Observations
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Recent trends indicate an uptick in the pretrial jail population, which may signify rising apprehensions surrounding the public safety implications of bail reform.
The population of individuals held in local jails for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has dropped by 60% from 2013 to 2023.
As of midyear 2023, approximately 75% (500,300) of inmates were confined for felony offenses, a notable increase from 68% (494,100) in midyear 2015.
There has been a significant rise in the number of inmates aged 65 and older.
The number of jail correctional officers has decreased, falling below levels seen in 2015.
Weekend jailings have nearly vanished.
Author
Leonard Adam Sipes, Jr.
Former Senior Specialist for Crime Prevention and Statistics for the Department of Justice Clearinghouse. Former Director of Information Services at the National Crime Prevention Council. Adjunct Associate Professor of Criminology and Public Affairs at the University of Maryland, University College. Retired federal senior spokesperson.
Former advisor to presidential and gubernatorial campaigns and the “McGruff-Take a Bite Out of Crime” national media campaign. Directed numerous successful state-level anti-crime media initiatives.
With over thirty-five years of experience in public relations for national and state criminal justice organizations, he has appeared in interviews across all major national news outlets, particularly on matters of crime statistics and research. He also launched the first state and federal podcast series and developed a distinctive style of proactive public relations.
He holds a Certificate of Advanced Study from The Johns Hopkins University.
Author of “Success With The Media: Everything You Need To Survive Reporters and Your Organization,” available at Amazon and other booksellers.
Crime in America.Net – “Trusted Crime Data, Made Clear.”
Quoted by The Associated Press, USA Today, A&E Television, the Armstrong Williams Television Show (27 instances), multiple Department of Justice publications, US Supreme Court briefs, C-SPAN, the National Institute of Health, various academic institutions, and numerous other national and international news outlets.
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Note
The statistics on jails provide invaluable insight into changes within the justice system. Please note, however, that the end date for this USDOJ report is mid-year 2023, meaning COVID-related impacts were still relevant and may influence the data. The report was published in April 2025.
Article
As the former director of public information for the Maryland Department of Public Safety, I witnessed the state’s takeover of the operations of Baltimore’s jail for fiscal reasons.
During my tenure, I uncovered a significant number of inmates held beyond their release dates, an issue that gained national and international attention. I spent considerable time investigating the jail and the newly constructed booking center to understand its operations.
Describing jails as chaotic would greatly undersell the reality. Hundreds of new intakes arrived daily, often straight from arrest, many undergoing detox. The challenge of separating newly admitted individuals from rival gangs and categorizing them according to security and medical needs was immense. A significant number were habitual offenders.
It is essential to understand the distinction between jails and prisons: jails typically hold individuals awaiting trial or those incarcerated for short periods, often less than a year.
The majority of jail inmates are in pretrial detention. As of midyear 2023, 70% (467,600) of the jail population was unconvicted, awaiting court proceedings or detained for other reasons. The remaining 30% (196,600) were convicted individuals, either serving their sentences or awaiting sentencing.
Insights
The data below originates from the Bureau of Justice Statistics at the US Department of Justice, detailing the number of jail intakes broken down by various characteristics.
Jail populations experienced a considerable decline, significantly influenced by COVID-related factors.
Reforms aimed at limiting monetary bail throughout the past decade have been a focal point.
Recent signals suggest an increase in the jail population, which may reflect concerns regarding the public safety ramifications of bail reform.
Particularly notable is the remarkable surge in the population aged 65 and over. My analysis in a previous article highlighted the involvement of older individuals in criminal conspiracies, potentially contributing to this growth, especially since 2020.
The number of individuals held on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plummeted by 60% between 2013 and 2023, reflecting evolving immigration enforcement policies shaped by previous administrations.
Despite a 12% increase in jail staffing levels from 2015 to 2019, the number declined to 211,700 by midyear 2023, signaling a recruitment and retention crisis in law enforcement (with a loss of over 25,000 police personnel per Bureau of Labor Statistics). This also indicates a notable decline in correctional officers within prisons.
From 2013 to 2023, the number of convicted individuals in jail diminished by 29%, while the number of unconvicted individuals increased by 3%, potentially indicating shifting bail policies.
Only about 1,200 individuals served weekend sentences recently, a staggering 89% decline from the 11,000 reported in 2013, further indicating a decrease in such practices.
By midyear 2023, an estimated 75% (500,300) of the jail population was held for felony offenses, compared to 68% (494,100) in midyear 2015, suggesting a trend where jails house increasingly serious offenders.
Bureau of Justice Statistics Report-Jail Inmates-2023
At midyear 2023, local jails held 664,200 individuals, similar to the midyear 2022 count of 663,100, marking a 9% decrease compared to the 731,200 a decade prior.
The incarceration rate was recorded at 198 individuals per 100,000 U.S. residents, a 14% decline from 231 inmates per 100,000 a decade prior.
From July 2022 to June 2023, local jails reported 7.6 million admissions. While this was a 4% increase from the previous year’s 7.3 million, it still accounted for a 35% decrease compared to a decade earlier when there were 11.7 million admissions.
The number of incarcerated adults aged 65 and older has surged more than any other age demographic since 2020.
Between 2013 and 2023, there was a decline in the number of convicted inmates by 29%, alongside a 3% increase in unconvicted individuals.
Weekend-only sentences fell to 1,200 individuals during the specified period, representing an 89% decrease from 11,000 in 2013.
As of midyear 2023, 75% of the jail population (500,300) was incarcerated for felony offenses, a notable rise from 68% (494,100) in 2015.
At midyear 2023, there were 915,800 jail beds across the United States, with 73% of the beds occupied.
The staffing pool in local jails has contracted further, dropping from a workforce of 237,500 in 2019 to 211,700 in 2022, with no significant change noted in 2023.
Chart
Demographic characteristics of inmates
Midyear 2023 data shows 95,100 women incarcerated, which accounts for 14% of the total jail population. Although the female inmate count dropped by 37% from 2019 to 2020, by midyear 2023, it rebounded to 86% of the figures from 2019.
The population of individuals aged 65 and older has surged more significantly than other age groups since 2020, increasingly by 78% between 2020 and 2023, whereas those aged 35-64 saw growth of 33%.
As of midyear 2023, individuals aged 17 or younger constituted only 0.3% of the jail population, which declined by 56% from 4,400 in 2013 to 2,000 in 2023.
Demographically, around 47% of those incarcerated were white, 36% were black, and 14% were Hispanic. The composition of incarcerated individuals identified as black has remained constant from 2013 to 2023.
Jail incarceration rates
At midyear 2023, the incarceration rate stood at 198 individuals per 100,000 U.S. residents, compared to 231 per 100,000 in midyear 2013. The male incarceration rate reached 343 per 100,000 male U.S. residents, considerably higher than the female rate of 56 per 100,000.
Individuals aged 25-34 faced incarceration rates of 480 per 100,000, about 22 times the rate for those 65 and older (22 per 100,000). Jail incarceration rates for those aged 45 and older grew by 34% from 2020 to 2023.
The jail incarceration rate for blacks reached 552 per 100,000, approximately 3.6 times higher than the rate for whites (155 per 100,000). American Indian and Alaskan Native persons experienced a comparable rate at 425 per 100,000, while Hispanic individuals (143 per 100,000) had rates similar to whites.
Conviction status and offense characteristics
By midyear 2023, 70% (467,600) of the jail population was comprised of unconvicted individuals pending court action on current charges or held for various other reasons. The remaining 30% (196,600) were convicted, either serving a sentence or awaiting sentencing. Between 2013 and 2023, the numbers for convicted inmates dropped by 29%, while unconvicted individuals rose by 3%.
About 75% (500,300) of inmates in midyear 2023 were jailed for felony offenses, indicating a rise from 68% (494,100) in 2015. Meanwhile, 129,600 individuals were held for misdemeanors, reflecting a 33% decrease from 193,100 in 2015.
At midyear 2023, 96,100 individuals were in jail due to probation violations, comprising 14% of the total jail population. Around 5% (30,900) were incarcerated for parole violations.
Average daily population, admissions, and average time in jail
Throughout the 12-month period ending June 30, 2023, jails documented 7.6 million admissions and maintained an average daily population (ADP) of 664,800 individuals, with females representing 23% of all admissions and 14% of the ADP.
From July 2022 to June 2023, individuals admitted to local jails averaged 32 days in custody before release, 7 days longer than the 25-day average of 8 years prior. Since a peak of 33 days in 2021, the average stay has stabilized. Males averaged 36 days, while females averaged 19 days, up from 27 days and 16 days respectively, 8 years prior.
Capacity and staffing
By midyear 2023, there were a total of 915,800 jail beds available, with 73% of these beds occupied. Over the period from 2013 to 2023, total jail capacity rose by 5%, while the occupancy rate decreased from 84% to 73%. By midyear 2023, 12% of jail facilities were operating above their rated capacity.
The number of staff employed at local jails shrank from 237,500 in 2019 to 211,700 in 2023, reflecting a significant staffing challenge without notable change year-to-year. In 2023, local jails employed 164,800 correctional officers and 47,000 other staff.
Persons supervised outside jail and those serving weekend sentences
In addition to supervising those in custody, local jails provide various programs such as electronic monitoring, home detention, day reporting, community service, substance treatment, and pretrial supervision programs outside jail. By midyear 2023, local jails supervised 50,100 individuals in such programs.
This year, approximately 1,200 individuals served weekend-only sentences, reflecting an 89% decline from the 11,000 documented in 2013.
Source
Jail Inmates in 2023 – Statistical Tables
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