from 1991, while the total rated capacity of the Nation's jails rose 7%. Between June 28, 1991, and June 30, 1992, the percentage of rated capacity which was occupied fell 2 percentage points to 99%. Facilities with the largest average daily populations reported the highest occupancy rates. Occupancy was 114% of rated capacity in facilities with an average daily population of 1,000 or more, compared to 53% in those with fewer than 20 inmates. Size of Number of Percent of rated facilitya facilities capacity occupied Fewer than 20 1,017 53% 20-49 773 77 50-99 559 82 100-199 370 91 200-999 405 103 1,000 or moreb 76 114 aBased on the average daily population between June 28, 1991, and June 30, 1992. bIncludes an unspecified number of facilities for Cook County, Ill., and Orleans Parish, La., each counted as having 1 facility. Jurisdictions with large jail populations Characteristics In 1992 , an estimated 81% of the total annual number of inmates in the Nation's local jails were housed in the facilities of 503 jurisdictions, each with an average daily population of at least 100 incarcerated persons at the time of the 1988 Census of Jails. Population of large Number jail jurisdictions of large June 30, Daily average jurisdictions 1992 1991-92 Region All 503 362,217 356,471 Northeast 85 68,026 68,384 Midwest 91 44,514 43,329 South 229 152,061 147,644 West 98 97,616 97,114 Between June 28, 1991, and June 30, 1992, these jurisdictions held on average 356,471 inmates. On the day of the survey, June 30, 1992, these large jurisdictions held 362,217. Including an unspecified number of facilities counted as 1 in both Cook County (Chicago), Illinois, and Orleans Parish (New Orleans), Louisiana, these jurisdictions reported data on 814 separate jail facilities -- 73% of all facilities surveyed. Nearly half of these large jurisdictions maintained an average daily population of between 100 and 299 inmates. Although these jurisdictions represented 47% of all large jurisdictions, they held only 13% of the total annual number of inmates in large jurisdictions. Twenty-nine jurisdictions reported an average daily population of between 2,000 and 22,220 inmates. With an average of more than 4 facilities per jurisdiction, they accounted for 16% of all facilities and 41% of the total average daily population in large jurisdictions. 25 largest jail jurisdictions Within the group of jurisdictions that have an annual number of inmates between 2,000 and 22,220 are the Nation's 25 largest jurisdictions. These 25 jurisdictions were in 11 States: 9 in California, 4 in Texas, 4 in Florida, and 1 each in New York, Illinois, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Louisiana, Maryland, and Georgia. These jurisdictions had between 1 and 16 jail facilities in their systems. Six of the jurisdictions had a smaller average daily population in 1992 than in 1991, and six had a smaller population on June 30, 1992, than on June 28, 1991. Harris County (Houston), Texas, reported the largest growth during the year, an increase of 4,919 inmates on the day of the survey. New York City reported the sharpest decline, a decrease of 2,136 inmates. On June 30, 1992, the 25 largest jurisdictions held 32% of all jail inmates nationwide. The two largest jurisdictions, Los Angeles County and New York City, had more than 40,700 inmates, 9% of the national total. Overall, the number of inmates in the Nation's 25 largest jurisdictions on June 30, 1992, was 5% greater than on June 28, 1991. The number of jail inmates in these jurisdictions totalled 143,604, up from 132,506. Inmates held for other authorities Local jail jurisdictions frequently house inmates for other authorities, because of crowding elsewhere or routine needs of other jurisdictions, such as housing detainees pending their transfer or holding convicted inmates while awaiting transfer to State or Federal prison. Among the 503 jurisdictions with 100 or more inmates in 1988, 425 were holding inmates for other authorities in 1992. Approximately 84% of these large jurisdictions had one or more jail facilities holding inmates for other authorities on June 30, 1992. Two-thirds of the large jurisdictions were holding inmates for State authorities; half for Federal authorities. The number of jail inmates being held for other authorities by these large jurisdictions increased by 9,063, up 23% from 1991. The number of State prisoners in local jails grew the most (31%), followed by the number of Federal prisoners (22%). Prisoners held for other local authorities decreased 26%, from 4,548 to 3,355. Court orders to reduce population and improve conditions At midyear 1992 more than a quarter of the 503 large jurisdictions reported that 1 or more of their jail facilities were under court order or consent decree to reduce the inmate population. On June 30, 1992, 131 jurisdictions were under court orders to limit the number of inmates, down from 135 in 1991. Jail administrators in these 131 jurisdictions reported an increase of 13% in their rated capacity during the year, or an increase of 20,160 beds. On average these jurisdictions were operating at about 105% of their rated capacities. Administrators in the 372 jurisdictions not under orders to reduce population or crowding reported less than 1% rise in their rated capacity, and a slight increase in the occupancy rate, from 104% to 105%. Judges intervened most often in the operation of jails with orders to reduce population or crowding, but they also cited other elements of the jail facility, staff, operation, or programs. Overall, 157 of the large jurisdictions were under court order to limit population or to correct a specific condition of confinement. Ninety-four were cited for two or more conditions of confinement: Number of Large jurisdictions conditions with a facility cited by a court under court order 1 63 2-3 33 4-5 11 6 or more 50 Nearly a third of the large jurisdictions with a facility under court order in 1992 were cited for six or more conditions. Forty-one of the 503 jurisdictions were cited for the totality of conditions (that is, the cumulative effect of several conditions). The most frequent condition cited was crowded living units (118 jurisdictions), followed by inadequate recreation facilities (62), medical facilities or services (57), and staffing (53). Fourteen fewer jurisdictions were under court order for specific conditions of confinement on June 30, 1992, than on June 28, 1991. Six fewer jurisdictions were under court order for administrative segregation procedures or policies; three fewer for recreation; and four fewer for food service. Nine more jurisdictions were cited for grievance procedures or policies; eight more for staffing patterns. Jail programs and alternatives to incarceration In 1992, for the first time in the history of the survey, jurisdictions were asked if any of their jail facilities operated a boot camp or daily work release program and if any operated alternative-to-incarceration programs, such as electronic monitoring, house arrest, and day reporting. (Jail jurisdictions reported only for the programs that they operated. Within some counties other agencies may have operated similar types of programs). These programs are defined as follows: boot camp -- a program having a chain of command, highly regimented activity schedules, drill and ceremonies, and stressing physical challenges, fitness, discipline and personal appearance. Work-release -- a program that allows an inmate to work in the community unsupervised by correctional staff during the day and return to jail at night. Electronic monitoring -- a program in which offenders are supervised by correctional authorities outside of the jail facility by use of an electronic signalling device or programmed contact device attached to a telephone. House arrest (without electronic monitoring) -- a program in which offenders are legally ordered to remain confined in their own residence except for medical reasons and employment but are not subject to any electronic surveillance. Day reporting -- a program that permits offenders to remain in their residence at night and weekends while reporting to a correctional official one or more times daily. On June 30, 1992, 9 of the 503 large jurisdictions were operating a boot camp program. About 4% of the jail inmates (1,463) in these jurisdictions with boot camps were participating in the program. Among inmates in all large jurisdictions, fewer than half of one percent were in a boot camp. Daily work release programs were available to inmates in more than two-thirds of the large jurisdictions. On June 30, 1992, 17,887 inmates in 359 jail jurisdictions were in a work release program. On that day, 7% of the inmates in these jurisdictions were participating in work release programs. On June 30, 1992, 180 of the 503 large jurisdictions were operating an alternative-to-incarceration program, such as electronic monitoring, house arrest, or day reporting. Offenders in these programs are not considered jail inmates to be included in the midyear count because they are not in physical custody. They do not serve time in a jail facility but would if not for these programs. Of the differing types of alternative programs, electronic monitoring was the most widely available and had the most participants (118 jurisdictions and 4,582 offenders). Day- reporting programs were offered in fewer jurisdictions (43) and had fewer than 2,445 participants. House arrest programs without electronic monitoring were operated by 18 jail jurisdictions with a total of 602 participants. Other types of alternative programs, such as community service and weekend reporting, were available in 57 jurisdictions. More than 6,100 offenders were participating in these other alternatives. About three-quarters of all jail inmates in boot camps were in two jurisdictions -- Tarrant County (Fort Worth), Texas, and New York City. Each of these jurisdictions had more inmates in a boot camp than the other seven jurisdictions combined. Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties in California had the largest number of jail inmates in daily work release programs. Each of these jurisdictions had more than 1,000 work release participants. Riverside County, California, stretching to the Nevada border east of Los Angeles, had the most offenders (1,435) participating in some type of alternative program. Cook County (Chicago), Illinois, had the second largest number of participants (1,223), and Orange County, California, containing Anaheim and Santa Ana, the third largest number, 1,050 offenders. More than 10% of offenders under the supervision of these jail jurisdictions were in an alternative-to-incarceration program. Drug testing The 1992 Annual Survey of Jails asked the largest jurisdictions if and on whom they conducted urinalysis tests for drugs. Of all large jurisdictions, 308 said that they did test. Jurisdictions were more likely to test upon suspicion (219 jurisdictions) than testing all inmates at least once (35 jurisdictions). The number of jurisdictions that tested at random or on an inmate's return from the community was about the same (159 and 153, respectively). Jurisdictions holding between 2,000 and 3,999 inmates were more likely to have at least 1 facility testing for drugs than any other group, 93%. Those jurisdictions that had from 100 to 199 inmates were least likely to test, 47%. Selected jail programs In the 1992 survey, the 503 largest jurisdictions were asked to report on inmate participation in drug treatment, alcohol treatment, psychological counseling or psychiatric care, and educational programs offered by their jail facilities. On June 30, 1992, at least 1 jail facility in 420 of these jurisdictions reported operating these types of programs. A total of 127 jurisdictions reported operating all 4 types of programs. Educational programs (including literacy, basic education, and GED programs) were offered in more than two-thirds of the large jurisdictions. About 9% of the inmates in these jurisdictions were participating in an education program at the time of the survey. Alcohol and drug treatment programs were offered in more than half of the large jail jurisdictions. On June 30, 1992, 20,100 jail inmates were receiving alcohol treatment; 18,052 were receiving drug treatment. In the jurisdictions operating alcohol or drug treatment programs, the inmate participation rate was lower than 10%. Psychological or psychiatric counseling programs were provided in 212 of the large jurisdictions. More than 14,000 jail inmates were participating in these programs. Inmate deaths A total of 178 large jail jurisdictions (35%) reported one or more jails with an inmate death during the year ending June 30, 1992, compared to 190 (38%) the previous year . Natural causes other than AIDS were the leading cause of death among inmates in large jail jurisdictions (38%), followed by suicide (28%). AIDS-related deaths accounted for 24% of the total, injury by another person, 3%, and accidents or undetermined causes, 7%. Methodology The 1992 Annual Survey of Jails was the ninth such survey in a series sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The first was conducted in 1982. Complete enumerations of the Nation's jails are conducted every 5 years. Annual surveys - - which collect data on all jails in jurisdictions with 100 or more jail inmates and on a sample of all other jails -- are carried out in each of the 4 years between the full censuses. The reference date for the 1992 survey was June 30, 1992. Full censuses were done on February 15, 1978, June 30, 1983, and June 30, 1988. A local jail is a facility that holds inmates beyond arraignment, usually for more than 48 hours, and is administered by local officials. Specifically excluded from the count were temporary lockups that house persons for less than 48 hours, physically separate drunk tanks, and other holding facilities that did not hold persons after they had been formally charged, Federal- or State-administered facilities, and the combined jail-prison systems of Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Included in the universe were five locally operated jails in Alaska and eight jails that were privately operated under contract for local governments. The 1992 survey included 1,113 jails in 795 jurisdictions. A jurisdiction is a county, municipality, township, or regional authority that administers one or more local jails. The jails in 503 jurisdictions were automatically included in the survey because the average daily inmate population in these jurisdictions was 100 or more in the 1988 census. The jurisdictions with large jail populations, referred to as certainty jurisdictions, accounted for 814 jails and 362,217 inmates, or 81% of the estimated inmate population on June 30, 1992. The other jurisdictions surveyed constituted a stratified probability sample of those jurisdictions whose average daily population was less than 100 in the 1988 jail census. Data were obtained by mailed questionnaires. Two followup mailings and phone calls were used to encourage reporting. The response rate was 99% for all jails. For the eight jails in certainty jurisdictions and the one jail in a noncertainty jurisdiction not responding to the survey, data were adjusted by applying the average growth factor for facilities in the same stratum and region with the same type of inmates (men, women, or both sexes). National estimates for the inmate population on June 30, 1992, were produced by sex, race, legal status, and conviction status and for the average daily population during the year ending June 30, 1992, by sex and legal status. National estimates were also produced for rated capacity. Administrators of jails in jurisdictions with large jail populations provided counts of inmates held for other authorities, inmate deaths, and jails under court order. Sampling error National estimates have an associated sampling error because jurisdictions with an average daily population of less than 100 were sampled for the survey. Estimates based on a sample survey are apt to differ somewhat from the results of a survey canvassing all jurisdictions. Each of the samples that could have been selected using the same sample design could yield somewhat 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 result of all possible samples. The estimated relative sampling error for the total inmate population of 444,584 on June 30, 1992, was 0.47%. Results presented in this Bulletin were tested to determine whether statistical significance could be associated with observed differences between values. Differences were tested to ascertain whether they were significant at the 95-percent confidence level or higher. Differences mentioned in the text meet or exceed this 95-percent confidence level. Measures of population Two measures of inmate population are used: the average daily population for the year ending June 30 and the inmate count on June 30 of each year. The average daily inmate population balances out any extraordinary events that may render the 1-day count atypical. The 1-day count is useful because some characteristics of the inmate population -- such as race, Hispanic origin, and detention status -- can be obtained for a specific date, but may not be available on an annual basis. Population movement In contrast with prior years, admission and discharge data were collected for the single day, June 30, 1992, rather than for the entire year preceding the census date to improve data quality and to ease reporting burdens. Intrasystem transfers within jail systems have been removed from counts of admissions and discharges and included with a combined estimate of transfers between jails and long-term medical and mental health facilities and readmissions/other departures. Because some jurisdictions do not maintain separate records for returning inmates who were on temporary transfers to other facilities or readmissions resulting from weekend sentences, medical appointments, and court appearances, it was only possible to provide an estimate of the volume of this movement. Juveniles State statutes and judicial practices allow juveniles to be incarcerated in adult jails and prisons under a variety of circumstances. Juveniles are persons who are defined by State statute as being under a certain age, usually 18 years, and who are initially subject to juvenile court authority even if tried as adults in criminal court. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 requires sight and sound separation from adults for those juveniles not tried as adults in criminal court but held in adult jails. A 1980 amendment to that 1974 act requires the removal of juveniles from local jails, except those juveniles who are tried as adults for criminal felonies. The proportion of juveniles who were housed in adult jails in accordance with these guidelines is not available. This report was written by Allen J. Beck, Thomas P. Bonczar, and Darrell K. Gilliard. Corrections statistics are prepared under the general direction of Lawrence A. Greenfeld. James Stephan reviewed the statistics. Tom Hester edited the report. Marilyn Marbrook administered production, assisted by Betty Sherman, Jayne Pugh, and Yvonne Boston. Collection and processing of the 1992 Jail Survey were conducted by Margaret Ferguson and Linda Huang under the supervision of Alan Stevens, Governments Division, U.S. Bureau of the Census. August 1993, NCJ-143284 Data used in this report will be available from the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data at the University of Michigan, 1-800-99-0960. The data sets will be archived as the Sample Survey of Jails. . |
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