Data collections vary in scope, burden, and frequency of collection - see individual data collection descriptions for more information. Generally, the Corrections Unit collects data from both administrative records and from interviews with prison and jail inmates. All data collections must be approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) prior to fielding, which takes several months. Collections must be re-submitted for approval every 3 years (sooner if there are changes in the data collection). For data that is collected through inmate interviews, there must also be an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to protect human subjects (prior to OMB submission), and individual jurisdictions may require additional reviews prior to participation. 

All data collection is voluntary. Without a specific mandate by Congress, no jurisdiction is compelled to participate in our data collections; individual surveys are conducted only with persons grantings formal consent to participate. Most jurisdictions choose to participate because the information is helpful for policy and practice and may be used to allocate funding. It takes time to achieve a complete enumeration, particularly in times of staff shortages and budget cuts in many levels of government.

Administrative collections are sent out close to the reference date in the survey and are due to BJS two to three months later. Most respondents submit the data on time, but for various reasons other jurisdictions take longer to submit the data. BJS staff or contractor staff work with them to obtain the necessary information, which can take an additional three months.

After data are collected, they must then be cleaned, weighted (in the case of sample populations), and analyzed. BJS staff have several methods of release to utilize including a formal report, statistical/electronic tables, or a summary brief. All data are fully verified prior to release.

Keeping in mind that each data collection is different and the times may vary significantly depending on the collection of interest, provided below is an average data collection and processing timetable: