Prison Term Record File
Prison term records are built from NCRP Prison Admission (Part A), Prison Release (Part B), and Prison Custody (Part D) records submitted by state departments of correction to the U.S. Census Bureau (if submitted before January 1, 2011) or Abt Associates (if submitted after January 1, 2011). Instructions for the Part A, B, and D files provided to the state departments of correction - including key NCRP definitions (e.g., prison, admission, release, custody) - are in the NCRP 2020 Data Collection Manual (See resource guide). Instructions for previous years are available at the NACJD archive.
A description of the computing code that converts year-specific Prison Admission (Part A), Prison Release (Part B), and Prison Custody (Part D) files into a single term record file is available on the NCRP page of the NACJD archive. Data processing steps also included mapping state-specific codes included in a state's NCRP submission into standard NCRP codes. The mappings are contained in two spreadsheets (See resource guide). One spreadsheet maps state-specific offense codes into NCRP offense codes; the other maps all other categorical variables to NCRP codes.
Prison Admissions (Part A), Prison Releases (Part B), and Prison Custody (Part D) records not used to build Prison Term Records
Instructions provided to the state departments of correction - including key NCRP definitions (e.g., prison, admission, release, custody) - are in the NCRP 2020 Data Collection Manual (See resource guide). Data processing steps also included mapping state-specific codes into NCRP codes. The mappings are contained in two spreadsheets (See resource guide). One maps state-specific offense codes into NCRP offense codes; the other maps all other categorical variables to NCRP codes.
Post-Confinement Community Supervision (PCCS) Term Record File
PCCS term records are built from NCRP PCCS Admission (Part E) and PCCS Release (Part F) records submitted by state departments of correction and community supervision. Instructions for the Part E and F files- including key NCRP definitions (e.g., PCCS, admission, release) - are in the NCRP 2020 Data Collection Manual (See resource guide).
A description of the computing code that converts year-specific PCCS Admission (Part E) and PCCS Release (Part F) files into a single term record file is available on the NCRP page of the NACJD archive.
No new C records have been added since the previous NCRP archive files - National Corrections Reporting Program, 2000-2012 (ICPSR 34984). C records are now reclassified as F (PCCS release) records.
Data processing steps included mapping state-specific codes into NCRP codes. The mappings are contained in two spreadsheets (See resource guide). One maps state-specific offense codes into NCRP offense codes; the other maps all other categorical variables to NCRP codes.
Post-Confinement Community Supervision Admissions (Part E) and Release (Part F) records not used to build PCCS Term Records
Instructions provided to the state departments of correction and community supervision - including key NCRP definitions (e.g., PCCS, admission, release) - are in the NCRP 2020 Data Collection Manual (See resource guide). Data processing steps also included mapping state-specific codes into NCRP codes. The mappings are contained in two spreadsheets (See resource guide). One maps state- specific offense codes into NCRP offense codes; the other maps all other categorical variables to NCRP codes.
Cross-sectional
All persons admitted to state prison, released from state prison, admitted to state post-confinement community supervision, discharged from state post-confinement community supervision, or in state prison at year end from 2000 to 2019 in the United States.
individual
Variables include offender characteristics (e.g., unique ID number, date of birth, race, sex), sentence characteristics (e.g., county where sentence imposed, offenses, sentence length), date and type of admission to prison, and date and type of release from prison.
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