Appendix 15
Correctional Populations in the United States
Survey methodology, definitions of terms, and jurisdictional explanatory notes
Note: The following information has been excerpted from U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Correctional Populations in the United States, 1997, NCJ 177613 (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2000); Prisoners in 2003, Bulletin NCJ 205335, pp. 10-12; 2004, Bulletin NCJ 210677, pp. 11-14; 2005, Bulletin NCJ 215092, pp. 11-13; 2006, Bulletin NCJ 219416, pp. 10-13; 2007, Bulletin NCJ 224280, pp. 9-11 (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice); and Probation and Parole in the United States, 2003, Bulletin NCJ 205336, pp. 7, 8; 2004, Bulletin NCJ 210676, p.10; 2005, Bulletin NCJ 215091, p. 10; 2006, Bulletin NCJ 220218, p. 9 (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice). Non-substantive editorial adaptations have been made.
Survey methodology for prisoner data
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), with the U.S. Census Bureau as collection agent, obtains yearend and midyear counts of prisoners from departments of correction in the 50 States and the Federal Bureau of Prisons through the National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) program. In an effort to collect comparable data from all jurisdictions, NPS distinguishes prisoners in custody from those under jurisdiction. To have custody of a prisoner, a State or the Federal system must hold that person in one of its facilities. To have jurisdiction over a prisoner, a State or the Federal system has legal authority over the prisoner. Prisoners under a State's jurisdiction may be in the custody of a privately operated facility, local jail, another State's prison, or other correctional facility. Custody counts include all prisoners held within a responding jurisdiction's facilities, including prisoners housed for other jurisdictions. Some States are unable to provide both custody and jurisdiction counts.
Excluded from NPS custody counts are persons confined in locally administered confinement facilities who are under the jurisdiction of local authorities. NPS counts include all prisoners in State-operated facilities in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont, which have combined jail-prison systems.
As of Dec. 31, 2001, the transfer of responsibility for sentenced felons from the District of Columbia to the Federal Bureau of Prisons was completed. The District of Columbia no longer operates a prison system and has been excluded from NPS. Prisoners sentenced under the District of Columbia criminal code are housed in Federal facilities and are counted with the Federal prisoners reported to the NPS by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
In each jurisdiction, a questionnaire was completed by a central agency reporting for institutions within the correctional system. This procedure was also used by the Federal Bureau of Prisons in supplying data on Federal institutions. Because the information was derived from a complete enumeration rather than a survey, the statistical data are not affected by sampling error. Response errors were held to a minimum by means of a systematic telephone followup and, where necessary, other control procedures. Thus, the yearend counts are generally considered reliable. Because of the absence of standardized administrative and record keeping practices from State to State, the data for admissions and releases are not always entirely comparable across jurisdictions.
Many States revise the yearend number reported for the previous year. Those revisions are made in the total, not the detail. For example, the number of blacks, whites, and members of other races for 1996 were not changed by a State in 1997 to equal its revised 1996 total.
National Prisoner Statistics category definitions
Jurisdiction population--Includes all prisoners under jurisdiction of State correctional authorities on December 31 regardless of location. Does not include other jurisdictions' prisoners (for example, prisoners from other States, pretrial detainees) merely housed in prisons.
Custody population--Includes all prisoners in the State's custody, that is, housed in State correctional facilities on December 31. Does not include State prisoners housed outside State prison facilities; does include other jurisdictions' prisoners (for example, prisoners from other States, the courts, local jails) housed in the State's facilities.
Admissions
New court commitments--Includes all prisoners who were admitted with new sentences, that is, these prisoners were not readmitted for any sentences for which they had already served some prison time. This category includes probation violators entering prison for the first time on the probated offenses. Does not include parole violators with new sentences.
Parole violators with new sentences--Includes all parolees returned with new sentences.
Other conditional release violators with new sentences--Includes all individuals on conditional release (other than parole) who are returned with new sentences, for example, returns from supervised mandatory release, from shock probation, etc.
Parole violators only, no new sentences--Includes all parolees returned only for formal revocations of parole that were not accompanied by new sentences. If the parole was not formally revoked, that is, the parolee was held only temporarily pending a hearing, no admission occurred for NPS purposes.
Other conditional release violators only, no new sentences--Same as above, substituting conditional release violator for parole violator.
Transfers from other jurisdictions--Includes all prisoners transferred from another jurisdiction to a State's jurisdiction to continue sentences already in force. Does not include admissions if State does not acquire jurisdiction. Does not include movements from prison to prison within State.
Absent without leave (AWOL) returns, with or without new sentences--Includes all returns from AWOL, that is, failures to return from authorized temporary absences such as work furlough, study release, mercy furlough, or other authorized temporary absence.
Escapee returns, with or without new sentences--Includes all returns from escape, that is, unlawful departures from a State correctional facility or from the custody of State correctional personnel.
Returns from appeal/bond--Includes all prisoners reinstated to correctional jurisdiction from long-term jurisdictional absences on appeal or bond. Does not include returns from short-term movements (less than 30 days) to court (that is, where the State retains jurisdiction).
Other admissions--Includes all other admissions not covered by the above categories.
Releases
Unconditional--An unconditional release occurs only if the released prisoner cannot be imprisoned for any sentence for which he/she was in prison.
Expirations of sentence--Includes all prisoners whose maximum court sentences minus credits have been served.
Commutation--Includes all prisoners whose maximum sentences have been changed (lowered) to time served to allow immediate unconditional release.
Other unconditional release--Includes all other unconditional releases not covered by the above categories.
Conditional--A conditional release occurs if the released prisoner, upon violating the conditions of release, can be imprisoned again for any of the sentences for which he/she was in prison.
Probation--Includes all prisoners who have been placed under probation supervision and conditionally released; includes all shock probation (split sentence) releases.
Supervised mandatory release--Includes all prisoners who must, by law, be conditionally released. This type of release may also be called mandatory conditional release.
Parole--Includes all prisoners conditionally released to parole.
Other conditional release--Includes all other conditional releases not covered by the above categories.
- Death:
- Execution--Self-explanatory.
- Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)--The immediate cause of death in AIDS mortalities may be Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia, Kaposi's Sarcoma, or other diseases related to HIV infection.
- Illness/natural causes--Self-explanatory. AIDS-related deaths not included in this category.
- Suicide--Self-explanatory.
- Accidental injury to self--Includes all prisoners who accidentally cause their own deaths (for example, a fall from a ladder, mishandling electrical equipment).
- Caused by another--Includes all prisoners whose deaths were caused accidentally or intentionally by another prisoner or prison personnel.
- Other deaths--Includes all other deaths not covered by the above categories.
- Race
Classification by race often depends on the reporting program and the State. A few States reported two categories: white and nonwhite. A few others categorized Hispanic offenders as belonging to "other race." The number of persons with certain racial backgrounds were sometimes estimated. Detailed race categories exclude estimates of prisoners identifying two or more races/ethnicities. - White--Persons having origin in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East.
- Black--Persons having origin in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
- American Indian or Alaska Native--Persons having origin in any of the original peoples of North America, who maintain cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.
- Asian or Pacific Islander--Persons having origin in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands. This area includes, for example, China, India, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands, and Samoa.
- Other--Any other race not covered by the above categories.
- Not known--Any prisoner whose racial origin is unknown by the reporting jurisdiction.
-
Ethnic origin
A person of Hispanic origin may be of any race; however, a few States treat the ethnic category as a racial one. Reporting officials usually rely on self-definition, but some States classify according to surname. Detailed ethnicity categories exclude estimates of prisoners identifying two or more races/ethnicities. - Hispanic--Persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
- Not Hispanic--Persons not covered by the above category.
- Not known--Any prisoner whose ethnic origin is unknown by the reporting jurisdiction.
Integrated jail/prison systems
For the following States, prisons and jails form one integrated system; all NPS data include combined jail and prison populations: Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data
Alaska--See integrated jail/prison systems above. Counts exclude individuals in electronic and special monitoring programs.
Arizona--Population counts are based on custody data. Counts exclude 174 sentenced prisoners housed in contracted local jails who were awaiting transfer to the Department of Corrections.
California--Population counts include felons and civil addicts who are temporarily absent, such as in court, jail, or hospital.
Colorado--Population counts include 247 male and 8 female prisoners in the Youthful Offender System.
Connecticut--See integrated jail/prison systems above.
Delaware--See integrated jail/prison systems above. Jurisdiction counts exclude prisoners housed in other States' facilities.
District of Columbia--The District of Columbia is no longer counted as a prison system because the 1997 Revitalization Act transferred responsibility for housing sentenced felons to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. For comparisons with previous years, jurisdiction and custody counts in the District of Columbia were 2,692 on Dec. 31, 2001 and 3,241 on Dec. 31, 2002.
Federal--Custody counts include prisoners housed in privately operated secure facilities under contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons or with a State or local government that has an intergovernmental agreement. Custody counts exclude offenders housed under home confinement.
Florida--Population counts for Dec. 31, 2002 are based on custody data, including prisoners in privately operated facilities and are not comparable to 2003 data.
Georgia--Population counts are based on custody data, including prisoners in privately operated facilities.
Hawaii--See integrated jail/prison systems above.
Illinois--Population counts are based on jurisdiction data. Counts of prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year.
Iowa--Population counts are based on custody data. Counts of prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less.
Kansas--Population counts of prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less.
Louisiana--Counts are as of Dec. 29, 2003. Population counts include 15,173 males and 1,376 females housed in local jails as a result of a partnership with the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association and local authorities.
Massachusetts--By law, offenders may be sentenced to terms of up to 2 1/2 years in locally operated jails. Such offenders are included in counts and rates for local jails. Beginning in 2003, about 6,200 prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year were held in local jails each year.
Michigan--Jurisdiction counts exclude 42 prisoners held in local jails.
Montana--Counts include 263 prisoners under intensive supervision in the community.
Nevada--Population counts are as of Jan. 1, 2004.
New Jersey--Population counts of prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year. The Department of Corrections has no jurisdiction over prisoners with sentences of less than 1 year or unsentenced prisoners.
Ohio--Population counts of prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year or less.
Oklahoma--Population counts of prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year. The female count dropped significantly because the Department of Corrections bought a private prison.
Oregon--Prisoners with less than a 1 year maximum sentence remain under the control of local counties.
Rhode Island--See integrated jail/prison systems above.
South Carolina--Population counts include 66 prisoners either unsentenced or under other confinement status.
Tennessee--Population counts of prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year.
Texas--Jurisdiction counts include prisoners serving time in a pre-parole transfer or intermediary sanctions facility, substance abuse felony punishment facility, temporary releases to counties, and paper-ready prisoners in local jails.
Vermont--See integrated jail/prison systems above.
Washington--A recently revised law allows increasing numbers of prisoners with sentences of less than 1 year to be housed in prison.
Explanatory notes for 2004 prisoner data
Alaska-- See integrated jail/prison systems above. Counts exclude individuals in electronic and special monitoring programs.
Arizona--Population counts are based on custody data. Counts exclude 55 sentenced prisoners housed in contracted local jails who were awaiting transfer to the Department of Corrections.
California--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Colorado--Population counts include 215 prisoners (214 males and 1 female) in the Youthful Offender System.
Connecticut--See integrated jail/prison systems above.
Delaware--See integrated jail/prison systems above. Jurisdiction counts exclude prisoners housed in other States' facilities.
Federal--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Georgia--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Hawaii--See integrated jail/prison systems above.
Illinois--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Iowa--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Kansas--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Louisiana--Counts are as of Dec. 29, 2004. Population counts include 16,069 males and 1,400 females housed in local jails as a result of a partnership with the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association and local authorities.
Massachusetts--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Minnesota--Custody counts include U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement prisoners and U.S. Marshals Service prisoners.
Montana--Counts include 278 prisoners under intensive supervision in the community.
New Jersey--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Ohio--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Oklahoma--Population counts of prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of 1 year.
Oregon--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Rhode Island--See integrated jail/prison systems above. Custody counts for 2003 and 2004 are not comparable.
South Carolina--Population counts include 60 prisoners either unsentenced or under other confinement status.
Tennessee--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Texas--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Vermont--See integrated jail/prison systems above.
Washington--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Explanatory notes for 2005 prisoner data
Alaska-- See integrated jail/prison systems above. Counts exclude individuals in electronic and special monitoring programs.
Arizona--Population counts are based on custody data. Counts exclude 64 sentenced inmates housed in contracted local jail facilities, some awaiting transfer to the Department of Corrections. Prisoners held in other States are excluded from counts.
California--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Colorado--Population counts include 207 male and 11 female prisoners in the Youthful Offender System.
Connecticut--See integrated jail/prison systems above.
Delaware--See integrated jail/prison systems above. Jurisdiction counts exclude prisoners housed in other States' facilities.
Federal--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Georgia--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Hawaii--See integrated jail/prison systems above.
Illinois--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Iowa--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Kansas--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Louisiana--Counts are as of Dec. 28, 2005. Population counts include 16,069 males and 1,400 females housed in local jails as a result of a partnership with the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association and local authorities.
Massachusetts--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Minnesota--Counts include prisoners housed in local jails, on work release or community work programs, or housed in a private contract facility.
New Jersey--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Ohio--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Oklahoma--Population counts exclude prisoners awaiting transfer in local jails.
Oregon--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Rhode Island--See integrated jail/prison systems above.
South Carolina--Population counts include 25 prisoners who were unsentenced, under safekeeping, or ICE status.
Tennessee--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Texas--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Vermont--See integrated jail/prison systems above.
Washington--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Wisconsin--Counts include 886 offenders admitted as temporary probation and parole placements.
Explanatory notes for 2006 prisoner data
Alaska--Jurisdictional counts include individuals admitted to electronic and special monitoring programs.
Arizona--Population counts are based on custody data and prisoners in contracted beds. The number of prisoners housed in private facilities increased. Interstate prisoners are excluded from counts.
Colorado--Population counts include 201 male and 12 female prisoners in the Youthful Offender System.
Federal--Custody counts include prisoners housed in secure facilities where the BOP had direct contact with a private operator or a subcontract with a private provider at a local government facility. Custody includes prisoners held in nonsecure privately operated community corrections centers (or halfway houses) and on home confinement.
Florida--Custody counts not comparable to 2005 estimates because some private facilities were inadvertently included in the 2005 count. Jurisdiction counts are not comparable to 2005 because prisoners with a sentence of 1 year were included in counts of prisoners with sentences of more than 1 year instead of with those sentenced to 1 year or less.
Illinois--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Iowa--Population counts are based on custody data. Counts for prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number with a sentence of less than 1 year and unsentenced prisoners. Iowa does not differentiate between these groups in its data system. Due to a change in reporting in 2006, out-of-State prisoners have been included in jurisdiction counts.
Louisiana--Counts are as of Dec. 27, 2006. Population counts include 14,953 males and 1,244 females housed in local jails as a result of a partnership with the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association and local authorities. Custody and jurisdiction counts include evacuees from Hurricane Katrina and other pretrial offenders from Orleans and Jefferson Parish jails.
Massachusetts--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data. Jurisdiction and custody counts include an undetermined number of prisoners who were remanded to court, transferred to the custody of another State, Federal, or locally operated system, and subsequently released.
Minnesota--See explanatory notes for 2005 prisoner data.
Missouri--Custody and jurisdiction counts for 2005 and 2006 are not comparable because two community release centers were excluded from the 2005 data.
Montana--Population counts include a small number of prisoners with unknown sentence lengths.
New Jersey--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Oklahoma--Population counts for prisoners with sentences of less than 1 year consist mainly of offenders ordered by the court to the Delayed Sentencing Program for young Adults.
South Carolina--Population counts include 36 prisoners who were unsentenced or under safekeeping. As of July 1, 2003 the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) began releasing prisoners due for release and housed in SCDC institutions on the 1st of each month. Since Jan. 1, 2007 was a holiday, prisoners eligible for release on January 1 were released on Dec. 31, 2006. Therefore the prisoner count was at its lowest point for the month on Dec. 31, 2006.
Texas--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Washington--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Wisconsin--Counts include 943 offenders admitted as temporary probation and parole placements.
Explanatory notes for 2007 prisoner data
Arizona--Population counts are based on custody data and prisoners in contracted beds.
California--Jurisdiction counts include felons and unsentenced prisoners who are temporarily absent, i.e., housed in local jails, hospitals, etc.
Colorado--Counts include 211 prisoners in the Youthful Offender System, which was established primarily for violent juvenile offenders.
Federal--See explanatory notes for 2006 prisoner data.
Florida--Counts are not comparable to last year due to new methods of data collection by Florida correctional officials.
Georgia--Counts are based on custody data.
Illinois--Data for 2007 were not received. All data for Dec. 31, 2007 are based on ratio estimates using NPS data from 2005. Population counts are based on jurisdiction data. Counts of prisoners with a sentence of more than 1 year include an undetermined number of prisoners with a sentence of less than 1 year. These estimates will be updated upon receipt of data.
Iowa--See explanatory notes for 2006 prisoner data.
Kansas--Admission and release data are based on the custody population. Due to a new, electronic reporting system, 2007 admission and release data are not comparable to previous years' counts.
Louisiana--Counts are as of Dec. 27, 2007. Counts include 15,789 males and 1,289 females housed in local jails as a result of a partnership with the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association and local authorities. Custody and jurisdiction counts include evacuees from Hurricane Katrina and other pre-trial offenders from Orleans and Jefferson parish jails.
Due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina, Orleans and Jefferson parish prison capacities are down.
Maine--Data for 2007 were not available at the time of publication. Estimates based on 2006 numbers were used for all tables. These estimates will be updated upon receipt of data.
Massachusetts--See explanatory notes for 2003 and 2006 prisoner data.
Minnesota--See explanatory notes for 2005 prisoner data.
Montana--Population counts include a small number of prisoners with unknown sentence lengths. In 2006, the Department of Corrections changed the method of accounting for community corrections offenders placed in residential treatment programs. To track growth patterns, a new standard process was applied to historic populations which resulted in some changes to previous years' counts.
Nevada--Due to a system conversion, data for 2007 were calculated with ratio estimates, and are based on 2006 numbers. All estimates were reviewed by individuals at the Nevada Department of Corrections.
New Jersey--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Ohio-- See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Oklahoma-- See explanatory notes for 2006 prisoner data.
Oregon--Counts include an undetermined number of prisoners with sentences of 1 year or less. County authorities retain jurisdiction over the majority of these types of prisoners.
South Carolina--Population counts include 36 prisoners who were unsentenced, under safekeeping, or ICC status. As of July 1, 2003, South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) began releasing prisoners due for release and housed in SCDC institutions on the 1st day of each month. Because Jan. 1, 2008 was a holiday, prisoners eligible for release on January 1 were released on Dec. 31, 2007. Therefore, the prisoner count was at its lowest point for the month on Dec. 31, 2007.
Texas--Jurisdiction counts include prisoners serving time in a pre-parole transfer (PPT) or intermediary sanctions facility (ISF), substance abuse felony punishment facility (SAFPF), private facilities, halfway houses, temporary releases to counties, and paper-ready prisoners in local jails.
Vermont--Improved methods were used to measure admissions and releases. Admission and release data for 2006 and 2007 are not comparable.
Virginia--Jurisdiction counts are as of Dec. 28, 2007.
Washington--See explanatory notes for 2003 prisoner data.
Capital punishment explanatory notes
The data reported for capital punishment may differ from data collected by other organizations. The differences occur for the following reasons:
(1) Prisoners under sentence of death are initially added to the National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) counts when they enter correctional facilities rather than when judges pronounce sentence.
(2) Following the year when prisoners are first counted, their admissions or releases as a result of court order are attributed to the year for the sentence or court order. For example, a prisoner sentenced in November 1995 entering prison custody in January 1996 would be counted as an admission in the 1996 report; the 1997 report would count him or her as being under sentence of death at yearend 1995. Similarly, a prisoner whose sentence is overturned in 1994 but who remains in the count until 1996 when the court's decision is reported would be subtracted from the 1994 and 1995 counts.
(3) NPS counts of persons under sentence of death are always for the last day of a calendar year and will differ from more recent counts.
Survey methodology for probation and parole data
The Annual Probation Survey and the Annual Parole Survey provide counts of the total persons supervised in the community on January 1 and December 31, and a count of the number entering and leaving supervision during the year. These surveys cover all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Federal system. Prior to 2006, the data were collected by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics through standard questionnaires mailed to the Nation's probation and parole agencies. Beginning in 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau served as collection agent for BJS.
Counts of probationers include only adults who have been placed under the supervision of a probation agency as part of a court order, regardless of whether convicted. Both active and inactive supervision cases are included. The data exclude juveniles and persons on bench, court, or summary probation who have not been placed under the supervision of a probation agency.
Counts of parolees include only adults who have been conditionally released to parole supervision, whether by a parole board decision or by mandatory conditional release. Both active and inactive supervision cases are included. Parolees sentenced to incarceration regardless of sentence length are included. The data exclude juveniles. For both probation and parole counts the following provisions apply:
(1) For interstate compacts, counts include a State's probationers and parolees sent to another State for supervision, but exclude probationers and parolees supervised for another State.
(2) For entries, individuals entering into the probation or parole system more than once during the year are counted as multiple entries.
(3) For exits, individuals exiting from the probation or parole system more than once during the year are counted as multiple exits.
Data for the Federal system are from the Administrative Office of the United States Courts as provided to the BJS Federal Justice Statistics Program.
Because many States update their population counts, the January 1 numbers may differ from those published for December 31 of the previous year.
The 2003 Annual Probation Survey was sent to 469 respondents--34 central State reporters, the District of Columbia, the Federal system, and 433 separate State, county, or court agencies. States with multiple reporters were Alabama (3), Arizona (2), Colorado (9), Florida (43), Georgia (5), Idaho (2), Kentucky (3), Michigan (128), Missouri (2), Montana (4), New Mexico (2), Ohio (187), Oklahoma (3), Tennessee (3), Washington (35), and West Virginia (2).
For the 2004 Annual Probation Survey, the number of respondents decreased to 468 because Colorado had 8 rather than 9 multiple reporters.
One local agency in Ohio did not provide data for 2003 or 2004. For this agency, the December 31 count from the previous year was used.
The 2005 Annual Probation Survey was sent to 466 respondents--33 central State reporters, the District of Columbia, the Federal system, and 431 separate State, county, or court agencies. States with multiple reporters were Alabama (3), Arizona (2), Colorado (8), Florida (43), Georgia (5), Idaho (2), Kentucky (3), Michigan (127), Missouri (2), Montana (4), New Mexico (2), Ohio (185), Oklahoma (3), Pennsylvania (2), Tennessee (3), Washington (35), and West Virginia (2).
The 2006 Annual Probation Survey was sent to 463 respondents--33 central State reporters, the District of Columbia, the Federal system, and 428 separate State, county, or court agencies. States with multiple reporters were Alabama (3), Arizona (2), Colorado (8), Florida (41), Georgia (5), Idaho (2), Kentucky (3), Michigan (128), Missouri (2), Montana (4), New Mexico (2), Ohio (185), Oklahoma (3), Pennsylvania (2), Tennessee (3), Washington (33), and West Virginia (2).
In recent years, the probation survey coverage has been expanded to include approximately 180 additional agencies previously excluded from the survey. Probationers under the supervision of these agencies totaled 193,607 at yearend 2003, 219,195 at yearend 2004, 226,192 at yearend 2005, and 236,014 at yearend 2006. For year-to-year comparisons, use total counts based on the same reporting agencies-- 3,266,837 in 1997 to compare with the final 1996 counts; 3,417,613 in 1998 to compare with final 1997; and 3,772,773 in 1999 to compare with final 1998.
Entries to probation supervision have been estimated by the Source for nonreporting agencies in recent years.
The 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 Annual Parole Surveys were sent to 54 respondents--50 central State reporters, the District of Columbia, the Federal system, the California Youth Authority, and 1 municipal agency in Alabama. Illinois did not provide data for 2006.
Federal parole as defined here includes supervised release, parole, military parole, special parole, and mandatory release.
For the 2006 data, the Source imputed entry and exit numbers for nonreporting jurisdictions. One of four imputation methods was used depending on data availability. See Source, 2006, p. 9 for more information on the data imputation methods.
Total correctional population
To estimate the total correctional population in tables 6.1.2005 and 6.2, the four correctional populations are assumed to contain individuals with only one status at a time. This assumption may not be valid. Multiple correctional statuses may occur because (1) probation and parole agencies are not always notified of new arrests, jail entries, or prison admissions; (2) absconders agency caseloads in one jurisdiction may actually be incarcerated in another jurisdiction; and (3) individuals may be admitted to jail or prison before formal revocation hearings by a probation or parole agency.
By adding the number of persons on probation, on parole, in jail, and in prison, some persons may be counted more than once; consequently, the sum will be a slight overestimate of the total number of persons under correctional supervision at any one time.
Military corrections data
In 1994 the U.S. Department of Defense Corrections Council established an annual military confinement report. The council, comprised of representatives from each branch of military service, adopted a standardized questionnaire with a common set of definitions. BJS obtains yearend counts of persons in the custody of U.S. military authorities from these reports. The annual confinement report provides yearend counts of persons held in U.S. military confinement facilities inside and outside the continental United States, by branch of service, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, conviction status and sentence length, and offense. The confinement report also includes the number of facilities and their design and rated capacities.