To reduce respondent burden for the 2019 collection, the Census of Jails was combined with the Deaths in Custody Reporting Program (DCRP). The census provides the sampling frame for the nationwide Survey of Inmates in Local Jails (SILJ) and the Annual Survey of Jails (ASJ). Previous jail enumerations were conducted in 1970 (ICPSR 7641), 1972 (ICPSR 7638), 1978 (ICPSR 7737), 1983 (ICPSR 8203), 1988 (ICPSR 9256), 1993 (ICPSR 6648), 1999 (ICPSR 3318), 2005 (ICPSR 20367), 2006 (ICPSR 26602), and 2013 (ICPSR 36128). The RTI International collected the data for the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 2013 and 2019. The United States Census Bureau was the collection agent from 1970-2006.

The 2019 Census of Jails gathered data from all jail detention facilities holding inmates beyond arraignment, a period normally exceeding 72 hours. Jail facilities were operated by cities and counties, by private entities under contract to correctional authorities, and by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

Excluded from the census were physically separate temporary holding facilities such as drunk tanks and police lockups that do not hold persons after being formally charged in court. Also excluded were state-operated facilities in Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Alaska, which have combined jail-prison systems. Fifteen independently operated jails in Alaska were included in the Census.

The 2019 census collected information on the number of confined inmates, number of persons supervised outside jail, number of inmates participating in weekend programs, number of confined non-U.S. citizens, number of inmates by sex and adult or juvenile status, number of juveniles held as adults, number of inmates who were parole or probation violators, number of inmates by conviction status, number of inmates by felony or misdemeanor status, number of inmates held by race or Hispanic origin, number of inmates held for other jurisdictions or authorities, average daily population, rated capacity, admissions and releases, number of staff employed by local jails, facility functions, and number of jails under court orders and consent decrees.

The 2019 census also included a module to collect data on the effects of the opioid epidemic on local jails and jail responses to the epidemic. Items included: Jail practices on opioid use disorder testing, screening, and treatment; Number of local jail admissions screened during June 2019; Number of positive screens; Number of admissions treated for opioid use disorder; Number of jail inmates treated for opioid withdrawal at midyear 2019.

Census of Jails, 2019

National Jail Census Series

See the NACJD codebook for information about the differences between the public-use and restricted-use versions of the data set.

The 1999 Census of Jails is the seventh in a series of data collection efforts aimed at studying the nation's locally administered jails. Previous censuses were conducted in 1970, 1972, 1978, 1983, 1988, and 1993. The 1999 census enumerated 3,365 locally administered confinement facilities that held inmates beyond arraignment and were staffed by municipal or county employees. Among these were 47 privately operated jails under contract for local governments and 42 regional jails that were operated for two or more jail authorities. In addition, the census identified 11 facilities maintained by the Federal Bureau of Prisons that functioned as jails. The nationwide total of the number of jails in operation on June 30, 1999, was 3,376. For purposes of this data collection, a local jail was defined as a locally operated adult detention facility that receives individuals pending arraignment and holds them awaiting trial, conviction, or sentencing, readmits probation, parole, and bail-bond violators and absconders, temporarily detains juveniles pending transfer to juvenile authorities, holds mentally ill persons pending their movement to appropriate health facilities, holds individuals for the military, for protective custody, for contempt, and for the courts as witnesses, releases convicted inmates to the community upon completion of sentence, transfers inmates to federal, state, or other authorities, houses inmates for federal, state, or other authorities because of crowding of their facilities, relinquishes custody of temporary detainees to juvenile and medical authorities, operates community-based programs with day-reporting, home detention, electronic monitoring, or other types of supervision, and holds inmates sentenced to short terms. Variables include information on jail population by legal status, age and sex of prisoners, maximum sentence, admissions and releases, available services and programs, structure and capacity, facility age and use of space, expenditure, employment, staff information, and health issues, which include statistics on drugs, AIDS, and tuberculosis.

National Jail Census, 1999

The Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF) is a secure cloud-based computing platform designed to promote collaboration, facilitate documentation, and provide information about data use to the agencies that own the data. The ADRF has provided secure access to over 100 confidential government datasets from 50 different agencies at all levels of government. More information on ADRF is available at https://coleridgeinitiative.org/adrf/.

Remote access to restricted-use data at the authorized licensed location via the the Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF) by a connected, networked computer.  

Researchers may access restricted-use National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data at Research Data Centers (RDCs) located in Hyattsville, MD, Atlanta, GA, Rockville, MD, and Washington DC (government employees only). The NCHS RDCs are open by appointment only during regular business hours. The NCHS RDC computers are not connected to the Internet, and they have standard statistical software. An RDC Analyst will review all materials brought into the RDC and will review any notes, code, or output the researcher may want to take out of the RDC. Electronic devices (e.g., cell phones and laptops) are not permitted in the RDC. Some NCHS projects are authorized to access NCHS data at Federal Statistical RDCs (FSRDC). Non-US Citizens: In general, non-US citizens are not granted access to NCHS RDCs and are encouraged to use Federal Statistical RDCs to access restricted-use NCHS data.

Access via physical data enclaves in Atlanta, GA; Hyattsville, MD; Rockville, MD; or Washington, DC (government employees only).

NCSES Secure Data Access Facility (SDAF) houses NCSES restricted-use data and provides secure remote access to researchers. After researchers have submitted a restricted-use data application, received approval from NCSES, and have been trained on how to use the SDAF, they can login using an approved computer and a private internet connection. Each researcher has access to their own, personal file space and to a suite of software that can be used to store, access, and analyze data. For more information on accessing NCSES restricted-use data, please visit https://ncses.nsf.gov/about/licensing. 

The NCSES Secure Data Access Facility is a virtual data enclave where approved researchers access NCSES restricted-use data.

USDA offers offsite remote access via a secure internet connection using the researcher’s own computer and web browser to approved datasets for data analysis within the Data Enclave. Each researcher has access to their own personal file space and to a suite of software that can be used to store, access, and analyze data.

Remote access through a virtual data enclave.

Access via a physical data enclave at the Social Security Administration in Washington, DC.

The ICPSR physical data enclave is located in the Perry Building on the campus of the University of Michigan.

Access via the physical data enclave at ICPSR in Ann Arbor, MI.

The ICPSR virtual data enclave allows users access to restricted data via their own computers using a virtual desktop. 

Remote access through ICPSR`s virtual data enclave.

Data can be used by the researcher(s) at their institutions via a method and following requirements set by the agency owning the data. These might include a non-networked computer, a secure office, or other provisions deemed necessary to ensure security.

Data can be used at the user`s institution following the license agreement.

Researchers share four secure workstations at BEA’s headquarters at the Suitland Federal Center in Suitland, MD. Workstation use is by appointment only. Due to pandemic-related restrictions that currently prevent access at the physical data enclave, BEA is temporarily providing access at the user`s domicile. A security clearance is required to access the BEA network. 

Access via a physical enclave at BEA`s headquarters in Suitland, MD.

BLS Onsite access is available in a researcher room at the BLS national office in Washington, DC.  Researchers with approved projects can reserve time during normal business hours to use BLS workstations connected to an internal server where all data and project files are stored.  More information is available at www.bls.gov/rda/onsite-at-bls.htm. 

Access via a designated researcher room at the BLS national office in Washington, DC.

BLS offers offsite limited remote access to restricted data through a Virtual Data Enclave for two survey files:  NLSY Geocode and CFOI-Masked data.  More information is available at www.bls.gov/rda/offsite.htm. 

Remote access to limited restricted-use data through a virtual data enclave. 

Federal Statistical Research Data Centers (FSRDCs) are Census Bureau facilities, housed in partner institutions, that meet all physical and information security requirements for access to restricted–use micro data of the agencies whose data are accessed there. Remote access via secure Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI) is permitted for researchers working with selected data, at the discretion of the data-owning agency. All FSRDC researchers must obtain the Census Bureau`s Special Sworn Status and successfully complete a thorough background investigation prior to accessing an RDC.

Federal Statistical Research Data Centers (FSRDCs) are Census Bureau facilities, housed in partner institutions, that meet all physical and information security requirements for access to restricted–use micro data of the agencies whose data are accessed there.

Remote access to the IRS network via a secure VPN line using a government laptop issued and configured by IRS IT.

Remote access to the IRS network via secure VPN line using government laptop issued and configured by IRS IT.

Access at IRS Headquarters, Submission Processing Center, or other satellite (field) offices.

Title	Last Modified
Census of Jails, 2019 RDG 6926 Bureau of Justice Statistics	12-20-2023
National Jail Census, 1999 RDG 1212 Bureau of Justice Statistics	12-21-2023

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