A FOLLOWUP TO THE NATIONAL JAIL CENSUS OF 1970, THE SURVEY REPRESENTED THE FIRST NATIONWIDE ATTEMPT TO COLLECT COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION ON THE INMATES OF THE COUNTRY'S LOCALLY ADMINISTERED JAILS. WHEREAS THE CENSUS WAS DESIGNED PRIMARILY TO OBTAIN BASIC FACTS ON THE STATE OF THE NATION'S JAILS, THE SURVEY FOCUSED MORE ON THE INMATES AND THEIR BACKGROUNDS. DATA ARE GIVEN ON THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF JAIL INMATES AND, AS APPROPRIATE, ON THEIR PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, THEIR ADJUDICATION STATUS AT THE TIME OF THE SURVEY, THE OFFENSES FOR WHICH THEY WERE BEING HELD, THEIR BAIL EXPERIENCE, THE LENGTH OF THEIR PRETRIAL OR PRESENTENCING CONFINEMENT, THE LENGTH OF THEIR SENTENCES, AND THEIR PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL AND REHABILITATIVE PROGRAMS. THE APPROACH USED IN DEVELOPING THE FINDINGS OF THIS REPORT WAS TO EXAMINE THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE RELATIONSHIP, IF ANY, BETWEEN TWO INMATE CHARACTERISTICS OR VARIABLES. HOWEVER, THE ONLY CONTROL VARIABLES USED WITH ANY CONSISTENCY WERE THE RACIAL IDENTIFICATION AND ADJUDICATION STATUS OF THE INMATES. ALL OF THE DATA ON WHICH THIS REPORT IS BASED ARE DISPLAYED IN 47 TABLES CONTAINED IN THE APPENDIX. TO FACILITATE FURTHER EXAMINATION OR OTHER USES OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE DATA TABLES, TWO GENERALIZED TABLES OF STANDARD ERRORS FOR DATA DEVELOPED FROM THE SURVEY ARE ALSO PROVIDED. AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION ON SURVEY METHODOLOGY, GUIDELINES FOR USING THE ERROR TABLES ARE GIVEN. THE METHODOLOGY ALSO INCLUDES TECHNICAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SAMPLE DESIGN, ESTIMATION PROCEDURES, AND RELIABILITY OF ESTIMATES. IN ADDITION, A COPY OF THE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE IS CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) (SNI ABSTRACT)