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US Secure Detention Facility Boundaries
Government & Civic Records
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About
Provides detailed geographical and attribute information concerning secure detention facilities across the United States and its territories. The data includes polygon geometry defining the physical extent of these facilities (such as fence lines or building footprints), alongside crucial descriptive attributes covering the physical and social characteristics of each site. This dataset is a valuable resource for understanding the scale and location of correctional infrastructure.
Columns (A Selection of 32 Attributes)
- FID: Feature identifier for tracking records.
- FACILITYID: Unique identification number assigned to the facility.
- NAME: The official name of the detention facility (e.g., WASHINGTON COUNTY JAIL).
- ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP: Standard geographic location details. The most common state represented is Texas (TX).
- TYPE: The jurisdictional type of the facility, frequently COUNTY or STATE level.
- STATUS: The current operational status, with the majority of records marked as OPEN.
- POPULATION: The recorded population figure for the facility.
- CAPACITY: The maximum operational capacity of the facility.
- SECURELVL: Designations related to the security level (often listed as NOT AVAILABLE or JUVENILE).
- NAICS_DESC: The industry description, consistently "CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS."
- SOURCE: Links to the original data sources, such as state department of corrections websites or federal bureau of prisons sites.
- SOURCEDATE: The date the specific source material was acquired.
- CreationDate/EditDate: Metadata detailing when the record was created or last modified.
Distribution
The data is structured in a CSV file format titled
Prison_Boundaries.csv, with a file size of 3.53 MB. It contains 32 distinct attributes and consists of approximately 6,738 individual facility records. Data quality is high, with validation showing 100% validity across many fields.Usage
This resource is ideal for geographical information system (GIS) analysis related to public safety and law enforcement planning. It supports political science research focused on incarceration policies and state-level governance. The dataset is particularly useful for mapping initiatives and visualising the physical footprint of the US justice system infrastructure.
Coverage
Geographical coverage includes facilities located throughout the United States and some of its associated territories. The source data acquisition dates range from 4 November 2003 through to 6 June 2020. Validation of the records primarily occurred between October 2019 and May 2020.
License
CC0: Public Domain
Who Can Use It
Intended users include urban planners requiring facility location data, researchers studying justice system trends and their spatial correlation, government officials responsible for resource allocation, and journalists investigating correctional issues. It serves anyone needing authoritative geospatial data on secure detention facilities.
Dataset Name Suggestions
- US Secure Detention Facility Boundaries
- United States Correctional Facility Geospatial Data
- North American Prisons Metadata
Attributes
Original Data Source: US Secure Detention Facility Boundaries
QUALITY