Correctional Populations in the United States, 2015

[Pages:20]U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics

Correctional Populations in the United States, 2015

December 2016, NCJ 250374

Bulletin

Danielle Kaeble and Lauren Glaze, BJS Statisticians

At yearend 2015, an estimated 6,741,400 persons were under the supervision of U.S. adult correctional systems, about 115,600 fewer persons than yearend 2014 (figure 1). This was the first time since 2002 (6,730,900) that the correctional population fell below 6.8 million. The population declined by 1.7% during 2015, which was the largest decline since 2010 (down 2.1%). Additionally, the decrease was a change from a 3-year trend of stable annual rate declines of about 0.6% between 2012 and 2014. About 1 in 37 adults in the United States was under some form of correctional supervision at the end of 2015. This was the lowest rate observed since 1994, when about 1 in 38 adults (1.6 million fewer persons) were under correctional supervision in the nation (not shown).1

This report summarizes data from several Bureau of Justice Statistics' (BJS) correctional data collections to provide statistics on the total

1See the Key Statistics page on the BJS website for correctional population statistics prior to 2000 or other years not included in the tables and figures of this report.

Figure 1 Total population under the supervision of U.S. adult correctional systems and annual percent change, 2000?2015

Population* 8,000,000

Annual percent change 8.0

7,000,000

7.0

6,000,000

6.0

5,000,000

5.0

4,000,000

4.0

3,000,000

3.0

2,000,000

2.0

1,000,000

1.0

0

0.0

-1.0

Percent change

-2.0

-3.0 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15

Note: Estimates were rounded to the nearest 100. Estimates may not be comparable to previously published BJS reports because of updated information or rounding. Includes estimates for nonresponding jurisdictions. Detail may not sum to total due to adjustments to account for offenders with multiple correctional statuses. See Methodology. See the Key Statistics page on the BJS website for correctional population statistics prior to 2000.

*Estimates include offenders in the community under the jurisdiction of probation or parole agencies as of December 31, under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons as of December 31, or in the custody of local jails as of the last weekday in June.

Sources: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Annual Probation Survey, Annual Parole Survey, Annual Survey of Jails, Census of Jail Inmates, and National Prisoner Statistics program, 2000?2015.

HIGHLIGHTS

At yearend 2015, an estimated 6,741,400 persons were supervised by U.S. adult correctional systems, a decrease of about 115,600 persons from yearend 2014.

About 1 in 37 adults (or 2.7% of adults in the United States) was under some form of correctional supervision at yearend 2015, the lowest rate since 1994.

The U.S. correctional population declined 1.7% during 2015 due to decreases in both the community supervision (down 1.3%) and incarcerated (down 2.3%) populations.

By yearend 2015, the community supervision population (4,650,900) fell to the lowest level since 2000 (4,564,900).

The incarcerated population in 2015 (2,173,800) fell to the lowest levels since 2004 (2,136,600).

All of the decrease in the community supervision population during 2015 was due to a drop in the probation population (down 2.0%).

The decline in the incarcerated population in 2015 (down 51,300) represented the largest annual decrease since 2009.

In 2015, the majority (69%) of the decline in the incarcerated population resulted from the drop in the prison population (down 35,500).

population supervised by adult correctional systems in the United States. (See Methodology.) These systems include persons living in the community while supervised by probation or parole agencies and those under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons or in the custody of local jails. (See Terms and definitions.)

Community supervision and incarcerated populations declined to lowest levels in more than a decade

From 2014 (6,856,900) to 2015 (6,741,400), the U.S. correctional population declined by 1.7%, continuing a downward trend that began in 2008 (table 1). Persons supervised in the community on either probation (3,789,800) or parole (870,500) continued to account for most of the U.S. correctional population in 2015.2 About 7 in 10 persons under correctional supervision were supervised in the community at yearend 2015, compared to 3 in 10 incarcerated in state or federal prisons (1,526,800) or local jails (728,200).

The decrease in the number of persons under correctional supervision in 2015 was due to a reduction in both the community supervision (down 1.3%) and incarcerated (down 2.3%) populations. Because persons under community supervision accounted for most of the U.S. correctional population, the decrease in the community supervision population during 2015 accounted for more than half (54%) of the decline in the correctional population.

2 The total correctional, community supervision, and incarcerated populations exclude offenders with multiple correctional statuses to avoid double counting. See table 5 and Methodology.

The number of persons under supervision in the community fell by 62,300 to 4,650,900 at yearend 2015. All of the decrease in the community supervision population resulted from a decline in the probation population (down 2.0%), as the parole population (up 1.5%) increased. Since 2007, the community supervision population decreased by an annual average of 1.2%. By yearend 2015, the number of offenders under community supervision declined to the lowest level observed since 2000 (4,564,900).

At yearend 2015, an estimated 2,173,800 persons were either under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons or in the custody of local jails in the United States, down about 51,300 persons compared to yearend 2014. This was the largest decline in the incarcerated population since it first decreased in 2009. By yearend 2015, the number of persons incarcerated in state or federal prisons or local jails fell to the lowest level observed since 2004 (2,136,600) (not shown).

Declines in both the U.S. prison (down 2.3%) and local jail (down 2.2%) populations contributed to the decrease in the incarcerated population during 2015. However, 69% of the decline in the incarcerated population was due to the drop in the number of persons incarcerated in state or federal prisons (down 35,500). One jurisdiction, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, accounted for 40% of the decrease in the U.S. prison population during the year. By the end of 2015 (1,526,800), the U.S. prison population fell to a level similar to 2005 (1,525,900).

Table 1

Number of persons supervised by U.S. adult correctional systems, by correctional status, 2000 and 2005?2015

Total correctional

Community supervision

Incarceratedb

Year

populationa

Totala,c

Probation

Parole

Totala

Local jail

Prison

2000

6,467,800

4,564,900

3,839,400

725,500

1,945,400

621,100 1,394,200

2005

7,055,600

4,946,600

4,162,300

784,400

2,200,400

747,500 1,525,900

2006

7,199,600

5,035,000

4,236,800

798,200

2,256,600

765,800 1,568,700

2007

7,339,600

5,119,000

4,293,000

826,100

2,296,400

780,200 1,596,800

2008

7,312,600

5,093,400

4,271,200

826,100

2,310,300

785,500 1,608,300

2009

7,239,100

5,019,900

4,199,800

824,600

2,297,700

767,400 1,615,500

2010

7,089,000

4,888,500

4,055,900

840,800

2,279,100

748,700 1,613,800

2011

6,994,500

4,818,300

3,973,800

855,500

2,252,500

735,600 1,599,000

2012

6,949,800

4,790,700

3,944,900

858,400

2,231,300

744,500 1,570,400

2013

6,899,700

4,749,800

3,912,900

849,500

2,222,500

731,200 1,577,000

2014

6,856,900

4,713,200

3,868,400

857,700

2,225,100

744,600 1,562,300

2015

6,741,400

4,650,900

3,789,800

870,500

2,173,800

728,200 1,526,800

Average annual percent change,

2007?2015

-1.1%

-1.2%

-1.6%

0.7%

-0.7%

-0.9%

-0.6%

Percent change, 2014?2015

-1.7%

-1.3%

-2.0%

1.5%

-2.3%

-2.2%

-2.3%

Note: Estimates were rounded to the nearest 100 and may not be comparable to previously published BJS reports due to updated information or rounding. Counts include estimates for nonresponding jurisdictions. All probation, parole, and prison counts are for December 31; jail counts are for the last weekday in June. Detail may not sum to total due to rounding and adjustments made to account for offenders with multiple correctional statuses. See Methodology. See the Key Statistics page on the BJS website for correctional population statistics prior to 2000 or other years not included in this table.

aTotal was adjusted to account for offenders with multiple correctional statuses. See Methodology.

bIncludes offenders held in local jails or under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons.

cIncludes some offenders held in a prison or jail but who remained under the jurisdiction of a probation or parole agency.

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Annual Probation Survey, Annual Parole Survey, Annual Survey of Jails, Census of Jail Inmates, and National Prisoner Statistics Program, 2000 and 2005?2015.

CORREC TIONAL POPULATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, 2015 | DECEMBER 2016

2

Drop in the number of probationers accounted for most of the decrease in the correctional population during 2015

After a peak in 2007, the U.S. correctional population declined annually through 2015. However, the composition of the population remained stable despite the decreasing size of the population during that time. Between 2007 (58%) and 2015 (56%), probationers accounted for the majority of offenders under correctional supervision (table 2). Prisoners represented slightly less than a quarter of the U.S. correctional population in 2007 (22%) and 2015 (23%). Parolees (11% in 2007 and 13% in 2015) and jail inmates (11% in both 2007 and 2015) remained the smallest shares of the correctional population during the 8-year period.

During 2015, decreases in the probation (down 78,700), prison (down 35,500), and local jail (down 16,300) populations led to the overall decline in the U.S. correctional population (table 3). The decrease in the probation population accounted for 68% of the total decline in the correctional population, as probationers represented the largest share of offenders under correctional supervision. The parole population (up 12,800) was the only correctional population to increase during the year, slightly offsetting the overall decline in the correctional population.

Between 2007 and 2015, the U.S. correctional population declined by 598,300 persons. The number of persons on probation in the United States fell by 503,200, representing 84% of the total decrease in the correctional population between 2007 and 2015. While the prison (12%) and local jail (9%) populations also declined during the last 8 years, their contribution to the overall decrease in the correctional population was less than a quarter (20%) combined. In comparison, the parole population (up 44,400) was the only correctional system to increase between 2007 and 2015.

Table 2 Number of persons supervised by U.S. adult correctional systems, by correctional status, 2007 and 2015

2007

2015

Correctional populations Totala

Probationb Prisonb Paroleb Local jailc

Percent of total Population population

7,339,600 100%

4,293,000 58.5

1,596,800 21.8

826,100 11.3

780,200 10.6

Percent of total Population population

6,741,400 100%

3,789,800 56.2

1,526,800 22.6

870,500 12.9

728,200 10.8

Offenders with multiple

correctional statusesd

156,400

:

174,000

:

Note: Counts were rounded to the nearest 100 and include estimates for nonresponding jurisdictions. Detail may not sum to total due to rounding and because offenders with multiple correctional statuses were excluded from the total correctional population. See Methodology.

: Not calculated.

aTotal was adjusted to exclude offenders with multiple correctional statuses to avoid double counting. See Methodology.

bPopulation as of December 31.

cPopulation as of the last weekday in June.

dSome probationers and parolees on December 31 were held in a prison or jail but still remained under the jurisdiction of a probation or parole agency and some parolees were also on probation. In addition, some prisoners were being held in jail. They were excluded from the total correctional population to avoid double counting. See table 5 and Methodology.

Sources: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Annual Probation Survey, Annual Parole Survey, Annual Survey of Jails, and National Prisoner Statistics Program, 2007 and 2015.

Table 3 Change in the number of persons supervised by U.S. adult correctional systems, 2007?2015

2007?2015

2014?2015

Correctional population Total changea

Change in population

-598,300

Percent of total change

100%

Change in population

-115,600

Percent of total change

100%

Probation

-503,200 84.1

-78,700 68.1

Prison

-70,000 11.7

-35,500 30.7

Local jail

-51,900 8.7

-16,300 14.1

Parole

44,400 -7.4

12,800 -11.1

Offenders with multiple

correctional statusesb

17,600

:

-2,100

:

Note: Estimates were rounded to the nearest 100 and include adjustments for nonresponding jurisdictions. See Methodology. Detail may not sum to total due to adjustments to exclude offenders with multiple correctional statuses from the total to avoid double counting. See table 5 and Methodology.

: Not calculated.

aIncludes the change in the number of offenders with multiple correctional statuses. See table 5 and Methodology.

bSome probationers and parolees on December 31 were held in a prison or jail but still remained under the jurisdiction of a probation or parole agency and some parolees were also on probation. In addition, some prisoners were held in a jail on December 31. These offenders were excluded from the total correctional population prior to calculating change to avoid double counting. See table 5 and Methodology.

Sources: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Annual Probation Survey, Annual Parole Survey, Annual Survey of Jails, and National Prisoner Statistics Program, 2007?2015.

CORREC TIONAL POPULATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, 2015 | DECEMBER 2016

3

By yearend 2015, the correctional supervision rate dropped to the lowest rate since 1994

After peaking at 3,210 offenders per 100,000 U.S. adult residents in 2007, the correctional supervision rate trended downward, falling to a low of 2,710 per 100,000 by yearend 2015 (table 4). The drop in the correctional supervision rate was attributed equally to the decline in the U.S. correctional population and the increase in the U.S. adult resident population. By yearend 2015, the correctional supervision rate fell to the lowest rate since 1994 (2,650 per 100,000), when about 1.6 million fewer persons were supervised by U.S. adult correctional systems (not shown).

There were 1,870 offenders per 100,000 U.S. adult residents on either probation or parole at yearend 2015. This represented the lowest rate of offenders under community supervision since 1993 (1,830 per 100,000), when the population was smaller by about 1.1 million offenders (not shown). The community supervision rate reached a high in 2007 (2,240 per 100,000) before declining each year through 2015.

At yearend 2015, 870 persons per 100,000 U.S. adult residents were under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons or in the custody of local jails. The incarceration rate has been declining since 2009 (980 per 100,000). By yearend 2015, the incarceration rate dropped to the same rate as 1997 (870 per 100,000) (not shown).

Table 4

Rate of persons supervised by U.S. adult correctional systems, by correctional status, 2000 and 2005?2015

Community supervision population

Incarcerated populationb

Total correctional populationa

Number on

Number on probation Number in prison Number in prison or

Number supervised U.S. adult residents Number supervised probation or parole or parole per 100,000 or local jail per local jail per 100,000

per 100,000 U.S. under correctional per 100,000 U.S.

per 100,000 U.S. U.S. residents of

100,000 U.S.

U.S. residents of

Year

adult residentsc supervision

residents of all agesd adult residentsc all agesd

adult residentsc all agesd

2000

3,060

1 in 33

2,280

2,160

1,610

920

690

2005

3,160

1 in 32

2,370

2,210

1,660

990

740

2006

3,190

1 in 31

2,400

2,230

1,680

1,000

750

2007

3,210

1 in 31

2,420

2,240

1,690

1,000

760

2008

3,160

1 in 32

2,390

2,200

1,670

1,000

760

2009

3,100

1 in 32

2,350

2,150

1,630

980

750

2010

3,000

1 in 33

2,280

2,070

1,570

960

730

2011

2,930

1 in 34

2,240

2,020

1,540

940

720

2012

2,880

1 in 35

2,210

1,980

1,520

920

710

2013

2,830

1 in 35

2,170

1,950

1,490

910

700

2014

2,780

1 in 36

2,140

1,910

1,470

900

690

2015

2,710

1 in 37

2,090

1,870

1,440

870

670

Note: Rates were estimated to the nearest 10. Estimates may not be comparable to previously published BJS reports due to updated information or rounding. See the Key Statistics page on the BJS website for correctional population statistics prior to 2000 or other years not included in this table. aIncludes offenders in the community under the authority of probation or parole agencies, under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons, or held in local jails. bIncludes offenders under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons or held in local jails. cRates were computed using the estimates of the U.S. resident population of persons age 18 or older from the U.S. Census Bureau for January 1 of the following year. dRates were computed using the estimates of the U.S. resident population of persons of all ages from the U.S. Census Bureau for January 1 of the following year.

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Annual Probation Survey, Annual Parole Survey, Annual Survey of Jails, Census of Jail Inmates, and National Prisoner Statistics Program, 2000, and 2005?2015; and U.S. Census Bureau, postcensal resident populations for January of the following year 2001, and 2006?2016.

CORREC TIONAL POPULATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, 2015 | DECEMBER 2016

4

Terms and definitions

Adult--persons subject to the jurisdiction of an adult criminal court or correctional agency. Adults are age 18 or older in most jurisdictions. Persons age 17 or younger who were prosecuted in criminal court as if they were adults are considered adults, but persons age 17 or younger who were under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court or agency are excluded. (See Methodology for more information on prison and local jail inmates age 17 or younger.)

Annual change--change in a population between two consecutive years.

Average annual change--average (mean) annual change in a population across a specific period.

Community supervision population--estimated number of persons living in the community while supervised on probation or parole.

Community supervision rate--estimated number of persons supervised in the community on probation or parole per 100,000 U.S. residents of all ages (i.e., total community supervision rate) or U.S. residents age 18 or older (i.e., adult community supervision rate).

Correctional population--estimated number of persons living in the community while supervised on probation or parole and persons under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons or held in local jails.

Correctional supervision rate--estimated number of persons supervised in the community on probation or parole and persons under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons or held in local jails per 100,000 U.S. residents of all ages (i.e., total correctional supervision rate) or U.S. residents age 18 or older (i.e., adult correctional supervision rate).

Imprisonment rate--estimated number of prisoners under state or federal jurisdiction sentenced to more than 1 year per 100,000 U.S. residents of all ages (i.e., total imprisonment rate) or U.S. residents age 18 or older (i.e., adult imprisonment rate). This statistic does not appear in this report; see Prisoners in 2015 (NCJ 250229, BJS web, December 2016).

Incarcerated population--estimated number of persons under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons or held in local jails.

Incarceration rate--estimated number of persons under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons or held in local jails per 100,000 U.S. residents of all ages (i.e., total incarceration rate) or U.S. residents age 18 or older (i.e., adult incarceration rate).

Indian country jail population--estimated number of inmates held in correctional facilities operated by tribal authorities or the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), U.S. Department of

the Interior. These facilities include confinement facilities, detention centers, jails, and other facilities operated by tribal authorities or the BIA. (This estimate is presented in appendix table 5.)

Local jail population--estimated number of inmates held in a confinement facility usually administered by a local law enforcement agency that is intended for adults, but sometimes holds juveniles, for confinement before and after adjudication. These facilities include jails and city or county correctional centers; special jail facilities, such as medical treatment or release centers; halfway houses; work farms; and temporary holding or lockup facilities that are part of the jail's combined function. Inmates sentenced to jail facilities usually have a sentence of 1 year or less.

Military prison population--estimated number of service personnel incarcerated under the jurisdiction of U.S. military correctional authorities. (This estimate is presented in appendix table 5.)

Parole population--estimated number of persons who are on conditional release in the community following a prison term while under the control, supervision, or care of a correctional agency. Violations of the conditions of supervision during this period may result in a new sentence to confinement or a return to confinement for a technical violation. This population includes parolees released through discretionary (i.e., parole board decision) or mandatory (i.e., provisions of a statute) supervised release from prison, those released through other types of post-custody conditional supervision, and those sentenced to a term of supervised release.

Prison population--estimated number of prisoners incarcerated in a long-term confinement facility, run by a state or the federal government, which typically holds felons and offenders with sentences of more than 1 year, although sentence length may vary by jurisdiction.

Prison jurisdiction population--estimated number of prisoners under the jurisdiction or legal authority of state or federal correctional officials, regardless of where the prisoner is held. This population represents BJS's official measure of the prison population and includes prisoners held in prisons, penitentiaries, correctional facilities, halfway houses, boot camps, farms, training or treatment centers, and hospitals. Counts also include prisoners who were temporarily absent (fewer than 30 days), in court or on work release, housed in privately operated facilities, local jails, or other state or federal facilities, and serving concurrent sentences for more than one correctional authority.

CORREC TIONAL POPULATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, 2015 | DECEMBER 2016

5

Prison custody population--estimated number of prisoners held in the physical custody of state or federal prisons regardless of sentence length or the authority having jurisdiction. This population includes prisoners housed for other correctional facilities but excludes those in the custody of local jails, those held in other jurisdictions, those out to court, and those in transit from one jurisdiction of legal authority to the custody of a confinement facility outside that jurisdiction. (This estimate is presented in appendix table 6.)

Probation population--estimated number of persons who are on a court-ordered period of supervision in the community while under the control, supervision, or care of a correctional agency. The probation conditions form a contract with the

court by which the person must abide in order to remain in the community, generally in lieu of incarceration. In some cases, probation can be a combined sentence of incarceration followed by a period of community supervision.

Often, probation entails monitoring or surveillance by a correctional agency. In some instances, probation may not involve any reporting requirements.

Territorial prison population--estimated number of prisoners in the custody of correctional facilities operated by departments of corrections in U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and U.S. commonwealths (Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico). (This estimate is presented in appendix table 5.)

CORREC TIONAL POPULATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, 2015 | DECEMBER 2016

6

Methodology

Sources of data

The statistics presented in this report include data from various Bureau of Justice Statistics' (BJS) data collections. Each collection relies on the voluntary participation of federal, state, and local respondents. For more information about any of the following data collections, go to the Data Collections page on the BJS website.

Annual Probation Survey and Annual Parole Survey. The Bureau of Justice Statistics' (BJS) Annual Probation Survey and Annual Parole Survey, which began in 1980, collects data from U.S. probation and parole agencies that supervise adults. These data collections define adults as persons subject to the jurisdiction of an adult court or correctional agency. Juveniles sentenced as adults in a criminal court are considered adults. Juveniles under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court or correctional agency are excluded from these data. The National Criminal Justice Information and Statistics Service of the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, BJS's predecessor agency, began a statistical series on parole in 1976 and on probation in 1979.

The two surveys collect data on the number of adults supervised in the community on January 1 and December 31 each year, the number of entries and exits to supervision during the reporting year, and characteristics of the population at yearend. See appendix tables for detailed data. Both surveys cover all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the federal system. BJS depends on the voluntary participation of state central reporters and separate state, county, and court agencies for these data.

Annual Survey of Jails. The Annual Survey of Jails (ASJ) has collected data from a nationally representative sample of local jails each year since 1982, except 1983, 1988, 1993, 1999, and 2005, when a complete census of U.S. local jails was conducted. Jails are confinement facilities, usually administered by a local law enforcement agency, that are intended to hold adults, but may also hold youth age 17 or younger before or after they are adjudicated. The ASJ data used in this report include inmates age 17 or younger who were held either before or after they were adjudicated (about 3,500 persons at yearend 2015).

To maintain the jail series in this report, all tables and figures that include national estimates of the local jail population as of the last weekday in June were provided through the ASJ, except in 2005 when a jail census was completed (see Census of Jails). Because the ASJ is designed to produce only national estimates, tables and figures in this report that include jurisdiction-level counts of the incarcerated population and the total correctional population were based on jail data collected through another BJS source, specifically the Deaths in Custody Reporting Program. (See Deaths in Custody Reporting Program on the BJS website.)

Census of Jails. The Census of Jails began in 1970 and was conducted in 1972, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1999, 2005, and 2006. In 2013, BJS expanded the 2013 Deaths in Custody Reporting Program--Annual Summary on Inmates under Jail Jurisdiction to act as the 2013 Census of Jails. (See Deaths in Custody Reporting Program.) The census is designed to produce a complete enumeration of jail facilities in the United States. It is part of a series of data collection efforts, including the Census of Jail Inmates and the Census of Jail Facilities, aimed at studying the nation's jails and their inmate populations. The reference date of the 2013 census was December 31, while the reference date for prior iterations was the last weekday in June within the reference year.

Deaths in Custody Reporting Program. The Deaths in Custody Reporting Program (DCRP) is an annual collection that provides national, state, and incident-level data on persons who died while in the physical custody of the 50 state departments of corrections or the approximately 2,900 local adult jail jurisdictions nationwide. To reduce respondent burden for the 2013 iteration, BJS combined the 2013 DCRP collection with the 2013 Census of Jails. For more information, see Census of Jails and Census of Jails: Population Changes, 1999?2013 (NCJ 248627, BJS web, December 2015).

The DCRP began in 2000 under the Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-297), and it is the only national statistical collection to obtain comprehensive information about deaths in adult correctional facilities. In addition to the death count, BJS requests that jails provide summary statistics about their population and admissions. All jails, including those with no deaths to report (which includes about 80% of jails in any given year), are asked to complete the annual summary survey form.

BJS relied on the local jail counts provided through the DCRP in 2014 and 2015 to generate jurisdiction-level estimates of the total incarcerated population and total correctional population that appear in appendix tables 1, 2, 3, and 4. Because they include the 2015 local jail estimates as of December 31, the national totals of the correctional and incarcerated populations reported in them are not consistent with the national totals of the populations reported in the other tables and figures of this report, which include BJS's official estimates of the total correctional and incarcerated populations.

National Prisoner Statistics Program. The National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) program began in 1926 under a mandate from Congress and has been conducted annually. It collects data from the nation's state departments of corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

The NPS distinguishes between prisoners in custody and prisoners under the jurisdiction of correctional authorities. To have custody of a prisoner, a state or the BOP must hold that prisoner in one of its facilities. To have jurisdiction over a prisoner, the state or BOP must have legal authority over

CORREC TIONAL POPULATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, 2015 | DECEMBER 2016

7

that prisoner, regardless of where the prisoner is incarcerated or supervised. Some states were unable to provide counts that distinguish between custody and jurisdiction.3

With the exception of appendix table 6, the NPS prisoner counts in all tables and figures of this report are consistent with the jurisdiction counts and findings reported in Prisoners in 2015 (NCJ 250229, BJS web, December 2016). The jurisdiction counts represent BJS's official measure of the prison population and include persons held in prisons, penitentiaries, correctional facilities, halfway houses, boot camps, farms, training or treatment centers, and hospitals. They also include prisoners who were temporarily absent (fewer than 30 days), in court, or on work release; housed in privately operated facilities, local jails, or other state or federal facilities; and serving concurrent sentences for more than one correctional authority.

The NPS prisoner custody counts are only reported in appendix table 6 and include all prisoners held within state and federal facilities, including those housed for other correctional facilities, prisoners held in privately operated facilities, prisoners age 17 or younger who were serving time in a state or federal correctional facility after being sentenced in criminal court as if they were adults (about 1,000 persons in 2015), and those in the six states in which prisons and jails form one integrated system, including persons age 17 or younger who may have been held before or after adjudication.

Through the annual NPS collection, since 1994 BJS has obtained yearend counts of prisoners in the custody of U.S. military authorities from the Department of Defense Corrections Council. In 1994, the council, comprising representatives from each branch of military service, adopted a standardized report (DD Form 2720) that obtains data on prisoners held in U.S. military confinement facilities inside and outside of the continental United States. These data are only included in appendix table 5 of this report. See Prisoners in 2015 (NCJ 250229, BJS web, December 2016) for more statistics and information.

Since 1995, through the annual NPS collection, BJS has collected yearend counts of prisoners from the departments of corrections in the U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and U.S. commonwealths (Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico). These data are only included in appendix table 5 of this report and represent all prisoners in the custody of prison facilities in the U.S. territories or commonwealths. See Prisoners in 2015 (NCJ 250229, BJS web, December 2016) for more statistics and information, including nonresponse.

Survey of Jails in Indian Country. The Annual Survey of Jails in Indian Country (SJIC) has been conducted annually since 1998, except in 2005 and 2006. The SJIC collects detailed information on all adult and juvenile confinement facilities,

3See Jurisdiction notes in Prisoners in 2015 (NCJ 250229, BJS web, December 2016) to determine which states did not distinguish between custody and jurisdiction counts.

detention centers, jails, and other facilities operated by tribal authorities or the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs. These data are only included in appendix table 5 of this report. See Jails in Indian Country, 2015 (NCJ 250117, BJS web, November 2016) for more statistics and information.

Counts adjusted for offenders with multiple correctional statuses

Offenders under correctional supervision may have multiple correctional statuses for several reasons:

probation and parole agencies may not always be notified immediately of new arrests, jail admissions, or prison admissions

absconders included in a probation or parole agency's population in one jurisdiction may actually be incarcerated in another jurisdiction

persons may be admitted to jail or prison before formal revocation hearings and potential discharge by a probation or parole agency

persons may be serving separate probation and parole sentences concurrently.

state and federal prisons may hold prisoners in county facilities or local jails to reduce crowding in their prisons.

In 1998, through the Annual Probation Survey and Annual Parole Survey, BJS began collecting data on the number of probationers and parolees with multiple correctional statuses and has since expanded on the information collected. In 1999, through the NPS, BJS began collecting data on the number of prisoners under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons who were held in county facilities or local jails (table 5). This table includes adjustments that were made to the total correctional population, total community supervision population, and total incarcerated population estimates presented in this report to exclude offenders with multiple correctional statuses to avoid double counting offenders.

The estimates from the ASPP are based on data reported by the probation and parole agencies that were able to provide the information within the specific reporting year. Because some probation and parole agencies did not provide these data each year, the numbers may underestimate the total number of offenders who had multiple correctional statuses between 2005 and 2015.

Due to these adjustments, the sum of correctional statuses in figure 1, tables 1 through 4, and appendix tables 1, 2, 3, and 4 will not equal the total correctional population. In addition, the sum of the probation and parole populations for 2008 through 2015 will not yield the total community supervision population because the total was adjusted for parolees who were also on probation. Also, the sum of the prison and local jail populations for 2005 through 2015 will not equal the total incarcerated population because prisoners held in local jails were excluded from the total.

CORREC TIONAL POPULATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, 2015 | DECEMBER 2016

8

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download