This site contains a series of data tables describing recent trends in mortality in state prison, local jails, and during the process of arrest by state and local law enforcement officers. Data are presented over time, by jurisdiction, and by demographic groups. The mortality data are from the BJS Deaths in Custody Reporting Program (DCRP), which was launched in 2000 to implement the Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-297).

BJS phased in implementation of the Act over a four-year period. Data collection on deaths in local jail facilities began in 2000, followed by collection from state prison authorities in 2001. In 2003 BJS began collecting data on arrest-related deaths involving the nearly 18,000 state and local law enforcement agencies in the United States. These collections involved individual-level reports of each death, as opposed to aggregated counts.

Source: Deaths in Custody Reporting Program
     See also Methodology

To access data tables, click on one of the criminal justice populations below:

• State prison deaths, 2001-2007 (Updated)
• Local jail deaths, 2000-2007 (Updated)
• State and local law enforcement
  arrest-related deaths, 2003-2006
• Print version of all tables in PDF format (520K file)

For detailed analyses, see the following BJS publications:

Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005
(October 2007, NCJ 219534)
Presents the first detailed national statistics ever collected on arrest-related death involving State and local law enforcement agencies.

Medical Causes of Death in State Prisons, 2001-2004
(January 2007, NCJ 216340)
Provides an in-depth look at the various medical conditions related to mortality in State prisons.

Suicide and Homicide in State Prisons and Local Jails
(August 2005, NCJ 210036)
Presents detailed data on suicide and homicide rates in correctional facilities over time, as well as comparative rates of such deaths for different groups of inmates.