Sources and methodology

Unconvicted (unadjusted)

The number of people physically held in a jail who are unconvicted or pretrial as reported by jails to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Data collected from the Census of Jails for 1983 (Correctional Populations in the United States, 1985, Table 2.5), 1988 (Correctional Populations in the United States, 1988, Table 2.2), 1993 (Correctional Populations in the United States, 1993, Table 2.2), 1999 (Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 1999, p. 7), 2005 (Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2005, Tables 9 & 10), and 2019 (Jail Inmates in 2019, Table 3). Data collected from the Annual Survey of Jails for 2013 (Jail Inmates at Midyear 2013, Table 2). See our methodology for more detail.

Convicted (unadjusted)

The number of people physically held in a jail who are convicted as reported by jails to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Data collected from the Census of Jails for 1983 (Correctional Populations in the United States, 1985, Table 2.5), 1988 (Correctional Populations in the United States, 1988, Table 2.2), 1993 (Correctional Populations in the United States, 1993, Table 2.2), 1999 (Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 1999, p. 7), 2005 (Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2005, Tables 9 & 10), and 2019 (Jail Inmates in 2019, Table 3). Data collected from the Annual Survey of Jails for 2013 (Jail Inmates at Midyear 2013, Table 2). See our methodology for more detail.

Held for state prisons

The number of people physically held in a jail for state prison authorities, as reported by the Bureau of Justice Statistics Prisoners series for 1983, 1998, 1993, 2005, 2013, and 2019. See our methodology for more detail.

Held for immigration authorities

The number of people physically held in a jail for federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service) as reported by individual jails to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Data collected from the Census of Jails for all years (1983 variable V96; 1988 variable V179; 1993 variable V238B; 1999 variable V155; 2005 variable “ICE”; 2013 weighted variable “ICE”; 2019 weighted variable “ICE”). See our methodology for more detail.

Held for Bureau of Prisons or U.S. Marshals Service

The number of people physically held in a jail for the federal Bureau of Prisons or the U.S. Marshals Service, as reported by individual jails to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Data collected from the Census of Jails for all years (1983 variable V97; 1988 variables V178, V180, and V181; 1993 variables V237B and V239B; 1999 variables V151 and V153; 2005 variables “FBOP” and “MARSHAL”; 2013 weighted variables “BOP” and “MARSHAL”; 2019 weighted variables “BOP” and “MARSHAL”). See our methodology for more detail.

Total held for other authorities

This is the sum of the number people held in jails for state prisons, immigration authorizes, the Bureau of Prisons, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Unconvicted (adjusted)

The number of people in jail who are being held for local authorities who are convicted. For the details on the portion of each state or federal population that we removed from the convicted population, see the methodology for details on the adjustments made to the national jail population.

Convicted (adjusted)

The number of people in jail who are being held for local authorities who are unconvicted or pretrial. For the details on the portion of each state or federal population that we removed from the pretrial/unconvicted population, see the methodology for details on the adjustments made to the national jail population.