Patterns of jail use

Jails continue to be the most neglected component of the criminal justice system. One consequence of this neglect has been that important conceptual issues regarding jails remain unresolved. This study developed a method for describing the patterns of jail use in counties. Using data from Illinois, rates of jail use and the diversity of use patterns were described. The influence of crime rate and county population size on jail use were explored, and jail crowding was examined by focusing on different patterns of jail use. Implications for jail research and policy are discussed.