2009 National Inmate Survey

The National Prison Rape Statistics Program entails the collection of both administrative and self-report data on sexual violence from a 10 percent sample of the nearly 9,000 State and Federal prisons, locally-operated jails, and public and private facilities for juvenile offenders in the nation. Together, these facilities house more than 2 million residents. This statistical program is designed to provide facility-level estimates of the incidence of sexual violence and to examine those factors which may help to account for variation in the estimated rates of incidence across facilities. Interviews with incarcerated persons are carried out using an audio computer-assisted format to ensure the confidentiality of all responses.

Under this award, Research Triangle Institute (RTI) will carry out the third annual National Inmate Survey (NIS). The 2009 NIS will be conducted in approximately 155 State and Federal prisons, 310 local jails, and 10 facilities within Indian country and among military facilities and facilities operated by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

RTI will perform the following tasks and services during the project period: (1) design and draw a sample of approximately 475 prison, jails, and special facilities; (2) design sampling plan for selection of inmates within facilities; (3) hire and train an appropriate number of field interviewers to conduct the data collection, completing requisite background investigations; (4) coordinate logistical and other particulars of data collection with facility administrators; (5) implement procedures that minimize collection costs and potential disruption of facility operations; (6) implement methods and statistical models for assessing the reliability of inmate self-reports; and (7) provide preliminary and final data files, including file layouts, weights, and all supporting documentation, in a machine-readable format.

ca/ncf