NCJ Number
141592
Journal
Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1991) Pages: 241-255
Date Published
1991
Length
15 pages
Annotation
An analysis of a large midwestern jail for 1,525 days from 1982 through 1986 showed significant regular patterns in both male and female populations.
Abstract
The jail population had an average daily occupancy rate of 295 inmates over the study period, in contrast to a rated capacity of 252 inmates. The main focus of analysis was on identifying cycles of male and female jail utilization over time. Regularities in jail utilization were identified using a finite Fourier spectral density function. Statistics for the male population showed an average of 203 male inmates across the 1,525 days. Female population statistics indicated an average of 17 female inmates on any given day. There seemed to be a cyclical occupancy pattern in the jail for both men and women. This pattern has implications for jail administration. In addition, the stability of punishment hypothesis appears to be an appropriate conceptualization for the jail setting. 25 references, 6 notes, 1 table, and 5 figures