Bureau of JustiCe statistiCs DeCemBer 2011 1

U.S. Department of Justice

Offi ce of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Statistics

James Stephan, BJS Statistician

Georgette Walsh, BJS Technical Writer-Editor

December 2011, NCJ 230188

See table 1.

Census of 

Jail Facilities, 2006

BJS

Profi le of jails in the United States, by characteristic, 1999 and 2006

Number in—

Characteristic 1999 2006 Diff erence Percent change

Jail jurisdictions 3,000 2,860 -140 -5%

Jail facilities 3,376 3,283 -93 -3%

Confi ned jail inmates 617,152 762,003 144,851 23%

Jail inmates per employee 2.9 3.3 0.4 :%

Confi ned jail inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents 232 261 29 :%
2 Census of Jail facilities, 2006

Introduction

The 2006 Census of Jail Facilities was the ninth in a series of 

complete enumerations since 1970 collected by the Bureau 

of Justice Statistics (BJS). Through the census, BJS collects 

jurisdiction and facility-level data on jails in the United States. The 

data include the number of jurisdictions and facilities, functions, 

confined inmates, and inmate-to-staff ratios. The data also show 

the number of jurisdictions by size, incarceration rates, judicial 

sanctions, jail staff, and the number operated publicly or under 

contract to county or city governments. Findings from the 2006 

census are included in this report together with comparisons from 

the 1999 Census of Jail Facilities. Additional findings for 1999 are 

available in Census of Jails, 1999 (BJS Web. 1 Sept. 2001).

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.

 The number of jail jurisdictions in the U.S. decreased from 3,000 in 1999 to 2,860 

in 2006.

 Hospitalization or medical treatment confinement was a function of 421 local jail 

facilities.

 Private and public entities under contract to local governments operated 37 jail 

facilities in 2006, down from 47 in 1999.

 About 7% of jail jurisdictions were under court order or consent decree to limit the 

size of the inmate population in 2006, down from about 11% 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.

Jail Organization

Jails in the United States operate under the authority of local or federal government. 

Entities such as cities, counties, and towns operate jails under local government 

authority, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons operates jails under federal government 

authority. 

In this report government authorities are collectively referred to as jail jurisdictions, 

indicating a legal status which typically corresponds to, but is not the same as a 

geographic/political jurisdiction. 

In recent years authorities governing local political/geographic jurisdictions have 

discovered the financial benefits and economies of scale associated with operating 

regional jails and have consolidated their jail detention operations with neighboring 

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Jail Jurisdictions 

and Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Jail Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Sex of inmates authorized to 

house . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Contract or Publicly 

Operated Jail Jurisdictions.10

Judicial Sanctions . . . . . . . . 12

Size of Jurisdiction . . . . . . . 14

Jail Population . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Rate of Confinement . . . . . 20

Jail Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Inmate-to-Staff Ratio . . . . . 24

Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Bureau of justice statistics December 2011 3

jail jurisdictions. Some authorities have continued to use the physical plants of their 

former jail jurisdictions for policing and short-term detention. These functions are 

out-of-scope for the jail censuses and are excluded from the counts. 

As the result of consolidations and the development of regional jails, the nationwide 

trend has been toward fewer jail jurisdictions and jail facilities, even as the local jail 

population has increased. The number of local political/geographic jurisdictions has 

been unaffected by these changes.

In earlier BJS jail census reports, jail reporting units were called jail jurisdictions, and 

jail jurisdictions were not identified.

Jail facilities are confinement facilities, which are usually administered by a local 

law enforcement agency. These facilities are intended for adults, but sometimes hold 

juveniles before or after adjudication. Jail facilities perform numerous functions, 

including receiving individuals pending arraignment and holding individuals who are 

awaiting trial, conviction, or sentencing. Some jail facilities operate community-based 

programs as alternatives to incarceration.

In most localities, a city or county government operates a single jail facility. In these 

jurisdictions, the jail jurisdiction and the jail facility are one in the same. In some 

urban areas, however, jail jurisdictions operate two, three, four, or more jail facilities 

and designate one or more jail reporting units to respond to data queries. Contract 

facilities, such as private jails, are generally designated as separate reporting units 

within a jail jurisdiction. 

Table 1

Profile of jails in the United States, by characteristic, 1999 and 2006

Number in—

Characteristic 1999 2006 Difference Percent change

Jail jurisdictionsa, b 3,000 2,860 -140 -5%

Federalc 1 1 0 0

Local 2,999 2,859 -140 -5

Jail facilities 3,376 3,283 -93 -3%

Federalc 11 12 1 9

Local 3,365 3,271 -94 -3

Confined jail inmates 617,152 762,003 144,851 23%

Federal 11,209 13,806 2,597 23

Local 605,943 748,197 142,254 23

Jail inmates per employeec 2.9 3.3 0.4 :

Federalc 3.6 4.6 1.0 :

Local 2.9 3.3 0.4 :

Confined jail inmates per 100,000 U.S. residentsd 232 261 29 :

Federal 4 5 1 :

Local 228 256 28 :

Note: Based on confined jail populations on June 30, 1999, and March 31, 2006. Excludes combined jail prison systems in Alaska, Connecticut, 

Delaware, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Includes 15 locally operated jails in Alaska. The number of jail jurisdictions and jail facilities in 2006 are for 

entities that reported data. See Methodology for further discussion. 

:Not calculated.

aJails in the U.S. are organized into jail jurisdictions administered by local, regional, and federal correctional authorities. Most jurisdictions have 

authority over a single jail facility; however, metropolitan jurisdictions often have authority over more than one facility.

bThe number of jail jurisdictions in 1999 has been revised from the originally reported figure of 3,084. 

cIn 1999 the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) reported its 11 detention facilities as a single jurisdiction. In 2006 the BOP classified its 12 detention 

facilities as separate jurisdictions. To maintain comparability between the 1999 and 2006 censuses, as well as consistency with the BJS definition of 

a jail jurisdiction, BJS reported the 12 BOP detention facilities in 2006 as a single jurisdiction. 

dThe total number of confined inmates divided by the total number of jail staff.

eBased on estimates of the U.S. resident population, U.S. Census Bureau, Series P-25.
4 Census of Jail facilities, 2006

Jail Jurisdictions 

and Facilities 

Decline in the number of jails

The growing use of regional jails and the consolidation of jail operations in rural areas 

contributed to the decline in the number of jails between 1999 and 2006. As towns and 

counties pooled their resources to create upgraded regional facilities, the number of 

regional jails increased from 42 in 14 states at the time of the 1999 Jail Census to at least 

63 in 17 states in 2006. (See Methodology.) 

The number of jail jurisdictions and the number of jail facilities 

decreased, while the confined jail population increased between 

1999 and 2006.

The number of jail jurisdictions in the United States declined by 140, from 3,000 to 

2,860 between 1999 and 2006 (table 1). A total of 3,283 jail facilities, including those in 

the federal system, were operating in 2006, down 3% from 1999.

The number of confined jail inmates rose by 23% between 1999 and 2006 to reach 

762,003 inmates. Local jails held about 98% of all confined jail inmates in 1999 and 

2006, while the federal jurisdiction held less than 2% in both years. In 2006, 261 jail 

inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents were confined in the nation’s jails, an increase of 29 

jail inmates per 100,000 residents since 1999. The inmate-to-staff ratio also increased 

from 2.9 to 3.3 inmates per employee during this period.

The number of jail jurisdictions declined by 5%, and the number of jail 

facilities decreased by 3% between 1999 and 2006.

 Thirty-one states had decreases in the number of jail jurisdictions between 1999 

and 2006 (table 2).

 West Virginia (down 17), Georgia (down 13), Alabama (down 14), and Texas 

(down 11) accounted for more than a third (39%) of the decline in the number of 

jail jurisdictions between 1999 and 2006.

 The number of jail jurisdictions in each state either declined or remained the 

same between 1999 and 2006. No state had an increase in the number of jail 

jurisdictions during this period.

 Jurisdictions in 21 states operated 93 fewer jails in 2006 than in 1999, accounting 

for the entire decline in the number of jail facilities during this period.

 Decreases in the number of jails in West Virginia (down 16), California (down 15), 

and Alabama (down 14) made up nearly half (48%) of the decline in the number of 

facilities between 1999 and 2006.

 Fifteen states and the District of Columbia had increases in the number of jail 

facilities between 1999 and 2006. Facilities in Louisiana (up 8), the District 

of Columbia (up 5), and Wisconsin (up 4) accounted for nearly half of the 35 

additional facilities reported in the 2006 census.

 Jails in the federal jurisdiction increased from 11 to 12 between 1999 and 2006.
5

Table 2

Number of jail jurisdictions and number of jail facilities in the United States, 1999 and 2006

Jail jurisdictionsa Jail facilities

Region and jurisdiction 1999 2006 Difference Percentage change 1999 2006 Difference Percentage change

U.S. total 3,000 2,860 -140 -5% 3,376 3,283 -93 -3%

Federalb 1 1 0 0 11 12 1 9

State 2,999 2,859 -140 -5 3,365 3,271 -94 -3

Northeast 180 180 0 0% 227 223 -4 -2%

Maine 15 15 0 0 15 15 0 0

Massachusetts 13 13 0 0 21 22 1 5

New Hampshire 10 10 0 0 10 10 0 0

New Jersey 21 21 0 0 24 25 1 4

New York 58 58 0 0 81 74 -7 -9

Pennsylvania 63 63 0 0 76 77 1 1

Midwest 935 910 -25 -3% 977 969 -8 -1%

Illinois 90 90 0 0 93 94 1 1

Indiana 91 90 -1 -1 93 95 2 2

Iowa 94 93 -1 -1 94 94 0 0

Kansas 95 94 -1 -1 97 98 1 1

Michigan 83 81 -2 -2 93 93 0 0

Minnesota 72 71 -1 -1 78 78 0 0

Missouri 126 118 -8 -6 129 122 -7 -5

Nebraska 63 62 -1 -2 65 63 -2 -3

North Dakota 23 22 -1 -4 23 22 -1 -4

Ohio 98 91 -7 -7 108 104 -4 -4

South Dakota 30 28 -2 -7 31 29 -2 -6

Wisconsin 70 70 0 0 73 77 4 5

South 1,455 1,356 -99 -7% 1,623 1,558 -65 -4%

Alabama 150 136 -14 -9 155 141 -14 -9

Arkansas 86 81 -5 -6 87 83 -4 -5

District of Columbiac 1 1 0 0 1 6 5 500

Florida 68 67 -1 -1 108 102 -6 -6

Georgia 177 164 -13 -7 204 193 -11 -5

Kentucky 79 75 -4 -5 82 78 -4 -5

Louisiana 88 83 -5 -6 107 115 8 7

Maryland 24 24 0 0 29 30 1 3

Mississippi 93 85 -8 -9 102 95 -7 -7

North Carolina 96 94 -2 -2 104 104 0 0

Oklahoma 100 93 -7 -7 102 93 -9 -9

South Carolina 46 45 -1 -2 52 52 0 0

Tennessee 97 94 -3 -3 108 109 1 1

Texas 248 237 -11 -4 271 266 -5 -2

Virginia 73 65 -8 -11 82 78 -4 -5

West Virginiad 29 12 -17 -59 29 13 -16 -55

West 429 413 -16 -4% 538 521 -17 -3%

Alaska 15 15 0 0 15 15 0 0

Arizona 17 15 -2 -12 28 30 2 7

California 70 65 -5 -7 145 130 -15 -10

Colorado 55 52 -3 -5 61 62 1 2

Idaho 39 38 -1 -3 41 40 -1 -2

Montana 42 40 -2 -5 42 40 -2 -5

Nevada 20 20 0 0 21 22 1 5

New Mexico 34 32 -2 -6 34 32 -2 -6

Oregon 33 32 -1 -3 41 36 -5 -12

Utah 26 26 0 0 26 28 2 8

Washington 56 56 0 0 62 64 2 3

Wyoming 22 22 0 0 22 22 0 0

Note: Data as of June 30, 1999, and March 31, 2006. Excludes combined jail prison systems in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Includes 15 locally operated jails in Alaska. The number 

of jail jurisdictions and jail facilities in 2006 are for entities that reported data. See Methodology for further discussion. 

aJails in the U.S. are organized into jail jurisdictions administered by local, regional, and federal correctional authorities. Most jurisdictions have authority over a single jail facility; however, metropolitan 

jurisdictions often have authority over more than one facility.

bIn 1999 the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) reported its 11 detention facilities as a single jurisdiction. In 2006 the BOP classified its 12 detention facilities as separate jurisdictions. To maintain comparability 

between the 1999 and 2006 censuses, BJS reported the 12 BOP detention facilities in 2006 as a single jurisdiction. 

cAs of December 31, 2001, sentenced felons from the District of Columbia were the responsibility of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Some inmates were housed in private facilities under contract to the District 

of Columbia on March 31, 2006.

dWest Virginia began developing a system of regional jails in 1990 to augment and replace its county and city jails. Ten regional jails were in operation in 2006 serving a majority of the state’s 55 counties. 
6 Census of Jail facilities, 2006

Jail Functions General population confinement and return to custody confinement 

were the most common jail functions.

General population confinement was the predominant jail function provided by 

97% of local jail facilities in 2006, followed by returned to custody (table 3). Nearly 

two-thirds (65%) of all reporting jurisdictions in 2006 provided the return to custody 

function, which involves holding probationers and parolees who have been returned 

to jail for technical violations or new charges. 

Nearly half (46%) of all jails provided work release or prerelease programs, and about 

a quarter performed reception, diagnosis, or classification functions. Approximately 

12% had a youthful offender confinement function, 10% had a drug or alcohol 

treatment, and about 1% had a boot camp function.

The proportion of jails offering work release or prerelease, 

hospitalization or medical treatment, and alcohol or drug treatment 

functions varied by state.

 North Dakota (91%), Minnesota (85%), and Pennsylvania (83%) had the largest 

percentages of jails with work release or prerelease functions (table 4). Montana 

(15%), New York (11%), and Alaska (0%) had the smallest percentages of jails that 

provided this function. 

 Jails in Mississippi (44%), New Jersey (36%), and Massachusetts (32%) reported 

the highest percentages with hospitalization or medical treatment functions; 

Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia reported none. 

 Massachusetts (45%), Kentucky (37%), and New Jersey (36%) had the largest 

percentages of jails that offered alcohol or drug treatment functions; Alaska, West 

Virginia, and Wisconsin reported none.

Table 3

Selected functions provided by local jail facilities, 2006

Function Number Percenta

General population confinement 3,184 97

Returned to custody 2,142 65

Work release or prerelease 1,496 46

Reception, diagnosis, or classification 805 25

Hospitalization or medical treatment 421 13

Youthful offender confinement 382 12

Alcohol or drug treatment 314 10

Boot camp 19 1

Otherb 72 2

Not reported 12 ^

Note: Data as of March 31, 2006. Excludes the federal jurisdiction and combined prison-jail systems in Alaska, 

Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Includes 15 locally operated jails in Alaska.

^Less than 1%.

aPercentages sum to more than 100% because jail jurisdictions may have more than one function.

bIncludes drug, alcohol, or other treatment; psychiatric care; housing inmates under state jurisdiction for a 

limited period; jurisdiction maintenance; and law library services.
Bureau of justice statistics December 2011 7

Table 4

Number of local jail facilities, by function, 2006

Region and state

General population 

confinement

Return to 

custodya Work release or prerelease

Reception, diagnosis,

 or classification

Hospitalization or 

medical treatment

Youthful offender 

confinement

Alcohol or drug 

treatment

Boot 

camp Otherb

Number of jail facilitiesc 3,184 2,142 1,496 805 421 382 314 19 72

Northeast 213 175 119 98 52 64 55 1 9

Maine 15 13 10 6 1 0 2 0 0

Massachusetts 21 17 14 12 7 4 10 1 2

New Hampshire 10 6 7 4 2 0 2 0 0

New Jersey 25 22 16 16 9 3 9 0 1

New York 70 52 8 23 11 28 5 0 4

Pennsylvania 72 65 64 37 22 29 27 0 2

Midwest 955 639 579 223 66 89 71 4 7

Illinois 92 56 64 23 11 12 6 0 0

Indiana 93 60 42 10 3 2 5 1 1

Iowa 94 63 59 14 4 21 2 0 0

Kansas 96 73 56 8 6 2 6 1 2

Michigan 92 72 68 44 16 16 22 1 4

Minnesota 76 64 66 42 7 5 4 0 0

Missouri 122 70 40 9 6 2 6 1 0

Nebraska 63 42 44 16 4 8 4 0 0

North Dakota 22 19 20 6 0 4 1 0 0

Ohio 102 52 39 33 8 6 14 0 0

South Dakota 28 15 22 4 0 5 1 0 0

Wisconsin 75 53 59 14 1 6 0 0 0

South 1,521 1,005 574 355 241 173 146 9 38

Alabama 141 71 49 19 21 25 10 1 1

Arkansas 81 53 26 11 5 7 2 0 1

District of Columbia 3 4 4 2 1 2 1 0 0

Florida 95 54 30 30 19 16 13 3 5

Georgia 191 127 45 27 33 6 8 0 4

Kentucky 77 62 65 32 17 0 29 1 9

Louisiana 110 61 35 29 14 6 4 1 2

Maryland 30 16 20 10 4 2 8 0 3

Mississippi 92 76 41 28 42 55 25 1 0

North Carolina 102 65 27 24 22 18 6 1 1

Oklahoma 92 59 19 17 10 16 4 0 0

South Carolina 51 27 15 14 8 2 3 0 5

Tennessee 106 84 48 13 12 5 16 0 4

Texas 259 185 98 83 26 6 11 1 2

Virginia 78 53 44 15 7 7 6 0 1

West Virginia 13 8 8 1 0 0 0 0 0

West 495 323 224 129 62 56 42 5 18

Alaska 15 9 0 2 0 1 0 0 0

Arizona 27 15 18 8 4 5 1 0 1

California 119 75 38 37 23 3 10 2 8

Colorado 58 48 52 16 6 10 6 1 5

Idaho 39 33 29 20 6 11 6 0 1

Montana 39 20 6 5 4 4 2 0 0

Nevada 22 13 4 4 2 0 1 0 0

New Mexico 31 25 15 12 5 7 3 0 1

Oregon 35 27 15 10 7 3 4 1 0

Utah 26 13 14 3 0 1 2 0 0

Washington 62 29 24 10 4 6 5 0 2

Wyoming 22 16 9 2 1 5 2 1 0

Note: Data as March 31, 2006. Data may sum to more than the total because some facilities had more than one function. Excludes the federal jurisdiction and combined prison-jail systems in Alaska, Connecticut, 

Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Includes 15 locally operated jail in Alaska.

aProbationers and parolees who have been returned to jail.

bIncludes drug, alcohol, or other treatment; psychiatric care; housing inmates under state jurisdiction for a limited period; jurisdiction maintenance; and law library services. 

cIncludes only facilities that provided these jail functions.
8 Census of Jail facilities, 2006

More than 4 in 5 jails were authorized to house both male and female 

inmates.

Approximately 86% of the nation’s jails were authorized to house both male and 

female inmates in 2006 (table 5). About 13% (425) of all jails housed men only and 

about 1% (32) of the nation’s jails housed women only.

 All local jails in Nevada, West Virginia, and Wyoming and the 15 locally operated 

facilities in Alaska were authorized to house both sexes. 

 Louisiana (43%) and Massachusetts (41%) had the largest proportions of jails that 

housed men only.

 The 32 jails for women only were located in 16 states and the District of Columbia. 

Jurisdictions with the largest proportions of jails for women only were the District 

of Columbia (17%), California (6%), and Massachusetts and Louisiana (5% each). 

Sex of imates authorized 

to house
Bureau of justice statistics December 2011 9

Table 5

Number of jail facilities, by sex of inmates authorized to house, 2006

Region and jurisdiction All facilities

Reporting on sex of inmates 

authorized to house 

Authorized to house—

Males only Females only Both sexes

U.S.total 3,283 3,246 425 32 2,789

Federal 12 12 2 0 10

State 3,271 3,234 423 32 2,779

Northeast 223 222 45 7 170

Maine 15 15 1 0 14

Massachusetts 22 22 9 1 12

New Hampshire 10 10 1 0 9

New Jersey 25 25 3 1 21

New York 74 74 18 2 54

Pennsylvania 77 76 13 3 60

Midwest 969 963 89 1 873

Illinois 94 93 3 0 90

Indiana 95 94 6 0 88

Iowa 94 94 9 0 85

Kansas 98 96 13 0 83

Michigan 93 93 8 0 85

Minnesota 78 78 10 1 67

Missouri 122 122 14 0 108

Nebraska 63 63 9 0 54

North Dakota 22 22 1 0 21

Ohio 104 104 12 0 92

South Dakota 29 29 2 0 27

Wisconsin 77 75 2 0 73

South 1,558 1,536 219 15 1,302

Alabama 141 141 8 0 133

Arkansas 83 82 11 0 71

District of Columbia 6 6 3 1 2

Florida 102 101 13 2 86

Georgia 193 193 39 1 153

Kentucky 78 77 7 0 70

Louisiana 115 111 48 5 58

Maryland 30 30 1 0 29

Mississippi 95 95 16 2 77

North Carolina 104 103 18 1 84

Oklahoma 93 93 1 0 92

South Carolina 52 52 7 0 45

Tennessee 109 103 11 1 91

Texas 266 258 25 1 232

Virginia 78 78 11 1 66

West Virginia 13 13 0 0 13

West 521 513 70 9 434

Alaska 15 15 0 0 15

Arizona 30 30 10 1 19

California 130 127 35 7 85

Colorado 62 62 4 1 57

Idaho 40 39 7 0 32

Montana 40 40 3 0 37

Nevada 22 21 0 0 21

New Mexico 32 31 1 0 30

Oregon 36 36 3 0 33

Utah 28 27 2 0 25

Washington 64 63 5 0 58

Wyoming 22 22 0 0 22

Note: Data as of March 31, 2006. Excludes combined prison-jail systems in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. 

Includes 15 locally operated jails in Alaska. 
10 Census of Jail facilities, 2006

Public authorities operated nearly all jail facilities in 2006. 

City, county, and federal correctional authorities operated approximately 99% of all 

jail facilities in 2006. The remaining 1% was operated under contract by private or 

public entities authorized by city or county governments (table 6). The number of 

contract-operated jail facilities declined from 47 in 1999 to 37 in 2006. 

Texas had the largest number of contract-operated jails in 2006.

 Seven states accounted for most of the contract jail operations in 2006: Texas 

(8), California (5), Pennsylvania (4), and Florida, Missouri, New Mexico, and 

Tennessee (3 each). 

 Between 1999 and 2006, the number of contract jail facilities increased in Alabama 

and Missouri; decreased in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, 

Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Washington; and was unchanged in the 

remaining states.

Contract or Publicly 

Operated Jail 

Jurisdictions
Bureau of justice statistics December 2011 11

Table 6

Number of contract jail facilities, 1999 and 2006

Region and state 1999 2006 Difference

U.S. total* 47 37 -10

Northeast 5 4 -1

Maine 0 0 0

Massachusetts 0 0 0

New Hampshire 0 0 0

New Jersey 0 0 0

New York 0 0 0

Pennsylvania 5 4 -1

Midwest 7 8 1

Illinois 1 1 0

Indiana 1 1 0

Iowa 0 0 0

Kansas 1 1 0

Michigan 0 0 0

Minnesota 1 1 0

Missouri 1 3 2

Nebraska 0 0 0

North Dakota 0 0 0

Ohio 2 1 -1

South Dakota 0 0 0

Wisconsin 0 0 0

South 20 16 -4

Alabama 0 1 1

Arkansas 0 0 0

District of Columbia 0 0 0

Florida 5 3 -2

Georgia 1 0 -1

Kentucky 2 0 -2

Louisiana 0 0 0

Maryland 0 0 0

Mississippi 1 1 0

North Carolina 0 0 0

Oklahoma 0 0 0

South Carolina 0 0 0

Tennessee 3 3 0

Texas 8 8 0

Virginia 0 0 0

West Virginia 0 0 0

West 15 9 -6

Alaska 0 0 0

Arizona 0 0 0

California 8 5 -3

Colorado 2 1 -1

Idaho 0 0 0

Montana 0 0 0

Nevada 0 0 0

New Mexico 4 3 -1

Oregon 0 0 0

Utah 0 0 0

Washington 1 0 -1

Wyoming 0 0 0

Note: Data as of March 31, 2006. Excludes combined prison-jail systems in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, 

Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Includes 15 locally operated jails in Alaska. 

*Administered by private or public entities under contract to city or county governments.
12 Census of Jail facilities, 2006

About 9% of all local jail jurisdictions had one or more jail facilities 

under court order or consent decree in 2006.

On March 31, 2006, a total of 254 jail jurisdictions were under one or more court 

orders or consent decrees either to limit population or for specific conditions of 

confinement (table 7). About 7% (204) of all jurisdictions were under judicial 

sanction to limit population, and about 6% (165) were under court order for specific 

conditions. Specific conditions included crowding, medical facilities, procedures and 

policies, programming, inmate classification, exercise, staffing, food service, religious 

practices, and other issues. 

About 1 in 17 (6%) of jail jurisdictions reported one or more facilities 

under judicial sanction for specific conditions of confinement in 2006.

 California had the largest percentage of jail jurisdictions ordered to limit 

population (28%), followed by Massachusetts (23%), Louisiana (22%), and 

Mississippi and Oregon (19% each).

 California (34%) and Massachusetts (23%) also reported the highest percentages of 

jurisdictions under court order for special conditions, followed by Oregon (16%), 

and Kentucky and Mississippi (12% each). 

 No jail jurisdictions in Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New 

Hampshire, the District of Columbia, and the federal jurisdiction reported that any 

of their jails were under judicial sanctions at the time of the census.

Judicial Sanctions
Bureau of justice statistics December 2011 13

Table 7

Number of jail jurisdictions under court order or consent decree to limit population or for specific conditions, 2006 

Region and jurisdiction All jail jurisdictions

Under any court order 

or consent decree

Ordered to limit 

population

Under court order for 

specific conditionsa

U.S. total 2,860 254 204 165

Federalb 1 0 0 0

State 2,859 254 204 165

Northeast 180 16 11 13

Maine 15 2 2 1

Massachusetts 13 3 3 3

New Hampshire 10 0 0 0

New Jersey 21 1 1 1

New York 58 6 4 4

Pennsylvania 63 4 1 4

Midwest 910 57 49 31

Illinois 90 5 5 2

Indiana 90 8 7 6

Iowa 93 16 15 5

Kansas 94 0 0 0

Michigan 81 5 5 3

Minnesota 71 7 7 1

Missouri 118 3 1 3

Nebraska 62 0 0 0

North Dakota 22 1 1 1

Ohio 91 8 5 7

South Dakota 28 1 1 0

Wisconsin 70 3 2 3

South 1,356 136 112 82

Alabama 136 9 5 7

Arkansas 81 9 9 7

District of Columbia 1 0 0 0

Florida 67 3 2 3

Georgia 164 13 11 7

Kentucky 75 11 9 9

Louisiana 83 19 18 9

Maryland 24 1 1 1

Mississippi 85 21 16 10

North Carolina 94 6 5 1

Oklahoma 93 6 6 2

South Carolina 45 4 3 1

Tennessee 94 8 5 7

Texas 237 24 21 16

Virginia 65 1 0 1

West Virginia 12 1 1 1

West 413 45 32 39

Alaska 15 1 0 1

Arizona 15 2 2 1

California 65 22 18 22

Colorado 52 3 2 2

Idaho 38 0 0 0

Montana 40 0 0 0

Nevada 20 0 0 0

New Mexico 32 2 1 1

Oregon 32 7 6 5

Utah 26 1 1 1

Washington 56 5 2 4

Wyoming 22 2 0 2

Note: Data as of March 31, 2006. Excludes 12 jurisdictions that did not report data on judicial sanctions to limit population and 6 jurisdictions that did not report on specific conditions. 

Some responses recorded as “not under court order or consent decree” may be “data not available.” Excludes combined prison-jail systems in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, 

Rhode Island, and Vermont. Includes 15 locally operated jails in Alaska.

aIncludes crowding, recreation, exercise, staffing, medical facilities, procedures or policies, food services, religious practices, programming, and inmate classification. 

bIn 1999 the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) reported its 11 detention facilities as a single jail jurisdiction. In 2006 the BOP classified its 12 detention facilities as separate jurisdictions. To 

maintain comparability between the 1999 and 2006 censuses, BJS reported the 12 BOP detention facilities in 2006 as a single jail jurisdiction.
14 Census of Jail facilities, 2006

Nearly 40% of all jail jurisdictions held fewer than 50 inmates.

Most jail jurisdictions were small with nearly 40% holding fewer than 50 inmates 

in 2006 (table 8). On the date of the census, nearly three-fifths (59%) of all jail 

jurisdictions held 99 or fewer inmates, about 20% held 100 to 249 inmates, and 10% 

held 250 to 499 jail inmates. Jurisdictions holding 500 to 999 inmates accounted for 

about 6% of all jurisdictions, and those housing 1,000 or more confined inmates 

accounted for 5%.

 Two-thirds or more of all jail jurisdictions had fewer than 50 inmates in Iowa 

(82%), Nebraska (81%), Montana (80%), South Dakota (79%), North Dakota 

(68%), Idaho (66%), and Kansas (67%). All 15 independently operated local jail 

jurisdictions in Alaska also held fewer than 50 inmates.

 While 43 states had jail jurisdictions that held fewer than 50 inmates, 5 states 

accounted for 35% of all jurisdictions in this size category: Texas (112), Iowa (76), 

Alabama (74), Missouri (72), and Kansas (63).

 Maryland and New Jersey had no jail jurisdictions holding fewer than 50 inmates 

in 2006.

 Each of the 15 locally operated jails in Alaska held fewer than 50 inmates. Alaska 

housed most jail detainees in a combined jail-prison system. (See Methodology for 

discussion of incarcerated populations in combined jail/prison states.)

 Jurisdictions in Florida and California (20 each) accounted for about a quarter 

(27%) of all jurisdictions housing 1,000 or more inmates.

 New York and California each had one jail jurisdiction that held 10,000 inmates or 

more at the time of the census (not shown in table).

Size of Jurisdiction
Bureau of justice statistics December 2011 15

Table 8

Number of local jail jurisdictions, by size of jurisdiction, 2006

Region and state Total 

Fewer than 50 

inmates 50-99 100-249 250-499 500-999

1,000 inmates 

or more

U.S. total 2,859 1,129 552 584 272 173 149 

Northeast 180 20 34 46 32 21 27 

Maine 15 6 4 4 1 0 0 

Massachusetts 13 1 0 1 3 2 6 

New Hampshire 10 1 4 2 2 1 0 

New Jersey 21 0 1 3 4 6 7 

New York 58 7 14 19 9 4 5 

Pennsylvania 63 5 11 17 13 8 9 

Midwest 910 459 188 160 60 34 9 

Illinois 90 48 13 14 10 4 1 

Indiana 90 15 29 28 13 5 0 

Iowa 93 76 8 5 3 1 0 

Kansas 94 63 17 10 2 1 1 

Michigan 81 19 26 19 9 4 4 

Minnesota 71 36 21 11 1 2 0 

Missouri 118 72 18 22 2 4 0 

Nebraska 62 50 7 3 1 1 0 

North Dakota 22 15 4 3 0 0 0 

Ohio 91 24 24 26 10 4 3 

South Dakota 28 22 4 0 1 1 0 

Wisconsin 70 19 17 19 8 7 0 

South 1,356 471 266 310 141 91 77 

Alabama 136 74 23 25 6 6 2 

Arkansas 81 53 12 11 3 2 0 

District of Columbia 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 

Florida 67 5 8 15 8 11 20 

Georgia 164 52 40 40 14 12 6 

Kentucky 75 11 12 32 14 4 2 

Louisiana 83 26 12 14 9 14 8 

Maryland 24 0 4 7 7 1 5 

Mississippi 85 30 26 11 16 2 0 

North Carolina 94 24 21 34 8 5 2 

Oklahoma 93 50 23 16 2 0 2 

South Carolina 45 6 12 14 6 4 3 

Tennessee 94 22 24 32 10 3 3 

Texas 237 112 35 44 17 15 14 

Virginia 65 5 14 14 13 10 9 

West Virginia 12 1 0 1 8 2 0 

West 413 179 64 68 39 27 36 

Alaska 15 15 0 0 0 0 0 

Arizona 15 1 0 6 4 2 2 

California 65 11 8 8 12 6 20 

Colorado 52 25 8 9 3 2 5 

Idaho 38 25 4 5 2 2 0 

Montana 40 32 5 0 3 0 0 

Nevada 20 9 5 3 0 1 2 

New Mexico 32 9 6 6 5 5 1 

Oregon 32 9 6 11 2 3 1 

Utah 26 5 9 6 2 2 2 

Washington 56 26 8 10 5 4 3 

Wyoming 22 12 5 4 1 0 0 

Note: Based on the confined jail population on March 31, 2006. Excludes the federal jurisdiction and combined prison-jail systems in Alaska, 

Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Includes 15 locally operated jails in Alaska.
16 Census of Jail facilities, 2006

The number of confined jail inmates rose 23% between 1999 and 2006.

The nation’s local and federal jails held a total of 762,003 confined inmates on March 

31, 2006, up 23% from 617,152 on June 30, 1999 (table 9). Nearly all states and the 

federal jurisdiction had increases in the number of confined jail inmates during this 

period. 

Jail inmates confined in California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and New York accounted 

for 41% of all inmates held in local jurisdictions in 1999. California, Texas, Florida, 

Georgia, and New York held 37% of all inmates confined in local jail jurisdictions in 

2006. Pennsylvania had a larger combined jail population (35,948) than New York 

(32,324) in 2006.

The size of the jail population declined in two states between 1999 and 

2006.

 Two states had declines in local jail populations between 1999 and 2006: Alaska 

(down 12%) and New York (down 3%).

 Between 1999 and 2006, the largest relative growth of the jail inmate population 

occurred in the District of Columbia (128%), followed by West Virginia (75%) and 

New Mexico (70%).

 New Jersey (9%), Oregon (7%), and California (3%) had the smallest relative 

growth of jail inmate populations between 1999 and 2006.

The proportions of jail inmates confined in facilities operated directly by 

jail jurisdictions and confined in facilities operated under contract to jail 

jurisdictions were the same in 1999 and 2006.

 In both 1999 and 2006, 98% of all jail inmates were confined in jail facilities 

operated directly by jail jurisdictions, and 2% were confined in facilities operated 

either by private entities or by other local or state authorities under contract to jail 

jurisdictions.

 The number of jail inmates confined in contract facilities rose 11% from 13,814 in 

1999 to 15,384 in 2006.

 Jail inmates in 15 states were confined in facilities operated under contract in 2009. 

 More than two-thirds of inmates in contract facilities in 2006 were located in four 

states: Texas (3,698), Tennessee (2,475), Pennsylvania (2,339), and Florida (2,157). 

Jail Population
Bureau of justice statistics December 2011 17

Table 9

Number of inmates confined in facilities operated directly by jail jurisdictions or by contractors, 1999 and 2006

In all jail facilities In facilities directly operated by jail jurisdictions In facilities operated by contractors

Region and jurisdiction 1999 2006 Difference 1999 2006 Difference 1999 2006 Difference

U.S. total 617,152 762,003 144,851 603,338 746,619 143,281 13,814 15,384 1,570

Federal 11,209 13,806 2,597 11,209 13,806 2,597 0 0 0

State 605,943 748,197 142,254 592,129 732,813 140,684 13,814 15,384 1,570

Northeast 90,716 103,544 12,828 89,124 101,205 12,081 1,592 2,339 747

Maine 1,113 1,642 529 1,113 1,642 529 0 0 0

Massachusetts 10,774 13,214 2,440 10,774 13,214 2,440 0 0 0

New Hampshire 1,592 2,036 444 1,592 2,036 444 0 0

New Jersey 16,830 18,380 1,550 16,830 18,380 1,550 0 0 0

New York 33,411 32,324 -1,087 33,411 32,324 -1,087 0 0 0

Pennsylvania 26,996 35,948 8,952 25,404 33,609 8,205 1,592 2,339 747

Midwest 97,652 123,146 25,494 96,022 120,332 24,310 1,630 2,814 1,184

Illinois 16,880 19,940 3,060 16,708 19,741 3,033 172 199 27

Indiana 12,787 17,305 4,518 12,054 16,313 4,259 733 992 259

Iowa 2,998 3,798 800 2,998 3,798 800 0 0 0

Kansas 4,378 7,032 2,654 4,097 6,060 1,963 281 972 691

Michigan 15,629 18,164 2,535 15,629 18,164 2,535 0 0 0

Minnesota 5,002 7,167 2,165 4,944 7,099 2,155 58 68 10

Missouri 6,940 9,730 2,790 6,917 9,330 2,413 23 400 377

Nebraska 2,189 2,693 504 2,189 2,693 504 0 0 0

North Dakota 588 937 349 588 937 349 0 0 0

Ohio 16,638 20,196 3,558 16,275 20,013 3,738 363 183 -180

South Dakota 1,064 1,631 567 1,064 1,631 567 0 0 0

Wisconsin 12,559 14,553 1,994 12,559 14,553 1,994 0 0 0

South 284,742 364,001 79,259 276,402 355,479 79,077 8,340 8,522 182

Alabama 11,418 15,122 3,704 11,418 15,056 3,638 0 66 66

Arkansas 4,832 6,164 1,332 4,832 6,164 1,332 0 0 0

District of Columbia 1,653 3,773 2,120 1,653 3,773 2,120 0 0 0

Florida 51,080 62,803 11,723 49,149 60,646 11,497 1,931 2,157 226

Georgia 32,835 43,243 10,408 32,821 43,243 10,422 14 0 -14

Kentucky 10,373 16,541 6,168 9,882 16,541 6,659 491 0 -491

Louisiana 25,631 28,315 2,684 25,631 28,315 2,684 0 0 0

Maryland 10,945 13,097 2,152 10,945 13,097 2,152 0 0 0

Mississippi 8,886 11,539 2,653 8,729 11,413 2,684 157 126 -31

North Carolina 13,279 17,682 4,403 13,279 17,682 4,403 0 0 0

Oklahoma 6,743 9,803 3,060 6,743 9,803 3,060 0 0 0

South Carolina 8,780 12,761 3,981 8,780 12,761 3,981 0 0 0

Tennessee 19,629 24,362 4,733 17,351 21,887 4,536 2,278 2,475 197

Texas 57,930 66,583 8,653 54,461 62,885 8,424 3,469 3,698 229

Virginia 18,235 27,858 9,623 18,235 27,858 9,623 0 0 0

West Virginia 2,493 4,355 1,862 2,493 4,355 1,862 0 0 0

West 132,833 157,506 24,673 130,581 155,797 25,216 2,252 1,709 -543

Alaska* 68 60 -8 68 60 -8 0 0 0

Arizona 10,320 15,309 4,989 10,320 15,309 4,989 0 0 0

California 77,142 79,193 2,051 76,850 79,002 2,152 292 191 -101

Colorado 9,004 14,129 5,125 8,364 13,664 5,300 640 465 -175

Idaho 2,809 3,855 1,046 2,809 3,855 1,046 0 0 0

Montana 1,521 1,957 436 1,521 1,957 436 0 0 0

Nevada 4,898 6,346 1,448 4,898 6,346 1,448 0 0 0

New Mexico 5,217 8,877 3,660 3,939 7,824 3,885 1,278 1,053 -225

Oregon 6,283 6,708 425 6,283 6,708 425 0 0 0

Utah 4,024 6,548 2,524 4,024 6,548 2,524 0 0 0

Washington 10,542 12,939 2,397 10,500 12,939 2,439 42 0 -42

Wyoming 1,005 1,585 580 1,005 1,585 580 0 0 0

Note: Excludes combined prison-jail systems in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Includes 15 locally operated jails in Alaska. 

*On December 31, 2006, 1,953 unsentenced prisoners and prisoners sentenced to one year or less were held in the combined jail/prison system in Alaska. See Methodology for discussion of 

similar prisoners in other states with combined jail/prison systems.
18 Census of Jail facilities, 2006

Nearly half of all local jail inmates were confined in jurisdictions holding 

1,000 or more inmates in 2006.

Local jail jurisdictions confined 748,197 nonfederal jail inmates in 2006 (table 

10). Jurisdictions in the smallest size categories accounted for the largest share 

of jurisdictions, but they held the smallest share of the confined jail population. 

Jail jurisdictions holding fewer than 100 inmates accounted for 59% of all jail 

jurisdictions and held 8% of the jail population. In contrast, jurisdictions in the largest 

size category (1,000 or more inmates) accounted for 5% of local jail jurisdictions and 

held half the nation’s jail population.

The proportion of inmates held in different size jurisdictions varied by 

region and state.

 Nationwide, about 3% of confined jail inmates were housed in the smallest jail 

jurisdictions, or those holding less than 50 inmates. The proportion of jail inmates 

housed in jurisdictions that held fewer than 50 inmates was highest in Iowa and 

South Dakota, where 25% of confined inmates were held, followed by Nebraska 

(20%). By contrast, Maryland and New Jersey had no inmates in jail jurisdictions 

holding fewer than 50 inmates. 

 The concentration of confined jail inmates in the largest size jurisdictions (1,000 

inmates or more) was highest in California (88%), Massachusetts (79%), Florida 

(77%), and Arizona (74%). By contrast, 14 states reported no jail jurisdictions 

housing 1,000 inmates or more: Maine, New Hampshire, Iowa, Missouri, 

Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, 

Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

Jail Population by size of 

jurisdiction
Bureau of justice statistics December 2011 19

Table 10 

Number of confined inmates, by size of local jail jurisdiction, 2006

Region and state Total 

Fewer than 

50 inmates 50-99 100-249 250-499 500-999

1,000 inmates 

or more

U.S. total 748,197 21,664 40,504 90,633 97,965 120,502 376,929

Northeast 103,544 624 2,579 7,479 10,485 16,265 66,112

Maine 1,642 205 245 708 484 0 0

Massachusetts 13,214 21 0 188 1,041 1,575 10,389

New Hampshire 2,036 27 356 399 710 544 0

New Jersey 18,380 0 95 539 1,250 4,633 11,863

New York 32,324 195 1,040 2,898 2,832 3,230 22,129

Pennsylvania 35,948 176 843 2,747 4,168 6,283 21,731

Midwest 123,146 8,054 13,667 24,431 21,018 22,902 33,074

Illinois 19,940 1,063 955 2,128 3,677 2,638 9,479

Indiana 17,305 526 1,996 4,505 3,803 3,783 2,692

Iowa 3,798 948 552 846 900 552 0

Kansas 7,032 746 1,262 1,166 754 555 2,549

Michigan 18,164 493 1,810 3,010 3,203 2,384 7,264

Minnesota 7,167 791 1,561 1,346 796 1,423 1,250

Missouri 9,730 1,334 1,455 3,441 604 2,896 0

Nebraska 2,693 550 448 417 378 900 0

North Dakota 937 157 297 483 0 0 0

Ohio 20,196 449 1,827 4,101 3,795 3,104 6,920

South Dakota 1,631 413 282 0 376 560 0

Wisconsin 14,553 584 1,222 2,988 2,732 4,107 2,920

South 364,001 9,655 19,539 47,809 52,169 64,091 170,738

Alabama 15,122 976 1,638 4,171 1,891 3,974 2,472

Arkansas 6,164 1,145 891 1,763 990 1,375 0

District of Columbia 3,773 0 0 0 0 0 3,773

Florida 62,803 162 664 2,741 2,836 7,791 48,609

Georgia 43,243 1,018 2,836 5,245 4,909 10,539 18,696

Kentucky 16,541 302 977 4,909 4,905 2,332 3,116

Louisiana 28,315 552 877 2,391 3,416 8,972 12,107

Maryland 13,097 0 291 1,009 2,838 607 8,352

Mississippi 11,539 684 1,797 1,441 5,854 1,763 0

North Carolina 17,682 619 1,601 5,903 2,927 3,300 3,332

Oklahoma 9,803 896 1,662 2,503 624 0 4,118

South Carolina 12,761 132 897 2,384 2,664 2,622 4,062

Tennessee 24,362 725 1,704 4,642 3,906 1,350 12,035

Texas 66,583 2,287 2,660 6,675 5,966 10,464 38,531

Virginia 27,858 144 1,044 1,817 5,358 7,960 11,535

West Virginia 4,355 13 0 215 3,085 1,042 0

West 157,506 3,331 4,719 10,914 14,293 17,244 107,005

Alaska 60 60 0 0 0 0 0

Arizona 15,309 30 0 896 1,820 1,221 11,342

California 79,193 189 554 1,255 3,910 3,436 69,849

Colorado 14,129 612 598 1,234 1,339 1,864 8,482

Idaho 3,855 544 281 818 767 1,445 0

Montana 1,957 419 354 0 1,184 0 0

Nevada 6,346 136 400 488 0 784 4,538

New Mexico 8,877 144 426 1,086 1,693 3,346 2,182

Oregon 6,708 173 472 1,885 764 1,674 1,740

Utah 6,548 114 751 952 755 1,130 2,846

Washington 12,939 615 526 1,660 1,768 2,344 6,026

Wyoming 1,585 295 357 640 293 0 0

Note: Based on the confined jail population on March 31, 2006. Excludes the federal jurisdiction and combined prison-jail systems in Alaska, 

Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Includes 15 locally operated jails in Alaska.
20 Census of Jail facilities, 2006

Jail confinement rates increased in most states between 1999 and 2006.

 The confinement rate of inmates in local jail jurisdictions increased from 228 to 

256 per 100,000 U.S. residents between 1999 and 2006 (table 11).

 Louisiana (660), Georgia (462), and New Mexico (454) reported the highest 

confinement rates of jail inmates among the states. The District of Columbia (649), 

a wholly urban jurisdiction, also had one of the highest confinement rates of jail 

inmates in 2006.

 Louisiana’s resident population declined from 4,372,035 in 1999 to 4,287,768 in 

2006, partly due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. If the number of residents 

had stayed the same in both years, Louisiana’s jail incarceration rate would have 

been 648 inmates per 100,000 persons, still the highest of any state by a significant 

margin.

 Maine (124) and Iowa (127) had the lowest rates of confinement of jail inmates 

among local jail jurisdictions. 

 The lowest rate of confined jail inmates was in the federal jurisdiction with 5 per 

100,000 U.S. residents.

 The confinement rate of jail inmates decreased in six states between 1999 and 

2006: Nevada and New York (down 17 inmates each), California (down 16), 

Oregon (down 8), and Texas (down 6).

Rate of Confinement

LA 

GA 

NM 

TN 

MS 

KY 

VA 

FL 

AL 

WY 

CO 

SC 

PA 

TX 

IN 

OK 

ID 

WI 

UT 

KS 

NV 

WV 

MD 

AR 

CA 

NJ 

SD 

MT 

MA 

WA 

NC 

OR 

MI 

OH 

NY 

MO 

NH 

IL 

NE 

ND 

MN 

IA 

ME 

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 

State

Number of conned jail inmates per 100,000 residents

FIGURE 1 

Maine had the lowest rate of connement of jail 

inmates in 2006; Louisiana had the highest rate 

Note: Based on estimates of the U.S. resident population, 

U.S. Census Bureau, Series P-25. Excludes combined 

prison-jail systems in Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, 

Rhode Island, and Vermont. Excludes Alaska because 

98% of jail inmates were confined in the state’s 

combined prison-jail system, compared to 2% confined 

in 15 locally operated jails. The District of Columbia, a 

wholly urban jurisdiction, was also excluded.
Bureau of justice statistics December 2011 21

Table 11

Number of confined jail inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents, 1999 and 2006

Region and jurisdiction 1999 2006

U.S. total 232 261

Federal 4 5

State 228 256

Northeast 193 209

Maine 89 124

Massachusetts 174 205

New Hampshire 133 155

New Jersey 207 211

New York 184 167

Pennsylvania 225 289

Midwest 154 186

Illinois 139 155

Indiana 215 274

Iowa 104 127

Kansas 165 254

Michigan 158 180

Minnesota 105 139

Missouri 127 167

Nebraska 131 152

North Dakota 93 147

Ohio 148 176

South Dakota 145 209

Wisconsin 239 262

South 297 336

Alabama 261 329

Arkansas 189 219

District of Columbia 318 649

Florida 338 347

Georgia 422 462

Kentucky 262 393

Louisiana 586 660

Maryland 212 233

Mississippi 321 396

North Carolina 174 200

Oklahoma 201 274

South Carolina 226 295

Tennessee 358 403

Texas 289 283

Virginia 265 364

West Virginia 138 239

West 222 231

Arizona 216 248

California 233 217

Colorado 222 297

Idaho 224 263

Montana 172 207

Nevada 271 254

New Mexico 300 454

Oregon 189 181

Utah 189 257

Washington 183 202

Wyoming 210 308

Note: Confined jail inmate populations on June 30, 1999 and March 31, 2006. Based on estimates of the U.S. 

resident population, U.S. Census Bureau, Series P-25. Excludes combined prison-jail systems in Connecticut, 

Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Excludes Alaska because 98% of its jail inmates were confined in 

the state’s combined prison-jail system, compared to 2% confined in 15 locally operated jails. 
22 Census of Jail facilities, 2006

Approximately 234,000 employees worked in the nation’s jails. 

An estimated 234,000 employees worked in the nation’s jails in 2006 (table 12). (See 

Methodology for estimation discussion.) Employees included full-time and parttime payroll and non-payroll staff working in occupations as correctional officers 

and administrators, and in clerical, maintenance, education, and professional staff 

positions. Local jail jurisdictions in the South employed the largest percentage (44%) 

of staff. Workers in the Northeast (19%), West (18%), and Midwest (17%) together 

accounted for slightly more than half of all jail employees.

The number of employees increased in local jail jurisdictions and 

declined in the federal jurisdiction between 1999 and 2006.

 Jail jurisdictions reported a total of 231,515 full-time and part-time payroll and 

non-payroll staff in the nation’s local and federal jails in 2006.

 An estimated 231,000 employees worked in local jail jurisdictions in 2006, up 11% 

from 207,600 employees in 1999 (not shown in table).

 The number of jail staff in the federal jurisdiction declined 3%, from 3,110 

employees in 1999 to 3,031 employees in 2006 (not show in table). 

Jail Staff
Bureau of justice statistics December 2011 23

Table 12

Total estimated and reported jail staff, 2006

Region and jurisdiction Estimated Reported

U.S. total 234,000 231,515

Federal 3,031 3,031

State 231,000 228,484

Northeast 45,000 44,258

Maine 886 886

Massachusetts* 6,800 6,461

New Hampshire 699 699

New Jersey 5,492 5,492

New York 21,082 21,082

Pennsylvania* 10,000 9,638

Midwest 40,700 40,297

Illinois 6,962 6,962

Indiana* 4,200 4,221

Iowa 1,875 1,875

Kansas 2,429 2,429

Michigan* 5,200 4,801

Minnesota 3,261 3,261

Missouri 3,435 3,435

Nebraska 1,393 1,393

North Dakota 447 447

Ohio 6,579 6,579

South Dakota 587 587

Wisconsin 4,307 4,307

South 103,000 101,843

Alabama* 3,600 3,645

Arkansas* 2,200 2,090

District of Columbia 864 864

Florida 19,064 19,064

Georgia* 11,900 11,695

Kentucky* 3,700 3,665

Louisiana* 6,300 5,969

Maryland 5,064 5,064

Mississippi 2,736 2,736

North Carolina* 5,800 5,643

Oklahoma* 2,300 2,292

South Carolina 3,070 3,070

Tennessee* 7,500 7,172

Texas 18,938 18,938

Virginia 8,872 8,872

West Virginia 1,064 1,064

West 42,300 42,086

Alaska 111 111

Arizona 4,239 4,239

California 17,403 17,403

Colorado* 4,200 4,086

Idaho 1,134 1,134

Montana 819 819

Nevada 2,610 2,610

New Mexico* 2,300 2,235

Oregon 2,519 2,519

Utah 2,412 2,412

Washington 3,877 3,877

Wyoming 641 641

Note: Excludes combined prison-jail systems in Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Includes 15 locally operated jails in Alaska. 

*An estimate was calculated for states in which the number of staff was incompletely reported. See Methodology for discussion of staff estimation.
24 Census of Jail facilities, 2006

The number of inmates per jail employee rose between 1999 and 2006. 

 The jail inmate-to-staff ratio in the U.S. increased from 2.9 to 1 in 1999 to 3.3 to 1 

in 2006 (table 13).

 The largest increases in the number of confined jail inmates per employee occurred 

in the District of Columbia (up 2.0 inmates per employee), Indiana (up 1.4), and 

Colorado, West Virginia, and the federal jurisdiction (up 1.0 each).

 Massachusetts and Utah (down 0.4 each) and Washington (down 0.3) had the 

largest declines in inmate-to-staff ratios between 1999 and 2006.

 Louisiana had the highest inmate-to-staff ratio in 2006 (4.7 inmates per employee), 

followed by California (4.6) and the federal jurisdiction (4.6).

 Alaska (0.5), Maine (1.4), New York (1.5), and Massachusetts and Nebraska (1.9 

each) had the lowest inmate-to-staff ratios in 2006.

Inmate-to-Staff Ratio
Bureau of 

justice statistics December 2011 25

Table 13

Number of confined jail inmates per employee, 1999 and 2006

Region and jurisdiction 1999 2006

U.S. total 2.9 3.3

Federal 3.6 4.6

State 2.9 3.3

Northeast 2.2 2.3

Maine 1.4 1.9

Massachusetts 2.3 1.9

New Hampshire 2.9 2.9

New Jersey 3.0 3.3

New York 1.5 1.5

Pennsylvania 3.2 3.7

Midwest 2.5 3.1

Illinois 2.7 2.9

Indiana 2.7 4.1

Iowa 1.8 2.0

Kansas 2.1 2.9

Michigan 3.2 3.8

Minnesota 1.8 2.2

Missouri 2.1 2.8

Nebraska 1.8 1.9

North Dakota 1.7 2.1

Ohio 2.3 3.1

South Dakota 2.2 2.8

Wisconsin 3.5 3.4

South 3.3 3.6

Alabama 3.7 4.1

Arkansas 2.6 2.9

District of Columbia 2.4 4.4

Florida 3.3 3.3

Georgia 3.9 3.7

Kentucky 3.7 4.4

Louisiana 3.8 4.7

Maryland 2.6 2.6

Mississippi 3.8 4.2

North Carolina 2.9 3.1

Oklahoma 3.3 4.2

South Carolina 3.4 4.2

Tennessee 3.1 3.4

Texas 3.5 3.5

Virginia 2.4 3.1

West Virginia 3.1 4.1

West 3.3 3.7

Alaska 0.6 0.5

Arizona 3.3 3.6

California 3.8 4.6

Colorado 2.4 3.4

Idaho 3.3 3.4

Montana 2.0 2.4

Nevada 2.5 2.4

New Mexico 2.9 3.8

Oregon 2.6 2.7

Utah 3.1 2.7

Washington 3.6 3.3

Wyoming 2.4 2.5

Note: The inmate-to-staff ratio is the number of confined inmates divided by the total number 

of employees reported on June 30, 1999 and March 31, 2006. Excludes combined prison-jail 

systems in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Includes 15 

locally operated jails in Alaska. 
26 Census of Jail facilities, 2006

Methodology

The 2006 Census of Jail Facilities was the ninth in a series of complete enumerations of 

jail facilities since 1970 collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). BJS split the jail 

census into two parts. The Census of Jail Inmates was conducted with a reference date of 

June 30, 2005. The following spring it was followed by the Census of Jail Facilities, which 

collected data as of March 31, 2006. The U.S. Census Bureau collected the data for BJS.

The census requested jurisdictional-level information on the number of confined 

inmates, separate jail facilities, average daily population, renovation and building plans, 

court orders and consent decrees, staff by occupational category and race/ethnicity, jail 

programs, and costs of operation. The census also requested facility-level data on rated 

capacity, number of confined inmates by gender and adult or juvenile status, and jail 

functions, such as general adult population confinement, work release, and medical 

treatment. 

Because the census was a complete enumeration, the results were not subject to sampling 

error. The results were affected, however, by significant item nonresponse. Missing data 

ranged from 20% to 44% for average daily population, employees by full-time and part-time 

status, gender, race/ethnicity, occupational category, jail programs, costs of incarceration, 

and individual jail rated capacity. Complete or nearly complete reporting was recorded on 

the number of jail jurisdictions, number of jail facilities, type of facility operator (public 

authority or under contract), size of jail jurisdiction, and number of jail staff. 

Included in the census

The 2006 Census of Jail Facilities gathered data from all jail detention facilities holding inmates 

beyond arraignment, a period normally exceeding 72 hours. Included in the census were 2,859 

local jail jurisdictions made up of 3,271 city, county, or privately operated jail facilities intended 

for adults, but sometimes holding juveniles (defined as persons under age 18), and 12 Federal 

Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities that functioned as jails.

In 1999 the BOP reported its 11 detention facilities together as a single jurisdiction. In 

2006 each of its 12 detention facilities was classified as a separate jurisdiction. To maintain 

comparability between the two censuses, BJS counted the 12 BOP detention facilities in 

2006 as a single jurisdiction. 

Tables in this report show a nationwide total number of jail jurisdictions of 2,860, 89 fewer 

than the 2,949 jurisdiction records produced by the public use data set. This difference 

results from the reclassification of some jail reporting units to reflect a more accurate 

count of jail jurisdictions, and corresponds to jail jurisdiction classification procedures 

followed in the BJS Annual Survey of Jails series. 

Excluded from the census

Excluded from the census were physically separate temporary holding facilities, such as 

drunk tanks and police lockups that do not hold persons after being formally charged 

in court. Also excluded were state-operated facilities in Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, 

Rhode Island, Vermont, and Alaska, which have combined jail-prison systems. Fifteen 

independently operated jails in Alaska, however, were included in the census.
Bureau of justice statistics December 2011 27

Unit non-response

The number of jail jurisdictions and jail facilities in 2006 are for entities that reported data. 

Comparisons with the number of jail jurisdictions identified in the 2005 Census of Jail Inmates 

and the 2000, 2006, and 2007 Deaths In Custody (DCRP) data collections indicated that nearly 

all queried jail jurisdictions in the 2006 Census of Jail Facilities either responded and were 

included or were excluded according to the scope of the census.

Regional jails

In addition to the 44 regional jails counted in the 2006 Census of Jail Facilities, two other BJS 

data sources, Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2006 (NCJ 217675) and Deaths in Custody 

Reporting Program (DCRP) unpublished data, identified 19 jails that also met the regional 

definition (a facility in which two or more jail jurisdictions had a formal agreement to operate), 

bringing the nationwide total to 63. A study conducted by Luminosity, Inc. in December 2008 

reported a total of 80 regional jails operating in 22 states.*

Combined jail/prison states

In the 6 states with combined jail/prison systems, unsentenced prisoners and prioners 

with sentences of 1 year or less accounted for between 26% (Vermont) and 46% (Rhode 

Island) of all inmates in 2006.

Estimation procedures

1. In the 14 states where the number of staff was incompletely reported, an estimate was 

calculated as follows: the total number of inmates was divided by the number of inmates 

in facilities reporting staff. The result was multiplied by the reported number of staff 

and rounded to the nearest 100. Complete and estimated state totals were then summed 

to regional totals; regional totals were rounded to the nearest 100 and summed to the 

total for all states and the U.S. total. Employees included full and part-time payroll and 

non-payroll staff and excluded community volunteers.

2. Rates, ratios, and percentage distributions were based on reported data.

Table 14

Prisoners in states with combined jail/prison systems, 2006

State

Total number 

of prisoners

Number of prisoners 

sentenced to more 

than 1 year

Number of unsentenced 

prisoners and prisoners 

sentenced to 1 year or less

Number of unsentenced 

prisoners and prisoners 

sentenced to 1 year or less as 

a percentage of all prisoners

Total 45,019 29,213 15,806 35%

Connecticut 20,566 13,746 6,820 33%

Rhode Island 3,996 2,149 1,847 46

Vermont 2,215 1,634 581 26

Delaware 7,206 4,195 3,011 42

Alaska 5,069 3,116 1,953 39

Hawaii 5,967 4,373 1,594 27

*Regional Jail Feasibility Study. Community Resource Services, Inc., in association with Luminosity, Inc., 

Gettysburg, PA. December, 2008.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. 

James P. Lynch is director.

The full text of each report is available in PDF and ASCII formats on the BJS website 

at www.bjs.gov.  Tables are also available in PDF and CSV formats. Related datasets are 

made available on the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data website at http://www.

icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/NACJD/index.jsp.

James Stephan, BJS Statistician, and Georgette Walsh, BJS Technical Writer-Editor, wrote 

this report. Tracy L. Snell, Todd D. Minton, and Sheri Simmons verified the report. Jill 

Thomas edited the report, and Barbara Quinn designed and produced the report under 

the supervision of Doris J. James.

Pamela H. Butler, Monica Hill, Lisa A. McNelis, and Theresa M. Reitz carried out the data 

collection and processing under the supervision of Charlene M. Sebold, Governments 

Division, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. Duane H. Cavanaugh and 

Diron J. Gaskins provided technical assistance.

December 2011, NCJ 230188

Office of Justice Programs

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