NCJ Number
58364
Date Published
1978
Length
181 pages
Annotation
A STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO FIND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INMATES OF AMERICAN JAILS, AND THE RESULTS OF THAT STUDY ARE PRESENTED IN THIS 1978 REPORT.
Abstract
COMPREHENSIVE DATA ON JAIL FACILITIES AND PERSONS CONFINED IN THEM HAVE ONLY RECENTLY BEEN COLLECTED AND ANALYZED. THIS STUDY DEVISED A SAMPLING SYSTEM TO STUDY THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE CONFINED IN JAILS. JAILS WERE DEFINED AS LOCALLY ADMINISTERED INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO RETAIN ADULTS FOR 48 HOURS OR LONGER, WHICH DID NOT INCLUDE POLICE LOCKUPS, COURT-HOLDING CELLS USED FOR LESS THAN 2 DAYS, FEDERAL AND STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR THE CRIMINALLY INSANE, OR STATE-OPERATED JAILS. A RANDOM SAMPLE OF JAILS AND OF PRISONERS WITHIN EACH JAIL WERE SELECTED; QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED TO INMATES AND TO APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES AT THE INSTITUTIONS TO OBTAIN TECHNICAL AND STATISTICAL INFORMATION. FOLLOW UP INTERVIEWS WERE ALSO HELD. QUESTIONS WERE ASKED AS TO AGE, RACE, SEX, EDUCATION, MARITAL STATUS, EMPLOYMENT, PREVIOUS INCOME, AND REGION. THE QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS ATTEMPTED TO REACH CONCLUSIONS ON EACH OF THESE FACTORS AS RELATED TO VARIOUS OFFENSES. THE BASIC CONCLUSION REACHED BY THE STUDY WAS THAT THERE WAS A WIDER VARIETY OF TYPES IN JAIL FOR MANY MORE REASONS THAN IN PRISON. MANY WERE IN JAIL DURING VARIOUS STAGES OF THE CRIMINAL PROCESS, BUT MORE WERE IN JAIL FOR CORRECTIONAL PURPOSES. HALF OF THOSE IN JAIL WERE UNDER 25. INMATES WERE 41 PERCENT BLACK, 96 PERCENT MALE, 40 PERCENT UNEMPLOYED AT THE TIME OF ARREST, EARNED RELATIVELY LITTLE MONEY, WERE SINGLE, WERE REPEAT OFFENDERS, AND FORTY PERCENT WERE IN JAIL WITHIN A YEAR OF THE CURRENT OFFENSE. ONLY 20 PERCENT WERE FIRST-OFFENDERS. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT JAILS WERE DUAL-PURPOSE INSTITUTIONS, SERVING BOTH PRETRIAL AND SENTENCED POPULATIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY, AND HELD A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW. THE REPORT CONTAINS TABLES, NOTES AND REFERENCES. (KCP)