Survey of Inmates in Local Jails (SILJ): Design, Testing, Data Collection and Dissemination

The SILJ has been conducted periodically since 1972 and is a core collection for the BJS Corrections Statistics Program. The primary purposes of this omnibus survey are to generate nationally representative estimates of the characteristics of jail inmates and to track changes in these characteristics over time, conduct studies of inmates on special topics, and identify policy-relevant changes in jail populations.