Chart shows Indian Country inmate population from 2000-2004 and 2007-2013. Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Annual Survey of Jails in Indian Country, 2000–2004 and 2007–2013.
The number of inmates in Indian Country detention facilities fell 3.3 percent last year, according to a new Department of Justice report. As of June 2013, 2,287 inmates were housed in 79 jails, the Bureau of Justice said in the report. That's down from 2,364 a year prior. Despite the decrease in the overall population, some facilities continue to see overcrowding. A total of 16 jails were operating above 150 percent of their capacity, according to the report. The most overcrowded facility was the Medicine Root Detention Center on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The facility is rate to hold 24 inmates but saw 99 during its peak day, the report said. The facility is one of the most insecure in Indian Country, according to the Inspector General at the Interior Department. A 2004 investigation found 116 escapes over a three-year period, the second-highest in the system. According to the DOJ report, 32 percent of inmates were being held for violence offenses. Of these, 15 percent were for domestic violence incidents. Public intoxication accounted for 17 percent of offenses, the report said. These numbers were collected for the first time in 2013 so there is no way to compare to prior years. Additional reports on justice statistics in Indian Country can be found at www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbtp&tid=200000&sid=0&iid=0&sortby=dt Get the Report:
Jails in Indian Country, 2013 (August 2014)
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