BJS has released Jail Inmates in 2023 – Statistical Tables. It describes the number of persons held in local jails, inmate demographics, jail incarceration rates, conviction status and offense characteristics, the number of admissions to jail, persons supervised outside of jail, jail capacity, and staff employed in local jails. Findings in this report are based on the 2013 to 2018 and 2020 to 2023 Annual Survey of Jails and the 2019 Census of Jails. This report is the 37th in a series that began in 1982.
This year’s report was released in an interactive, web-based format that provides enhanced navigation capabilities and new ways of displaying and accessing the statistics.
The report provides data on jail inmates, based on the Annual Survey of Jails and the Census of Jails. It describes the number of persons held in local jails, inmate demographics, jail incarceration rates, conviction status and offense characteristics, the number of admissions to jail, persons supervised outside of jail, jail capacity, and staff employed in local jails. Findings in this report are based on the 2013–2018 and 2020–2023 Annual Survey of Jails and the 2019 Census of Jails.
For the first time, Jail Inmates in 2023 – Statistical Tables is presented as a web-based report.
- At midyear 2023, local jails held 664,200 persons in custody, similar to midyear 2022 (663,100) and marking a 9% decrease in the inmate population compared to a decade ago (731,200).
- Between 2020 and 2023, the number of adults in local jails increased by 21%, while the population of individuals age 65 and over grew disproportionately by 78%.
- There were 198 persons incarcerated in jail per 100,000 U.S. residents at midyear 2023, down from 231 inmates per 100,000 at midyear 2013.
- From July 2022 to June 2023, people admitted to local jails spent an average of 32 days in custody before release, 7 days longer compared to 8 years prior (25 days).
Jail Inmates in 2023 – Statistical Tables (NCJ 309965) was written by BJS Statistician Zhen Zeng, PhD. The report, related documents, and additional information about BJS’s statistical publications and programs are available on the BJS website at bjs.ojp.gov.
