9 June 2003 Source: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/ascii/pjim02.txt -------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2002 April 2003, NCJ 198877 -------------------------------------------------------------- This file is text only without graphics and many of the tables. A Zip archive of the tables in this report in spreadsheet format (.wk1) and the full report including tables and graphics in .pdf format are available from: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/pjim02.htm This report is one in a series. More recent editions may be available. To view a list of all in the series go to http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pubalp2.htm#pjimidyear --------------------------------------------------------------- By Paige M. Harrison and Jennifer C. Karberg BJS Statisticians --------------------------------------------------- Highlights In the year ending June 30, 2002 -- * The Nation's prison and jail population exceeded 2 million inmates for the first time. * The number of inmates held in local jails rose by 34,235; in State prison rose by 12,440; and in Federal prison by 8,042. * In the largest State prison systems, the total number of inmates declined: Texas (down 6,334), California (down 3,650), and New York (down 2,027). At midyear 2002 -- * A total of 3,055 State prisoners were under age 18. Adult jails held a total of 7,248 persons under age 18. * State and Federal correctional authorities held 88,776 noncitizens, up from 87,917 (1.0%) at midyear 2001. * There were 113 female inmates per 100,000 women in the United States, compared to 1,309 male inmates per 100,000 men. * An estimated 12% of black males, 4% of Hispanic males, and 1.6% of white males in their twenties and early thirties were in prison or jail. * Local jails were operating 7% below their rated capacity. In contrast, at yearend 2001 State prisons were operating between 1% and 16% above capacity, and Federal prisons were 31% above their rated capacity. * Privately operated prison facilities held 86,626 inmates (down 6.1% since yearend 2001). Texas reported the largest drop (from 16,331 to 10,764)among inmates in private prisons. -------------------------------------------------------- At midyear 2002 the Nation's prisons and jails incarcerated 2,021,223 persons. Prisoners in the custody of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Government accounted for two-thirds of the incarcerated population (1,355,748 inmates). The other third were held in local jails (665,475). On June 30, 2002, 1,426,118 prisoners were under Federal and State jurisdiction, which includes inmates in custody and persons under the legal authority of a prison system but held outside its facilities. During the 12-month period ending June 30, 2002, the number under State jurisdiction rose by 0.9%, while the number under Federal jurisdiction rose by 5.8%. Rhode Island (up 17.4%), New Mexico (up 11.1%), and West Virginia and Maine (both up 8.7%) had the largest percentage increases. Nine States had decreases, including Illinois (-5.5%), Texas (-3.9%), and New York (-2.9%). At midyear 2002 local jail authorities held or supervised 737,912 offenders. Ten percent of these offenders (72,437) were supervised outside jail facilities in programs such as community service, work release, weekend reporting, electronic monitoring, and other alternative programs. Prison and jail population exceeds 2 million inmates for the first time On June 30, 2002, 1,355,748 inmates were in the custody of State and Federal prison authorities, and 665,475 inmates were in the custody of local jail authorities. In the first 6 months of 2002, the Nation's prison population increased 24,521 (1.9%). This increase offset the decline of 4,039 inmates (-0.3%) during the last 6 months of 2001. These data were collected in the 2002 National Prisoner Statistics program and the 2002 Annual Survey of Jails. (See Methodology, page 11, for a description of data collections.) Since midyear 2001 the total incarcerated population has increased 2.8%. Including inmates in public and privately operated facilities, the number of inmates in State prisons increased 1.0%; in Federal prisons, 5.7%; and in local jails, 5.4%. At midyear 2002, Federal prisons (including all secure and non-secure public and private facilities) held 7.7% of all inmates, up from 5.6% in 1995. Between 1995 and midyear 2002, the incarcerated population grew an average of 3.8% annually. During this period the Federal and State prison populations and the local jail population grew at the average annual rates of 8.1%, 3.0%, and 4.3%, respectively. In the 12 months before midyear 2002, the number of inmates in prison and jail rose an estimated 55,287 inmates, or 1,063 inmates per week. The rate of incarceration in prison and jail in 2002 was 702 inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents up from 690 at midyear 2001. At midyear 2002, 1 in every 142 U.S. residents were in prison or jail. State prison population increases in first 6 months of 2002 after a decline in the last 6 months of 2001 Between July 1 and December 31, 2001, the number of prisoners under State jurisdiction dropped -0.3%, decreasing by 3,217 inmates. In the first 6 months of 2002, however, the number of prisoners rose 1.2% (increasing by 14,911 inmates). The net gain in the jurisdiction count for the 12-month period was 11,694 (representing a 0.9% growth since June 30, 2001). Since 1995 the Federal system has grown at a higher rate than the States, peaking at 6% growth in the first 6 months of 1999. During this time, growth rates for States and the Federal system have been consistently larger in the first half of each year than in the second half. In the first 6 months of 2002, the number of Federal inmates increased 3.0% (more than twice the rate of State growth for the same period) but at a pace significantly lower than rates recorded in the first half of each year since 1995. In absolute numbers, the total increase of 20,587 State and Federal prison inmates between July 1, 2001, and June 30, 2002, was about half the annual average growth (41,984) since 1995. Over 40% of prisoner growth from Federal system Over 40% of the growth in the Nation's prison population during the 12 months ending June 30, 2002, was accounted for by the Federal system (8,893 additional inmates). During this period, responsibility for housing sentenced felons in the District of Columbia was transferred to the Federal system. At yearend 2001, when the transfer was completed, the Federal system held 6,930 inmates from the District of Columbia, up from 4,486 on June 30, 2001. More than a quarter of the growth in the Federal system in the 12 months ending June 30, 2002, was the result of this transfer of responsibility. During this 12-month period, several States also experienced substantial growth, including Rhode Island (17.4%), New Mexico (11.1%), and West Virginia and Maine (each 8.7%). Nine States, including several large States, experienced a decline in their prison population. Illinois had the largest percentage decrease (-5.5%), followed by Texas (-3.9%), New York (-2.9%), Delaware (-2.3%), and California (-2.2%). -------------------------------------------- Prison incarceration rates continue to rise The incarceration rate of State and Federal prisoners sentenced to more than 1 year was 474 per 100,000 U.S. residents on June 30, 2002, up from 472 per 100,000 on June 30, 2001. The rates since 2001 reflect the impact of shifting to the 2000 decennial census population estimates. Midyear incarceration rates prior to 2001 were based on estimates from the 1990 Census of Population and Housing. Using estimates from the 2000 Census, the revised incarceration rate for midyear 2000 was 470 sentenced prisoners per 100,000. Twelve States led by Louisiana (799 sentenced prisoners per 100,000 State residents), Mississippi (728), and Texas (685), exceeded the national rate. Three States -- Maine (137), Minnesota (139), and North Dakota (167) -- had rates that were less than a third of the national rate. The District of Columbia, a totally urban jurisdiction, held 55 sentenced prisoners per 100,000 District residents at midyear 2002, a significant drop following the transfer of responsibility for sentenced felons to the Federal system. Since 1995 the number of sentenced inmates per 100,000 residents has risen from 411 to 474. During this period prison incarceration rates rose the most in the Midwest (from 310 to 371) and West (from 358 to 413). The rate in the South rose from 483 to 531, and the rate in the Northeast rose slightly from 301 to 303. The number of sentenced Federal prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents increased from 32 to 49 over the same period. Private facilities held fewer inmates at midyear 2002 In the first 6 months of 2002, the number of prisoners held in privately operated facilities dropped from 91,953 to 86,626, a decrease of 6.1%. The drop was mainly due to the decline in inmates held in private facilities for Texas authorities (from 16,331 at yearend 2001 to 10,764 at midyear 2002). Overall, private facilities held 6.1% of all State and Federal inmates, down from 6.8% at midyear 2001. The Federal system (20,293), Texas (10,764), and Oklahoma (6,773) reported the largest number of inmates in private facilities at midyear 2002. Five States -- New Mexico (43%), Montana (31%), Alaska (29%), Oklahoma (29%), and Wyoming (28%) -- had at least a quarter of their prisoners in private facilities. -------------------------------------------- Female inmate population rose at a faster rate than male inmate population in last 12-month period From July 1, 2001, to June 30, 2002, the number of women under the jurisdiction of State and Federal prison authorities grew from 94,336 to 96,099, an increase of 1.9%. The number of men rose 1.4%, from 1,311,195 to 1,330,019. At midyear 2001 California, Texas, and the Federal system housed nearly 4 of every 10 female inmates. Since 1995 the annual rate of growth in the number of female inmates has averaged 5.4%, higher than the 3.6% average increase of male inmates. Women accounted for 6.7% of all inmates at midyear 2002, up from 6.1% at yearend 1995. Relative to their number in the U.S. resident population, men were about 15 times more likely than women to be incarcerated in a State or Federal prison. On June 30, 2002, the rate for inmates serving a sentence of more than 1 year was 60 female inmates per 100,000 women in the United States, compared to 902 sentenced male inmates per 100,000 men. Number of State inmates under age 18 continues to decline A total of 3,055 State prisoners were under age 18 on June 30, 2002, down from 3,147 at midyear 2001. At midyear 2002, 112 were female, 2,943 were male. Overall, fewer than 0.5% of all prisoners were under age 18. Eleven States reported more than 100 prisoners under age 18 at midyear 2002,led by Connecticut (366), Florida (306), Texas (230), New York (210), and North Carolina (200). Three of these States reported a decline in their populations during the 12 months ending June 30, 2002 -- Florida (down 22.5%), New York (down 17.3%), and North Carolina (down 5.7%). Michigan reported the largest increase (up 100%), followed by California (up 17.9%). Three States (Kentucky, Montana, and West Virginia) had no inmates under age 18 at midyear 2002. Twelve other States reported 10 or fewer inmates under age 18. At midyear 2002, 62% of noncitizen prisoners held in State facilities; 38% in Federal facilities On June 30, 2002, 88,776 noncitizens were in the custody of State or Federal correctional authorities, up from 87,917 at midyear 2001. Overall, 6.9% of State and Federal inmates at midyear 2002 were not U.S. citizens. At midyear 2002, 33,873 Federal inmates were noncitizens, representing 25% of all Federal prisoners. California (19,418), New York (8,306), Texas (8,002), Florida (4,526), and Arizona (3,412) held over 80% of all noncitizen State prisoners. Noncitizen prisoners accounted for over 10% of the prison populations of California, New York, Arizona, and Nevada. Since midyear 1999, there has been little change in the number of noncitizens held in State and Federal prisons. In the year ending June 30, 2002, the number of noncitizens held in the Federal system declined (13 inmates), while the number in State prisons rose (872 inmates). (For an analysis of the Federal system, see Immigration Offenders in the Federal Criminal Justice System, 2000, NCJ 191745.) Growth slows as rising State prison releases outpace admissions Underlying the decrease in the rate of growth since 1995 in State prison populations has been a rise in prison releases. During 2001, 591,837 sentenced prisoners were released from State prisons, up from 544,864 in 1999 -- an increase of 8.6%. At the same time, total admissions to State prison rose 3.3% (from 575,415 in 1999 to 594,429 in 2001). Admissions to the Federal prison system increased 7.5% between 1999 and 2001 (41,972 to 45,140); releases increased 20.6% (31,816 to 38,370). Although releases rose faster than admissions, the number of admissions to Federal prison in 2001 exceeded releases by more than 6,700 inmates. Overall, State prison release rates dropped from 37 per 100 inmates in 1990 to 31 per 100 in 1995 and then remained nearly unchanged (reaching 33 per 100 in 2001). However, as a result of increasing total prison populations, the absolute number of releases increased 30% (from 455,139 in 1995 to 591,837 in 2001). Prior to 1998 growth in prison admissions reflected increasing numbers of offenders returning for parole violations. Between 1990 and 1998, the number of returned parole violators increased 54% (from 133,870 to 206,152), while the number of new court commitments increased 7% (from 323,069 to 347,270). The number of parole violators returned to prison in 2001 totaled 215,450; the number of new court commitments, 365,714. (See Trends in State Parole, 1990-2000, NCJ 184735.) At midyear the Nation's jails supervised 737,912 persons As defined in this report, jails are locally operated correctional facilities that confine persons before or after adjudication. Inmates sentenced to jail usually have a sentence of 1 year or less, but jails also incarcerate persons in a wide variety of other categories. (See box below.) Based on the 2002 Annual Survey of Jails, the Nation's local jails held or supervised 737,912 offenders on June 28, 2002. Jail authorities supervised 10% of these offenders (72,437) in alternative programs outside the jail facilities. A total of 665,475 persons were housed in local jails. ------------------------------------ Jails -- * receive individuals pending arraignment and hold them awaiting trial, conviction, or sentencing * readmit probation, parole, and bail-bond violators and absconders * temporarily detain juveniles pending transfer to juvenile authorities * hold mentally ill persons pending their movement to appropriate health facilities * hold individuals for the military, for protective custody, for contempt, and for the courts as witnesses * release convicted inmates to the community upon completion of sentence * transfer inmates to Federal, State, or other authorities * house inmates for Federal, State, or other authorities because of crowding of their facilities * sometimes operate community- based programs as alternatives to incarceration * hold inmates sentenced to short terms (generally under 1 year). ---------------------------------------- Among persons under community supervision by jail staff in 2002, 19% were required to perform community service (13,918) and nearly 25% participated in a weekend reporting program (17,955). Thirteen percent of offenders in the community were under electronic monitoring; 12% were under other pretrial supervision; 2% were in a drug, alcohol, mental health, or other type of medical treatment program; and 7% were in a work release or other alternative work program. Number of jail inmates rose 34,200 in 12 months ending June 28, 2002 Between July 1, 2001, and June 28, 2002, the number of persons held in local jail facilities grew 5.4% - from 631,240 to 665,475. The 12-month increase was above the average growth (4.0%)from midyear 1995 to midyear 2002. The 5.4% growth in 2002 was the largest annual increase since 1997. In absolute numbers, the total increase of 34,235 inmates in 2002 was greater than the increase in 2001 (10,091). Jail incarceration rates rose sharply in last 12-month period Since 1990 the Nation's jail population on a per capita basis has increased over 40%. During this period the number of jail inmates per 100,000 residents rose from 163 to 231. When offenders under community supervision by jail authorities are included with those in custody, the rate was 257 offenders per 100,000 U.S. residents at midyear 2002. An estimated total of 7,248 persons under age 18 were housed in adult jails on June 28, 2002. Eighty-four percent of these young inmates had been convicted or were being held for trial as adults in criminal court. The average daily population for the year ending June 30, 2002, was 652,082, an increase of 4.2% from 2001 and 27.9% from 1995. Characteristics of jail inmates changing slowly Male inmates made up 88.4% of the local jail inmate population at midyear 2002 - 1.4 percentage points lower than at midyear 1995. During the 12- month period ending June 28,2002, the number of adult female inmates rose 5.8%, while the number of adult male inmates increased 5.5%. On average the adult female jail population has grown 5.9% annually since 1995, while the adult male inmate population has grown 3.8%. At midyear 2002 nearly 6 in 10 persons in local jail inmates were racial or ethnic minorities. Whites made up 43.8% of the jail population; blacks 39.8%; Hispanics, 14.7%; and other races (Asians, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders), 1.6%. On a per capita basis, men were nearly 8 times more likely than women to have been held in a local jail on June 28, 2002. Blacks were 5 times more likely than whites, nearly 3 times more likely than Hispanics, and over 10 times more likely than persons of other races to have been in jail. On June 28, 2002, about 60% of the Nation's adult jail inmates were awaiting court action on their current charge. An estimated 264,000 adults held in local jails were serving a sentence in jail, awaiting sentencing, or serving time for a probation or parole violation. As a percent of all jail inmates, the percent convicted has dropped from 44.0% at midyear 2000 to 40.1% at midyear 2002. At midyear 2002, 93% of jail capacity occupied In the 12 months ending June 28, 2002, fewer beds than inmates were added to the Nation's jails, for the first time since 1997. At midyear 2002 the rated capacity of the Nation's local jails was estimated at 713,899 beds, an increase of 14,590 in 12 months. Rated capacity is the maximum number of beds or inmates allocated by State or local rating officials to each jail facility. The growth in jail capacity during the 12-month period ending on June 28, 2002, (14,590) was considerably less than the average growth of 24,019 beds every 12 months since midyear 1995, and was less than the growth in beds during 2001 (21,522). As of June 28, 2002, 93% of the local jail capacity was occupied. **On December 31, 2001, State prisons were operating between 101% and 116% of capacity, while Federal prisons were operating at 31% above capacity. See Prisoners in 2001, July 2002, NCJ 195189.** As a ratio of all inmates housed in jail facilities to total capacity, the percentage occupied decreased by 11 percentage points from 1990 to 2002. At midyear 1990 local jails operated at 4% above their rated capacity. Jail jurisdictions that on average held between 500-999 inmates again reported the highest occupancy rates. At midyear 2002 occupancy was 95% of rated capacity in jail jurisdictions with an average daily population of 1,000 or more inmates, compared to 68% in those with fewer than 50 inmates. The 50 largest jail jurisdictions housed a third of all jail inmates On June 28, 2002, the Nation's 50 largest jail jurisdictions held 31.5% (209,847) of all jail inmates. Twenty States had at least one jurisdiction which ranked in the top 50 for average daily population. States with more than one jurisdiction among the Nation's 50 largest jurisdictions are California (11), Florida (7), Texas (7), Georgia (3), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (3), Tennessee (2), and New Jersey (2). The two jurisdictions with the most inmates, Los Angeles County and New York City, together held approximately 34,100 inmates, or 5% of the national total. Nineteen jurisdictions among the 50 largest experienced a decrease in the number of inmates held between July 1, 2001, and June 28, 2002. Jurisdictions with the largest decreases were Fulton County, Georgia (down 15.1%), Milwaukee County, Wisconsin (down 12.5%), De Kalb County, Georgia (down 12%), Orange County, Florida (down 11.1%), and Kern County, California (down 10.8%). The jurisdiction with the largest increase in jail population was Riverside County, California (up 17.6%). Other jail jurisdictions with substantial population increases were Oklahoma County, Oklahoma (up 17.3%), Harris County, Texas (up 15.4%), Maricopa County, Arizona (up 13.9%), and Orange County, California (up 13.1%). Seventeen of the 50 largest jail jurisdictions operated at over 100% of their rated capacity. On June 28, 2002, Clark County, Nevada, operated at 166% of their capacity; Maricopa County, Arizona, operated at 152%; and Philadelphia City, Pennsylvania, operated at 132% of capacity. An estimated 12% of black males in their twenties and early thirties in prison or jail in 2002 When total incarceration rates are estimated separately by age group, black males in their twenties and thirties are found to have high rates relative to other groups. Among the more than 2 million offenders incarcerated on June 30, 2002, an estimated 596,400 were black males between ages 20 and 39. Among males age 25 to 29, 12.9% of blacks were in prison or jail, compared to 4.3% of Hispanics and about 1.6% of whites. Although incarceration rates drop with age, the percentage of black males age 45 to 54 in prison or jail in 2002 was an estimated 3.9% -- more than twice the highest rate (1.7%) among white males (age 30 to 34). Female incarceration rates, though significantly lower than male rates at every age, reveal similar racial and ethnic differences. Black females (with a prison and jail rate of 349 per 100,000) were 21/2 times more likely than Hispanic females (137 per 100,000) and 5 times more likely than white females (68 per 100,000) to be incarcerated in 2002. These differences among white, black, and Hispanic females were consistent across all age groups. Among black females, the rate was highest (1,024 per 100,000) among those age 30 to 34. This rate was nearly 5 times higher than the rate among white females in this age group (213 per 100,000). Methodology National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) The Bureau of Justice Statistics, with the U.S. Census Bureau as its collection agent, obtains yearend and midyear counts of prisoners from departments of correction in each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. NPS distinguishes between prisoners in custody from those under jurisdiction. To have custody of a prisoner, a State must hold that person in one of its facilities. To have jurisdiction, a State has legal authority over the prisoner. Prisoners under a State's jurisdiction may be in the custody of a local jail, another State's prison, or other correctional facility such as a privately operated institution. Some States are unable to provide both custody and jurisdiction counts. Excluded from NPS counts are persons confined in locally administered confinement facilities who are under the jurisdiction of local authorities. NPS counts include all inmates in State-operated facilities in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont, which have combined jail-prison systems. (See National Prisoner Statistics jurisdiction notes, on the BJS Web site.) Annual Survey of Jails, 2002 In each of the years between the full censuses, a sample survey of jails is conducted to estimate baseline characteristics of the Nation's jails and the inmates housed in these jails. Based on information from the 1999 Census of Jails, a sample of jail jurisdictions was selected for the 2002 survey. A jurisdiction is a county (parish in Louisiana) or municipal government that administers one or more local jails. The sample included all jail facilities (948) in 878 jurisdictions. In drawing the sample, all multi-jurisdictional (47) jails were included in the sample with certainty. These jails are operated jointly by two or more jurisdictions. Other jurisdictions (357) were included automatically in the sample if their jails held juvenile inmates on census day and had an average daily population of 250 or more inmates, or if their jails held only adults and had an average daily population of 500 or more. The remaining jurisdictions were stratified into two groups: jurisdictions with jails holding at least one juvenile on June 30, 1999, and jurisdictions with jails holding adults only. Using stratified probability sampling, 474 jurisdictions were then selected from 10 strata based on the average daily population in the 1999 census. Data were obtained by mailed and web-based survey questionnaires. After follow-up phone calls to respondents, the response rate for the survey was 100% for critical items such as rated capacity, average daily population, and number of inmates confined. (For standard errors, see Appendix tables, Annual Survey of Jails 2002, on the BJS Web site.) --------------------------------------------------- The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Lawrence A. Greenfeld is director. BJS Bulletins present the first release of findings from permanent data collection programs such as the National Prisoner Statistics program and the Annual Survey of Jails. Paige M. Harrison and Jennifer C. Karberg wrote this report, under the supervision of Allen J. Beck. Tom Hester edited the report. Jayne E. Robinson administered final production. Data collection and processing for the National Prisoner Statistics program were carried out by Nicole Gist under the supervision of Marilyn Monahan, Demographic Surveys Division, Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. Data collection and processing for the Annual Survey of Jails were carried out by Lisa McNelis, Diron Gaskins, and Duane Cavanaugh, under the supervision of Pam Butler, Governments Division, Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. April 2003, NCJ 198877 ----------------------------------- ---------------------------------- This report in portable document format and in ASCII, its tables, and related statistical data are available at the BJS World Wide Web Internet site:http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ ------------------------------------- End of file 03/18/03 ih