Description
NCJ Number: 000000
Author(s): Zhen Zeng, PhD, BJS Statistician
Date Published: October 2024
Publication Series: Jail Inmates, Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear
Description
This report is the 37th in a series that began in 1982. It describes the number of persons held in local jails, jail incarceration rates, inmate demographics, conviction status and most serious offense, number of admissions to jail, jail capacity, inmate turnover rates, and staff employed in local jails from 2013 to 2023.
Highlights
- At midyear 2023, local jails held 664,200 persons in custody, mirroring figures from midyear 2022 and marking a 10% decrease in inmate population compared to a decade ago.
- Between 2020 and 2023, the population of jail inmates ages 35 and over increased 35%, while those ages 18–34 saw a 9% rise.
- At midyear 2023, there were 198 persons incarcerated in jail per 100,000 U.S. residents, down from 231 inmates per 100,000 at midyear 2013.
- From July 2022 to June 2023, people admitted to local jails spent an average of 32 days in custody before release, 9 days longer compared to 10 years prior (23 days).
- At midyear 2023, there were a total of 915,800 jail beds in the United States and 73% of the beds were occupied.