Annual Survey of Jails: Jail-Level Data, 2008

The Annual Survey of Jails (ASJ) is the only data collection effort that provides an
annual source of data on local jails and jail inmates. Data on the size of the
jail population and selected inmate characteristics are obtained every five to
six years from the Census of Jails. In each of the years between the full censuses,
a sample survey of jails is conducted to estimate
baseline characteristics of the nation's jails and inmates housed in these jails.
The 2008 Annual Survey of Jails is the 21st such survey in a series begun in 1982.
The ASJ supplies data on characteristics of jails such as admissions and releases,
growth in the number of jail facilities, changes in their rated capacities and level
of occupancy, growth in the population supervised in the community, changes in methods
of community supervision, and crowding issues. The ASJ
also provides information on changes in the demographics of the jail population,
supervision status of persons held, and a count of non-citizens in custody.
The data presented in this study were collected in the Annual Survey of
Jails, 2008. These data are used to track growth in the number of
jails and the capacities nationally, changes in the demographics of the
jail population and supervision status of persons held, the prevalence of
crowding issues, and a count of non-United States citizens within the jail
population. The data are intended for a variety of users, including
federal and state agencies, local officials in conjunction with jail
administrators, researchers, planners, and the public. The reference date
for the survey is June 30, 2008.