James J. Stephan, Georgette Walsh, Bureau of Justice Statistics

December 20, 2011    NCJ 230188

Presents findings from the ninth in a series of complete enumerations of local jails since 1970. The data include changes in the number of jurisdictions and facilities, functions, confined inmates, and inmate-to-staff ratios. Findings are presented on the number of jurisdictions by size, incarceration rates, judicial sanctions, jail staff, and the number operated publically or under contract to county or city governments.

Highlights:

• A total of 3,283 jail facilities, including jails in the federal system, were operating in 2006, down 93 from 3,376 in 1999.
• Private and public entities under contract to local governments operated 37 jail facilities in 2006, down from 47 in 1999.
• As the number of confined jail inmates increased faster than the number of jail staff, the number of confined inmates per employee rose from 2.9 in 1999 to 3.3 in 2006.

Part of the Census of Jails Series

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