Bureau of Justice Statistics Criminal Offenders page

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Statistics About Criminal Offenders

BJS collects data about criminal offenders particularly those in prison and jail.

For example - -

In general, compared to State inmates, Federal prisoners had less serious criminal backgrounds, were less likely to be serving a sentence for a violent crime, and reported less involvement in drugs and alcohol.
In 1991 the United States imprisoned about 640 inmates per 100,000 adult residents, compared to 119 per 100,000 in England and Wales.
On the whole U.S. inmates received longer sentences than their English and Welsh counterparts, although prisoners in the three societies had similar criminal histories and personal characteristics.

For related information, see BJS statistics about Corrections and Courts and Sentencing.

BJS Criminal Offender Publications
BJS Corrections Statistical Reporting Programs
BJS home page

BJS Criminal Offender Publications

To see a full abstract of a publication and to download electronic versions of the publication, click on the title.

Child Victimizers: Violent Offenders and Their Victims 3/96. This study presents findings on violence against children from two sources: a nationally representative sample of State prison inmates serving time for violent crimes against children in 1991 and law enforcement records of nearly 37,000 child murder victims between 1976 and 1994.
Executive Summary: NCJ 158625
Full report: NCJ 153258

Comparing Federal and State Prison Inmates, 1991 10/94. Presents demographic, familial, and criminal justice characteristics of Federal and State prisoners. NCJ 145864

Profile of Inmates in the United States and in England and Wales, 1991 10/94. Compares findings from the 1991 prison inmate survey in England and Wales with data from the BJS surveys of inmates in local jails and in State prisons and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons survey of Federal prisoners. NCJ 145863

Women in Prison 3/94. Examines demographic characteristics, current offenses, criminal histories, and the victims of violent female inmates from the 1991 BJS survey of State prison inmates. NCJ 145321

Survey of State Prison Inmates, 1991 5/93. Presents basic data about State prison inmates: their background and families, recidivism, gang membership, drug and alcohol use, HIV/AIDS infection, gun use and possession, sentence, time served, and participation in prison programs. NCJ 136949

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Page last revised on March 3, 1996