Bureau of Justice Statistics

Special Report

November 2006, NCJ 210696

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Highlights

Medical Problems of Jail Inmates

By Laura M. Maruschak

BJS Statistician

In 2002 an estimated 229,000 jail 

inmates reported having a current medical problem other than a cold or virus. 

Many of these problems reflect conditions existing before admission. Medical 

problems reported by inmates included: 

• arthritis (13%)

• hypertension (11%)

• asthma (10%)

• and heart problems (6%). 

Under 5% of inmates reported cancer, 

paralysis, stroke, diabetes, kidney problems, liver problems, hepatitis, sexually 

transmitted diseases, tuberculosis (TB), 

or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). 

An estimated 227,200 jail inmates 

reported having impaired functioning, 

most commonly a learning impairment 

(22%), such as dyslexia or attention 

deficit disorder, or having been enrolled 

in special education classes. Around 2% 

of jail inmates said they had a mobility 

impairment, requiring the use of a cane, 

walker, wheelchair, or other aids to do 

daily activities. About 8% of jail inmates 

said they had a mental health condition 

that kept them from participating fully in 

school, work, or other activities.

An estimated 83,000 jail inmates 

reported being injured since admission. 

About 7% of jail inmates reported being 

injured in a fight and 7% reported an 

injury due to an accident. 

The findings in this report are based on 

the 2002 Survey of Inmates in Local 

Jails. Data are presented separately on 

medical problems, impairments, and 

injuries reported by jail inmates.

More than a third of jail inmates reported having a current medical problem

• 42% of inmates who reported a current medical problem said they had 

seen a health care professional about 

the problem.

• Nearly two-thirds of jail inmates said 

they had been tested for tuberculosis 

since admission; over a fifth reported 

being tested for HIV.

Percent of inmates

Total Convicted Unconvicted

Current medical 

problem* 36.9% 35.8% 37.7%

Any impairment 36.6 35.2 37.0

Injury since 

admission 13.4 12.6 15.6

*Medical problems include at least 1 of 14 

specific problems (see note on table 1). 

Excludes reports of a cold or flu.

• Heart valve damage (290 per 10,000 

inmates) and arrhythmia (211 per 

10,000) were the most commonly 

reported types of heart problems.

• About a quarter of convicted (26%) 

and unconvicted (25%) jail inmates 

reported having a dental problem.

• Inmates age 24 or younger (17%) 

were more than twice as likely as 

those age 45 or older (8%) to report 

being injured since admission.

• About 61% of inmates age 45 or 

older reported having a current medical problem; 44% reported an impairment.

• More than half (53%) of female jail 

inmates reported having a current 

medical problem, compared to about 

a third (35%) of male inmates.

• About 5% of female jail inmates said 

they were pregnant at the time of 

admission.

• Among inmates who were homeless 

in the year before their arrest, 49% 

reported a current medical problem, 

compared to 35% of those who were 

not homeless.

• More than 4 in 10 inmates reported 

having a medical exam since admission to jail.

22% of jail inmates reported having a learning impairment; 11% said they had 

impaired vision

• Around 15% of all jail inmates 

reported having two or more impairments.

• About 1 in 5 jail inmates said they 

considered themselves to have a disability.

Percent of jail inmates

Type of

impairment Total Convicted Unconvicted

Physical 33.9% 32.7% 34.3%

Learning 21.7 20.8 21.5

Speech 3.7 3.4 4.4

Hearing 6.4 6.3 6.0

Vision 11.3 10.5 12.3

Mobility* 1.7 1.4 2.3

Mental 8.3 7.2 9.3

*Includes use of a cane, wheelchair, walker, 

hearing aid, or other aids in daily activity.
2 Medical Problems of Jail Inmates

22% of jail inmates reported one 

medical problem; 14%, two or more

The majority of jail inmates (63%) did 

not report a current medical problem. 

Around a fifth (22%) reported having 1 

of 14 specific medical problems (See 

note on table 1) and 14% reported two 

or more. 

The prevalence of a current medical 

problem did not vary by conviction 

status. Nearly the same percentage of 

convicted (36%) and unconvicted jail 

inmates (38%) reported having a 

current medical problem (table 1). 

Medical problems were highest 

among female and older inmates

More than half (53%) of female jail 

inmates reported having a current 

medical problem, compared to about a 

third (35%) of male jail inmates. Male 

and female inmates were equally likely 

to report having had surgery since their 

admission (about 1.4%). 

Among jail inmates age 45 or older, 

61% reported a medical problem, 

compared to a quarter of those 24 or 

younger. Older and younger inmates 

were equally likely to report having 

surgery.

About 1 in 8 jail inmates reported 

currently having arthritis

Jail inmates reported a wide-range of 

medical problems, with arthritis as the 

most common (13%), followed by 

hypertension (11%), and asthma 

(10%) (table 2). Heart problems (6%), 

followed by kidney problems and 

tuberculosis (4%) were the next most 

frequently reported medical conditions. 

With the exception of paralysis, stroke, 

and tuberculosis, female inmates 

reported higher levels of each specific 

type of medical problem than male 

inmates. 

Women most likely to report 

cervical cancer, men skin cancer

Female inmates reported a higher rate 

of ever having cancer than males (831 

per 10,000 inmates, compared to 108 

per 10,000 inmates). By specific type 

of cancer, 490 per 10,000 female jail 

inmates reported ever having cervical 

cancer, 110 per 10,000 reported 

ovarian cancer, and 91 per 10,000 

reported ever having breast cancer.

Male jail inmates most commonly 

reported ever having skin cancer (37 

per 10,000 inmates), followed by lung 

cancer (15 per 10,000), and testicular 

and colon cancer (both 13 per 10,000).

Number of 

current 

medical Percent of jail inmates

problems Total Male Female

0 63.1% 65.2% 47.4%

1 22.4 21.7 28.3

2 8.7 8.1 13.5

3 or more 5.7 5.0 10.8

Rate of those who reported 

ever having cancer by type 

per 10,000 inmates 

Type of cancer Male Female

Any 108 831

Breast 2 91

Cervical ~ 490

Uterine ~ 49

Ovarian ~ 110

Colon 13 29

Prostate 11 ~

Testicular 13 ~

Lung 15 16

Skin 37 69

Leukemia 10 34

~ Not applicable.

Table 1. Estimated number and percent of jail inmates who reported a medical 

problem, by conviction status, gender and age, 2002

Current medical 

problem*

Had surgery since 

admission

Dental problem since 

admission

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

All inmates 229,300 36.9% 8,800 1.4% 159,000 25.6%

Conviction status

Convicted 121,700 35.8% 5,500 1.6% 89,900 26.5%

Unconvicted 67,800 37.7 2,000 1.1 44,700 24.9

Both 38,700 39.2 1,400 1.4 23,600 23.9

Gender

Male 191,500 34.8% 7,600 1.4% 138,400 25.2%

Female 37,800 52.6 1,200 1.7 20,600 28.7

Age

24 or younger 46,600 25.0% 1,700 0.9% 44,200 23.7%

25-34 66,500 33.7 3,700 1.9 49,300 25.0

35-44 70,200 43.3 2,500 1.5 45,500 28.1

45 or older 46,000 60.5 1,000 1.3 20,000 26.4

Note: Number of inmates with each problem was estimated and then rounded to the nearest 100. 

See Appendix tables for standard errors for the survey estimates.

*Inmates were determined to have a current medical problem if they reported currently having at 

least 1 of 14 specific problems: arthritis, asthma, cancer, diabetes, a heart condition, hypertension, kidney problems, liver problems, paralysis, problems due to a stroke, hepatitis, HIV, a sexually transmitted disease, or tuberculosis.

Table 2. Percent of jail inmates reporting specific current medical 

problems, by gender and age, 2002

Gender Age

Current medical problem

 All 

inmates Male Female

24 or 

younger 25-34 35-44

45 or 

older

Arthritis 12.9% 12.0% 19.4% 5.3% 9.4% 16.6% 32.5%

Asthma 9.9 8.7 19.4 10.9 10.8 8.9 7.3

Cancer 0.7 0.5 2.5 0.2 0.7 0.6 2.2

Diabetes 2.7 2.5 4.1 0.6 2.3 2.9 8.4

Heart problem 5.9 5.5 9.2 4.4 4.6 6.4 11.7

Hypertension 11.2 10.8 14.1 5.3 8.5 14.3 26.1

Kidney problems 3.7 3.0 8.9 2.3 4.0 4.4 4.8

Liver problems 0.9 0.8 1.6 0.1 0.4 1.3 3.4

Paralysis 1.3 1.3 1.3 0.3 1.3 1.7 3.1

Stroke 3.2 3.2 3.3 1.3 2.9 4.9 4.8

Hepatitis 2.6 2.3 5.0 0.4 1.4 4.6 7.2

HIV 1.3 1.2 2.3 0.2 1.1 2.1 2.7

Sexually transmitted disease 0.9 0.8 2.0 0.7 0.7 1.0 1.7

Tuberculosis* 4.3 4.3 4.0 2.2 3.8 5.3 8.6

*Includes all inmates who reported ever having TB.
Medical Problems of Jail Inmates 3

Heart valve damage was the most 

commonly reported heart problem

An estimated 880 jail inmates per 

10,000 reported ever having a heart 

problem, including heart valve damage 

(290 per 10,000 inmates), arrhythmia 

(211 per 10,000), and angina (130 per 

10,000). About 126 per 10,000 had 

suffered a heart attack.

Prevalence of a medical problem did 

not change with time served

Inmates who had served a year or 

more were as likely as those who had 

served 7 or fewer days to report a 

current medical problem (about 38%) 

(table 3). As time served increased, jail 

inmates who reported having had 

surgery or a dental problem since 

admission increased. Among inmates 

who had served 7 or fewer days, 0.2% 

reported surgery since admission, 

compared to 1.6% who had served 

from 61 to 180 days. About 3.5% of jail 

inmates who had served more than a 

year reported having surgery since 

admission.

Jail inmates who had served more 

than a year were nearly 3 and a half 

times more likely than those who had 

served 7 or fewer days to report having 

a dental problem since admission.

More than a third of jail inmates 

reported an impairment

An estimated 227,200 jail inmates said 

they had an impairment, including a 

learning, speech, hearing, vision, 

mobility, or mental impairment (table 

4). About 1 in 5 jail inmates said they 

considered themselves to have a 

disability (not shown in a table). 

Around 22% of jail inmates reported a 

learning impairment, such as dyslexia 

or attention deficit disorder, or having 

been enrolled in special education 

classes. About 6% of jail inmates 

reported difficulty hearing a normal 

conversation even when wearing a 

hearing aid. Among jail inmates, 11% 

reported difficulty seeing ordinary 

newsprint even when wearing glasses.

Based on a single survey question, 8% 

of jail inmates reported having a 

mental or emotional condition that kept 

them from participating fully in school, 

work, or other activities. In a recent 

BJS study, an estimated 64% of jail 

inmates were found to have a mental 

health problem. This measure was 

based on a series of survey questions 

about prior diagnoses of a mental 

health problem or symptoms of a 

mental disorder as specified in the 

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of 

Mental Disorder, DSM-IV. It was not 

restricted to impaired functioning due 

to a mental health condition. (See 

Mental Health Problems of Prison and 

Jail Inmates, available at <http://ojp. 

usdoj.gov/bjs/mhppji.htm>.

Females most likely to report a 

physical or mental impairment, 

males a learning impairment

Overall, 39% of female inmates and 

36% of male inmates reported having 

any physical or mental impairment 

(table 5). Male inmates were more 

likely than female inmates to report a 

learning impairment (22% compared to 

18%).

Females more commonly than males 

reported a vision impairment (14% 

compared to 11%) or a mental 

impairment (15% compared to 7%). 

More than 40% of inmates age 45 

or older reported an impairment

Inmates age 45 or older were the most 

likely to report having a physical or 

mental impairment, followed by those 

24 or younger. Forty-four percent of jail 

inmates age 45 or older and 38% of 

those age 24 or younger said they had 

a physical or mental impairment. 

Among the specific physical impairments, 12% of jail inmates age 45 or 

older reported difficulty hearing, 24% 

reported difficulty seeing, and 7% had 

a problem with mobility. A tenth of 

those age 45 or older said they had a 

mental impairment.

Heart condition 

Ever heart problem per 

10,000 inmates, by type

Any 880

Angina 130

Arrhythmia 211

Hardening of arteries 38

Heart attack 126

Heart disease 95

Valve damage 290

Tachycardia 74

Other 43

Table 3. Current medical problems reported by jail inmates, by time served, 2002

Percent of inmates

Curent medi- Since admission

Time since admission cal problem Had surgery Dental problem

7 or fewer days 38.2% 0.2% 12.2%

8-14 days 34.3 0.7 15.2

15-30 days 37.3 0.4 19.9

31-60 days 36.8 0.8 24.6

61-180 days 37.4 1.6 30.9

181-364 days 35.6 3.9 35.1

1 year or more 37.8 3.5 42.4

Table 4. Estimated number and percent of jail inmates with an impairment, 2002

Type of All inmates Convicted Unconvicted Botha

impairment Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent 

Any 227,200 36.6% 119,300 35.2% 66,400 37.0% 40,000 40.6%

Physical 210,500 33.9 110,800 32.7 61,500 34.3 36,900 37.5

Learning 133,800 21.7 70,300 20.8 38,300 21.5 24,500 25.0

Speech 23,200 3.7 11,400 3.4 7,900 4.4 3,700 3.8

Hearing 39,900 6.4 21,200 6.3 10,800 6.0 7,300 7.5

Vision 69,700 11.3 35,400 10.5 22,000 12.3 11,600 11.8

Mobilityb 10,500 1.7 4,900 1.4 4,200 2.3 1,400 1.5

Mental 51,500 8.3 24,400 7.2 16,700 9.3 9,700 10.0

Note: Number of inmates with each impairment or mental condition was estimated and 

then rounded to the nearest 100. Detail equals more than total because inmates may have had 

more than one impairment.

aIncludes inmates with a prior conviction, but no new conviction for the current charge. 

bIncludes use of a cane, wheelchair, walker, hearing aid, or other aids in daily activity.
4 Medical Problems of Jail Inmates

Inmates age 24 or younger (28%) were 

more than twice as likely as those 45 

or older (11%) to report a learning disability. Four percent of both inmates 

age 24 or younger and those age 45 or 

older reported a speech impairment. 

15% of jail inmates had 2 or more 

impairments

Jail inmates typically reported having 

one impairment (21%). About 10% 

reported two impairments, and nearly 

6% reported having three or more. The 

number of impairments varied little by 

age. Inmates age 35 or older (17%) 

were slightly more likely than those 34 

or younger (14%) to have 2 or more 

impairments.

Around 1 in 8 jail inmates reported 

being injured since admission to jail

Overall, an estimated 82,900 jail 

inmates (13%) reported being injured 

since admission (table 6). Inmates 

were equally likely to report that they 

had been injured in an accident (7%) 

as to report that they had been injured 

in a fight (7%).

Injuries highest among male 

and younger inmates 

Among jail inmates, men (14%) were 

more likely than women (10%) to 

report being injured since admission. 

About 7% of males, compared to 4% of 

females, reported being injured in a 

fight. Male and female jail inmates 

reported nearly the same rate of being 

injured in an accident. 

Jail inmates age 24 or younger (17%) 

were more than twice as likely to have 

been injured since admission than 

inmates age 45 or older (8%). They 

were more than five times as likely to 

report being injured in a fight since 

admission (11% compared to 2%). 

The percent of inmates who reported 

being injured in an accident slightly 

decreased as age increased. About 

8% of inmates age 24 or younger 

reported being injured in an accident, 

compared to 6% of those age 45 or 

older.

Violent offenders had higher rates 

of fight-related injuries

About 11% of violent offenders in jail 

reported being injured in a fight since 

admission, compared to 6% of property and drug offenders and 5% of public-order offenders.

Inmates with an impairment had 

higher rates of injuries

Among inmates with an impairment, 

nearly 10% reported being injured in 

an accident and 10% reported being 

injured in a fight. Around 6% of those 

without an impairment had been 

injured. 

Inmates who reported a mental impairment were almost twice as likely as 

those not reporting a mental impairment to be injured in a fight or in an 

accident since admission. Nearly 13% 

of those with a mental impairment were 

injured in a fight and 12% were injured 

in an accident. Among those without a 

mental impairment, almost 7% had 

been injured in a fight or in an 

accident.

Percent of jail inmates by age

Number of 

impairments Total

34 or 

younger

35 or 

older

0 63.4% 64.8% 61.1%

1 21.2 20.8 21.9

2 9.8 9.2 10.8

3 or more 5.6 5.2 6.2

Percent of jail inmates 

since admission 

Most serious 

offense

Injured in

an accident

Injured in 

a fight

Violent 8.8% 10.8%

Property 7.1 6.4

Drug 7.0 6.2

Public-order 6.6 4.6

Percent of jail inmates 

since admission

Type of 

impairment

Injured in 

an accident

Injured in 

a fight

Physical

Yes 9.7% 9.8%

No 6.3 5.6

Mental

Yes 11.6% 12.9%

No 7.0 6.5

Table 6. Percent of jail inmates who reported an injury 

since admission, by conviction status, gender and age, 2002

Percent of inmates who reported an injury since admission 

Characteristics Total In an accident In a fight 

Total 13.4% 7.4% 7.0%

Conviction status

Convicted 12.6% 7.9% 5.9%

Unconvicted 15.6 7.5 8.8%

Both 12.1 5.5 7.7

Gender

Male 13.8% 7.5% 7.4%

Female 10.1 6.7 4.1

Age

24 or younger 17.4% 8.2% 10.6%

25-34 13.6 7.5 7.2

35-44 11.2 7.1 4.8

45 or older 7.8 5.8 2.5

Table 5. Impairments of jail inmates, by gender and age, 2002

Percent of inmates who reported an impairment

Any 

impairment Learning Speech Hearing Vision Mobility* Mental

Gender

Male 36.3% 22.1% 3.8% 6.3% 10.8% 1.7% 7.5%

Female 38.7 18.0 3.3 7.6 14.4 1.7 14.9

Age

24 or younger 37.5% 28.4% 4.0% 4.0% 7.3% 0.3% 7.1%

25-34 33.0 21.1 3.3 5.2 8.2 1.0 7.2

35-44 36.5 19.8 3.9 8.1 13.5 1.8 10.5

45 or older 44.0 10.7 4.1 12.0 24.1 6.9 9.9

*Includes use of a cane, wheelchair, walker, hearing aid, or other aids in daily activity.
Medical Problems of Jail Inmates 5

Likelihood of injury increased with 

time served in jail

Among jail inmates who had served 7 

or fewer days at the time of the interview, 4% reported an injury compared 

to 30% of those jail inmates who had 

served 1 year or more at the time of 

the interview (table 7).

The risk of injury due to an accident or 

a fight increased with time served. 

About 3% of jail inmates who had 

served 7 or fewer days reported being 

injured in an accident, compared to 

17% of inmates who had served 1 year 

or more at the time of interview. Jail 

inmates who had served 1 or 

more years at the time of interview were 8 times as likely (16%) 

to report being injured in a fight 

as those who had served 7 or 

fewer days (2%), and about 21⁄2 

times as likely as those who had 

served between 31 and 60 days 

(7%).

Male inmates incarcerated 

between 15 days and 1 year 

were more likely to have been 

injured than female inmates (figure 1). Among those who had 

been incarcerated more than 1 

year at the time of the interview, 

females were more likely than 

males to have been injured.

As time served in jail increased, 

the prevalence of injuries among 

inmates age 34 or younger and 

inmates age 35 or older increased 

(figure 2). Except for inmates who 

had served 7 or fewer days, 

inmates age 34 or younger consistently had higher rates of injuries than those age 35 or older as 

time served increased.

Jail inmates who reported any 

impairment had higher rates of injuries 

than other inmates, regardless of how 

long they had served in jail (figure 3).

Regardless of the time served in jail, 

violent jail inmates had higher rates of 

fight-related injuries than other inmates 

(figure 4). Among jail inmates who had 

served 7 or fewer days, nearly 3% of 

violent offenders and 2% of nonviolent 

offenders reported having been injured 

in a fight. Among those inmates who 

had served a year or more, 22% of violent offenders said they had been 

injured in a fight, compared to 12% of 

nonviolent offenders.

Table 7. Percent of jail inmates who 

reported an injury since admission, 

by time served, 2002

Percent of inmates who 

reported an injury 

Time since 

admission Total

In an 

accident

In a 

fight

7 or fewer days 4.3% 2.7% 2.0%

8-14 days 5.3 3.5 2.0

15-30 days 7.1 3.9 3.5

31-60 days 13.1 7.1 6.5

61-180 days 16.6 9.1 9.1

181-364 days 21.0 11.2 11.4

1 year or more 30.0 17.0 15.9

Injuries reported by inmates since 

admission, by gender and time served

Figure 1 

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Female inmates

Percent injured

7 or 8- 15- 31- 61- 181- 365 or

less 14 30 60 180 365 more

Time served in days

Male inmates

Injuries reported by inmates since 

admission, by age and time served

Figure 2

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

35 or older

34 or

younger

Percent injured

7 or 8- 15- 31- 61- 181- 365 or

less 14 30 60 180 365 more

Injuries reported by inmates since 

admission, by physical impairment or 

mental and time served

Figure 3 

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Percent injured

7 or 8- 15- 31- 61- 181- 365 or

less 14 30 60 180 365 more

Time served in days

Impairment

No impairment

Fight-related injuries reported by inmates 

since admission, by offense and time 

served 

Figure 4

0%

10%

20%

30%

Percent injured

7 or 8- 15- 31- 61- 181- 365 or less 14 30 60 180 365 more

Time served in days

Violent

Nonviolent
6 Medical Problems of Jail Inmates

Health-related problems more 

common among homeless or 

unemployed inmates

Of jail inmates who reported being 

homeless or living in a shelter in the 

year prior to arrest, nearly half said 

they had a current medical problem or 

a physical or mental impairment, 

compared to a third of those who were 

not homeless (table 8).

Medical problems and physical or 

mental impairments were also more 

prevalent among inmates who 

reported being unemployed before 

their arrest or receiving government 

assistance. Nearly 44% of jail inmates 

who were unemployed in the month 

prior to their arrest, compared to 34% 

of those who were employed, reported 

having a physical or mental 

impairment. About 41% of inmates 

who were unemployed and 35% who 

were employed reported having a 

current medical problem.

More than half (57%) of jail inmates 

who received financial support from 

government agencies in the month 

prior to arrest reported a current 

medical problem. About a third (34%) 

of jail inmates who received income 

from wages reported a current medical 

problem. 

Fifty-five percent of inmates who 

received income from government 

transfers reported having a physical or 

mental impairment, compared to 33% 

of those who reported receiving 

wages.

Medical problems common among 

inmates with a history of drug use 

or dependence

Jail inmates who reported ever using 

drugs (38%) were more likely than 

those who never used drugs (31%) to 

report a current medical problem. 

Thirty-eight percent of inmates who 

ever used drugs, compared to 30% of 

those who never used drugs, reported 

an impairment. An estimated 53% of 

jail inmates who reported ever using a 

needle to inject drugs said they had a 

current medical problem, compared to 

35% of those who did not use a 

needle. About 45% of jail inmates who 

used a needle to inject drugs, 

compared to 37% of those who did not, 

reported having a physical or mental 

impairment.

Among jail inmates dependent on or 

abusing drugs, 4 in 10 reported having 

a physical or mental impairment, 

compared to about 3 in 10 inmates 

who were not dependent on drugs.

Among jail inmates who were 

dependent on or abusing alcohol, twofifths reported a current medical 

problem, compared to about a third of 

those who were not dependent or 

abusing alcohol. About 40% of those 

dependent on or abusing alcohol had 

an impairment, compared to 34% of 

those who were not dependent on or 

abusing alcohol. Alcohol or drug abuse 

or dependence is based on symptoms 

for diagnosing substance dependence 

or abuse in the Diagnostic and 

Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 

fourth edition (DSM-IV) (See 

Substance Dependence, Abuse, and 

Treatment of Jail Inmates, 2002, BJS 

Special Report, www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

abstract/sdatji02.htm.)

Table 8. Health-related conditions reported by jail inmates, by selected 

background characteristics, 2002 

Percent of inmates 

 Since admission

Current medical problem Impairment Injured SurgeryDental 

problem 

Homeless in year before arrest

Yes 48.8% 48.8% 16.4% 2.4% 31.3%

No 34.9 34.6 12.9 1.3 24.6

Employed in month before 

offense

Yes 35.0% 33.5% 13.6% 1.5% 25.3%

No 41.1 43.6 12.9 1.2 25.0

Source of income

Wages/salary 34.1% 32.5% 13.2% 1.3% 24.6%

Government transfers 57.1 54.8 16.1 1.5 27.3

Other 39.4 38.9 16.8 1.6 30.0

Alcohol dependence or abuse

Yes 39.6% 40.0% 13.4% 1.4% 27.2%

No 34.5 33.6 13.5 1.5 24.0

Ever used drugs

Yes 38.0% 38.0% 14.0% 1.4% 27.4%

No 31.2 30.0 10.5 1.5 17.0

Used drugs in month before 

arrest

Yes 36.9% 38.4% 13.8% 1.9% 29.0%

No 35.8 34.2 10.8 1.2 21.6

Used needle to inject drugs

Yes 53.1% 44.5% 14.4% 2.1% 32.7%

No 34.7 36.6 14.0 1.3 26.3

Drug dependence or abuse 

Yes 39.0% 40.3% 15.6% 1.8% 29.5%

No 34.0 32.2 10.9 1.1 20.9
Medical Problems of Jail Inmates 7

Methodology

Data in this report are based on hourlong personal interviews with jail 

inmates. As part of an omnibus survey 

conducted every 5 to 6 years, these 

questions provide an opportunity to 

estimate the prevalence of a variety of 

diseases, illnesses, chronic problems, 

and other health-related conditions of 

inmates. 

In the 2002 Survey of Inmates in Local 

Jails, offenders were randomly 

selected from a nationally representative sample of facilities and were 

asked questions regarding their current offense and sentence, criminal 

history, personal and family background, physical impairment and mental condition, and medical problems 

since admission to prison. Detailed 

descriptions of the methodology and 

sample design can be found in Profile 

of Jail Inmates, 2002, available at 

<http://www.ojp. usdoj.gov/bjs/

abstract/pji02.htm>.

The accuracy of the survey estimates 

presented in this report depends on 

two types of error: sampling and nonsampling. 

Sampling error is the variation that 

may occur by chance because a sample rather than a complete numeration 

of the population was conducted. 

Nonsampling error can be attributed to 

many sources, such as nonresponses, 

differences in the interpretation of 

questions among inmates, recall difficulties, and processing errors. The 

accuracy of the estimates depends on 

the ability and willingness of inmates to 

report such problems. Inmate selfreported data may underestimate the 

prevalence of some medical conditions, especially those problems that 

require more sophisticated diagnosis 

and those that are more sensitive in 

nature. In any survey the full extent of 

the nonsampling error is never known. 

The sampling error, as measured by 

an estimated standard error, varies by 

the size of the estimate and the size of 

the base population. Estimates of the 

standard errors for selected characteristics have been calculated (see 

appendix tables at <http://www.ojp. 

usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/mpji02.htm>).

Most inmates reported receiving health assessment or medical exams since admission

About 80% of inmates reported that at the time of admission they were questioned about their health or medical 

history. Nearly half said that staff checked them to see if 

they were sick, injured, or intoxicated.

More than 4 in 10 jail inmates reported having a medical 

examination since admission to jail. A third of inmates 

reported having a blood test since admission. Six in ten 

inmates said they had been tested for TB, and more than 2 

in 10 reported they had been tested for HIV.

Among jail inmates who reported a current medical problem, 42% also reported visiting a health care professional 

because of the medical problem. Twenty percent of 

inmates who had been injured reported seeing a health 

care professional, as did 21% of those who said they had a 

dental problem.

Since their admission to jail, 44% of female jail inmates 

reported having a medical examination. Nearly 20% 

reported having a pelvic exam. About 5% were pregnant at 

time of admission. Among those female inmates who were 

pregnant at the time of admission, 48% had received an 

obstetrics exam since admission and 35% had received 

some type of pregnancy care, such as instructions on child 

care, exercises, special diet, medication, or special testing. 

Medical service provided 

Percent of all 

jail inmates

At time of admission

Staff checked to see if you were sick, injured, 

or intoxicated? 47.3%

Staff asked questions about your health or medical 

history? 81.1

Staff asked if you had ever thought about suicide? 79.4

Since admission

Has anyone pricked your skin to test for TB? 62.6%

Have you had a blood test for any reason? 33.6

Has your blood been tested for HIV? 21.6

Have you had a medical exam? 43.1

Percent of inmates 

who saw a health 

care professional*

Current medical problem 41.8%

Injury 20.4

Dental problem 20.5

*Of inmates who reported a medical problem.

Percent of 

female jail 

inmates

Had a medical exam since admission? 44.0%

Had a pelvic exam since admission? 19.8

Were you pregnant at admission? 5.2

If yes to pregnant:

Had an obstetric exam? 48.0%

Received pregnancy care? 34.9
U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Washington, DC 20531

Official Business

Peanlty for Private Use $300

PRESORTED STANDARD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

DOJ/BJS

Permit No. G-91

*NCJ~210696*

8 Medical Problems of Jail Inmates

This report in portable document 

format and in ASCII and its related 

statistical data and tables — [enter 

description] — are available at the 

BJS World Wide Web Internet site: 

<http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

abstract/mpji.htm>

Office of Justice Programs

Partnerships for Safer Communities

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov

The Bureau of Justice Statistics is 

the statistical agency of the U.S. 

Department of Justice. Jeffrey L. 

Sedgwick is director.

Laura M. Maruschak wrote this 

report, under the supervision of 

Allen J. Beck. Lauren E. Glaze 

provided statistical review. 

Margaret Noonan verified the 

report. Tina Dorsey and Carolyn C. 

Williams edited the report, under 

the supervision of Doris J. James. 

Marianne Zawitz provided editorial 

review. Jayne Robinson prepared 

the report for final printing.

November 2006, NCJ 210696
Medical Problems of Jail Inmates 9

Appendix table 1. Standard errors of jail 

inmates who reported a medical problem, 

by conviction status, 2002

Standard error for 

estimated percentages

Convicted Unconvicted

Current medical 

problem 0.89% 1.20%

Any impairment 0.09 1.20

Injury since 

admission 0.61 0.95

Appendix table 2. Standard errors of jail 

inmates who reported specific current 

medical problems, by gender, 2002

Standard error for 

estimated percentages

Current medical 

problem Total Male Female 

Any problem 0.65% 0.72% 1.20%

Arthritis 0.48 0.52 0.99

Asthma 0.38 0.41 0.94

Cancer 0.11 0.10 0.37

Diabetes 0.22 0.23 0.46

Heart problem 0.32 0.34 0.70

Hypertension 0.45 0.50 0.81

Kidney problems 0.24 0.25 0.75

Stroke 0.26 0.28 0.40

Appendix table 3. Standard errors of jail 

inmates with an impairment, 

by conviction status, 2002

Percent of jail inmates

Convicted Unconvicted

Any impairment 0.90% 1.20%

Learning 0.81 1.04

Speech 0.36 0.56

Hearing 0.45 0.59

Vision 0.61 0.82

Mobility 0.22 0.37

Mental 0.47 0.75

Appendix table 4. Standard errors of jail 

inmates with a current medical problem or 

an impairment, by gender and age, 2002

Standard error for estimated percentages

Current 

medical 

problem

Any

impairment 

Gender

Male 0.72% 0.75%

Female 1.20 1.28

Age

24 or younger 1.04% 1.23%

25-34 1.16 1.19

35-44 1.31 1.29

45 or older 1.93 2.04