The 30-month project consisted of three separate, but interrelated phases. Phase one defined the functions of a jail classification system and, based on a literature review and a national jail survey, identified objective criteria for assessing inmate risk and need. Phase two focused on the design of standardized screening and classification instruments. Phase three involved field testing of the inmate classification system at three sites in Florida, Kansas, and Oregon. Objective inmate classification relies on a narrow set of well-defined legal characteristics, such as severity of current charge, prior convictions, and prior incarceration. These characteristics are incorporated into a standardized form or checklist for use by staff to assess inmate custody and programming needs. Objective inmate classification is characterized by the following elements: use of classification instruments that have been validated for inmate populations, use of the same classification approach for all inmates, promotion of similar decisions among classification staff on comparable cases, and assignment of inmates to custody levels consistent with their backgrounds.