The Office of the Federal Detention Trustee’s Statistician formulates projections on such detention-related topics as population trends, bed space availability, and costs of state and local government versus private facilities and long-term utilization of private jails. The Statistician also produces statistical analyses and data to explain and predict long-range changes in such detention program areas as population, health care and expenditures.

Between 1994 and 2011 the number of prisoners under the custodial jurisdiction of the U.S. Marshals Service increased from 18,282 to 63,112, on an average daily basis.  Approximately 42% of all persons under the custodial jurisdiction of the U.S. Marshals Service during Fiscal Year 2011 were housed in detention facilities in the southwestern portion of the United States(Arizona, California-Central, California-Southern, New Mexico, Texas-Northern, Texas-Southern, Texas-Eastern, and Texas-Western).

About one-third of the Fiscal Year 2011 detention population had been arrested for a drug offense.  Those arrested for drug offenses represented the largest segment of the detention population during Fiscal Year 2011. Additionally, 26% had been arrested for an immigration offense.

Between 1994 and 2011, prisoner bookings by the U.S. Marshals Service increased from 98,978 to 209,526.  More than three-quarters of this increase occurred in the Southwest.  Nationwide, bookings for immigration offenses accounted for 68% of the total increase in bookings, increasing from 8,604 to 84,313.

During Fiscal Year 2011, nearly 76% of persons booked by the USMS were detained for more than 4 days.  Persons ordered detained by the courts were held in detention for almost 4 months, on average, while awaiting trial and/or commitment to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to serve a term of imprisonment.  Time-in-detention was the longest for persons booked for drug, weapons, and violent offenses (more than 7 months, on average). By contrast, time-in-detention was the shortest for persons booked for immigration offenses (87 days), supervision violations (81 days) and as material witnesses (40 days).

During Fiscal Year 2011, the USMS housed prisoners in more than 774 different facilities located throughout the United States. More than half (51%) of USMS prisoners were housed in facilities owned and operated by state and local governments. Additionally, 29% were housed in privately owned and operated facilities (21% under direct contract with OFDT and 8% under contract with a state or local government); 19% in facilities operated by the BOP; and about 1% were housed in medical facilities while receiving treatment.

The cost to house USMS prisoners in a non-federal detention facility during Fiscal Year 2011 was $72.88. The average rate paid during Fiscal Year 2011 represents a 3.3% increase over that paid during Fiscal Year 2010.  Between 1994 and 2011, the average annual rate of increase was about 1.8%.

On average, the highest per diem rate was paid for facilities located in the Northeast ($100.05); and the lowest for facilities located in the Southeast ($58.61).