NCJ Number
13313
Date Published
Unknown
Length
29 pages
Annotation
MAJOR FINDINGS OF A NATIONWIDE SURVEY OF U.S. JAILS AND THE SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE U.S. JAIL POPULATION.
Abstract
IN MID-1972, APPROXIMATELY 141,600 PERSONS WERE CONFINED IN THE NATION'S JAILS - AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 36 PER FACILITY. THIS JAIL INMATE POPULATION WAS PREDOMINANTLY MALE, TYPICALLY YOUNG, GENERALLY POOR AND UNEDUCATED, AND WAS COMPRISED OF A DISPROPORTIONATELY LARGE NUMBER OF BLACKS. THESE ARE BUT A FEW OF THE MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY OF INMATES OF LOCAL JAILS. THE SURVEY, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED IN THE SUMMER OF 1972 FOR LEAA BY THE U. S. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS, IS THE FIRST NATIONWIDE ATTEMPT TO ASSESS THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COUNTRY'S JAIL POPULATION. ('JAIL', AS DEFINED IN THIS SURVEY, IS A LOCALLY ADMINISTERED INSTITUTION THAT HAS AUTHORITY TO RETAIN ADULTS FOR 48 HOURS OR LONGER). ALTHOUGH THE SURVEY FOCUSES ON THE INMATES AND THEIR BACKGROUNDS, IT WAS ALSO AN INQUIRY INTO THE STATUS OF THE NATION'S JAILS, AND AS SUCH EMPLOYED TWO DISTINCT QUESTIONNAIRES. ONE WAS DESIGNED TO ELICIT, DIRECTLY FROM THE AUTHORITIES OF EACH JAIL, SPECIFIC DATA ON PHYSICAL FACILITIES, STAFF PERSONNEL, AND PROGRAMS CONDUCTED FOR INMATES. THE OTHER WAS USED BY INTERVIEWERS TO OBTAIN INFORMATION DIRECTLY FROM INMATES. THE REPORT PRESENTS GENERALIZED INFORMATION ON JAIL FACILITIES AND SOCIAL AND REHABILITATION SERVICES BUT PRIMARY EMPHASIS IS ON THE PRESENTATION OF STATISTICS DESCRIBING BASIC DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, OFFENSES, BAIL STATUTES, PRE-TRIAL DELAY, LENGTH OF SENTENCE, AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. THE SURVEY METHOD IS ALSO DETAILED. (SNI ABSTRACT)