BJS: Bureau of Justice Statistics

  Advanced
Search
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
Home | Corrections | State and federal prisoners and prison facilities | State and federal prison facility characteristics
State and federal prison facility characteristics
On This Page
About this Topic

Data on state and federal prison facility characteristics are gathered primarily through the Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities (CSFCF), a national census of adult correctional facilities operating under state or federal authority. Data on state prison capacity and the number of prisoners housed in private facilities and local jails is collected annually in the National Prisoner Statistics data collection series. The Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Facilities also collects data on facility environment and characteristics.

Summary Findings

Most recent data, by topic area –

Number of facilities – Source – Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities, 2005
From June 30, 2000 to December 30, 2005 –

  • The number of state and federal correctional facilities increased from 1,668 to 1,821— an increase of 9%.
  • Private facilities accounted for nearly all of the increase during these five years (from 264 to 415).
  • Federally operated facilities increased by 21% (from 84 to 102).
  • State-operated facilities increased by 9% (from 1,584 to 1,719).
  • The number of minimum security increased by 155 and maximum security facilities increase by 40.

Staffing - Source – Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities, 2005

As of December 30, 2005 –

  • An estimated 445,400 employees were working in state and federal correctional facilities.
  • Male employees outnumbered female employees by a ratio of 2 to 1.
  • Approximately two thirds of all employees worked in direct contact with inmates and were involved in their daily custody or monitoring.

For more information on staffing, see the Corrections>Expenditure and Employment page.

Capacity – Source - Prisoners in 2008

As of December 31, 2008 –

  • The highest capacity reported by states in 2008 was 1,275,440 and the lowest capacity was 1,142,129.
  • State prisons were operating between 97% and 108% of capacity, compared to between 100% and 115% in 2000.
  • Thirteen states and the federal system operated at more than 100% of their highest capacity, and 19 states operated at between 90% and 99%. Use of private facilities and local jails – Source - Prison Inmates at Midyear 2008 - Statistical Tables

As of June 30, 2008 –

  • There were 126,249 prisoners placed in private facilities. This accounts for 7.8% of all prisoners, up from 6.5% at yearend 2000.
  • The number of federal prisoners in private facilities increased by 7.7%. Use of private facilities by state authorities increased by 6.5%.
  • There were 80,854 prisoners (or 5.0% of the prison population) placed in local jails.

Other related facility topics –

 

Back to Top
Data Collections & Surveys

Back to Top
Publications & Products


Terms & Definitions

Federal prisons Prison facilities run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Prisoners housed in these facilities are under the legal authority of the federal government. This definition excludes the private facilities that are under exclusive contract with BOP.
 
Prisoners Prisoners are inmates confined in long-term facilities run by the state or federal government or private agencies. They are typically felons who have received a sentence of incarceration of 1 year or more. (Sentence length may vary by state because a few states have one integrated prison system in which both prison and jail inmates are confined in the same types of facilities.)
 
Private prisons Prison facilities run by private prison corporations whose services and beds are contracted out by state governments or the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
 
State prisons Prison facilities run by state correctional authorities. Prisoners housed in these facilities are under the legal authority of the state government and generally serving a term of more than 1 year.
 
Back to Top