GPS RESEARCH LIBRARY: Prison Mortality & Deaths in Custody: Data Gaps, Misclassification, and Accountability Failures ============================================================ Georgia Prisoners' Speak — gps.press Generated: 2026-03-04 02:27:50 EST Research Date: 2026-02-21 Topic: Mortality/Deaths in Custody JSON: https://gps.press/research/prison-mortality-deaths-in-custody-data-gaps-misclassification-and-accountability-failures/?format=json SUMMARY ---------------------------------------- This document comprehensively examines prison mortality data gaps, cause-of-death misclassification, and accountability failures at both federal and state levels. Key findings include massive underreporting of deaths in custody nationally (over 5,000 uncounted deaths), with only 1 of 54 prison systems releasing complete and timely death data. GPS original research identified at least 44 deaths misclassified by the Georgia Department of Corrections, where drug overdoses were labeled as 'natural causes' or 'undetermined.' The document catalogs major mortality drivers including healthcare deficiency, drug overdoses, COVID-19, aging populations, suicide, and violence, while highlighting the near-total collapse of federal DCRA data collection after responsibility shifted from BJS to BJA in 2019. LEGAL FACTS (3) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] DCRA originally passed in 2000, updated in 2013 The Death in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA) was originally passed in 2000 and updated in 2013 (Public Law 113-242), requiring states receiving Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funding to report deaths of any person detained, under arrest, in the process of being arrested, en route to incarceration, or incarcerated at any municipal or county jail, state prison, boot camp prison, or any state or local contract facility. Date: 2013-01-01 Tags: legal,policy,death Sources: Death in Custody Reporting Act (Public Law 113-242) - [confirmed] DCRA requires 10 data elements reported within one quarter DCRA requires reporting 10 data elements for each death within one quarter (3 months), including: decedent's name, date of birth, gender, race, ethnicity; date, time, and location of death; law enforcement/carceral agency involved; and description (narrative and cause) of death. There is no public reporting requirement. Tags: legal,policy,death Sources: Death in Custody Reporting Act (Public Law 113-242) - [confirmed] DCRA 2013 required AG to study how death data can reduce deaths DCRA 2013 required the Attorney General to study how death-in-custody data can be used to reduce deaths and to examine the relationship between deaths and facility management actions. NIJ commissioned two studies: Literature Review and Data Analysis on Deaths in Custody (Duwe, 2022) and RTI International's national-level review (2024). Date: 2013-01-01 Tags: legal,policy,death Sources: Death in Custody Reporting Act (Public Law 113-242); NIJ/RTI International: Understanding and Reducing Deaths in Custody (2024) METHODOLOGY NOTES (4) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] MCI collects from approximately 3,095 local jails The Mortality in Correctional Institutions (MCI) data collection collects quarterly inmate death records from each of the 50 state prison systems, 50 state juvenile correctional authorities, and approximately 3,095 local jails. Tags: death,policy Sources: Bureau of Justice Statistics: Mortality in Correctional Institutions (MCI) - [confirmed] BJS published comprehensive federal mortality analysis covering 2001-2019 BJS published 'Mortality in State and Federal Prisons, 2001-2019' (NCJ 309427) providing the most recent comprehensive federal analysis. Mortality rates are calculated per 100,000 state prisoners based on annual deaths and 1-day custody population on December 31. Tags: death Sources: BJS: Mortality in State and Federal Prisons, 2001-2019 (NCJ 309427) - [confirmed] BJS tracks multiple causes of death including illness, suicide, drug intoxication, homicide BJS MCI data tracks causes including: illness (cancer, heart disease, liver disease, AIDS-related, respiratory disease, other specified illness, unspecified illness), suicide, drug/alcohol intoxication, homicide (by prisoners, incidental to staff use of force, from pre-incarceration assaults), accident, execution, and other/unknown causes. Tags: death,overdose,violence,medical Sources: BJS: Mortality in State and Federal Prisons, 2001-2019 (NCJ 309427) - [confirmed] Raw prison-general population mortality comparisons are misleading Researchers caution that raw rate comparisons between prison and general population mortality are misleading because the prison population differs systematically from the general population in age, health status at entry, socioeconomic background, and access to risk factors. Tags: death,demographics Sources: BJS: Mortality in State and Federal Prisons, 2001-2019 (NCJ 309427) FINDINGS (10) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] BJS collected and published mortality data from 2000-2019 From approximately 2000 until 2019, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) collected and published mortality in correctional institutions data. Responsibility then shifted to the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and data quality and transparency deteriorated significantly. Tags: death,policy,data_gap Sources: Bureau of Justice Statistics: Mortality in Correctional Institutions (MCI) - [confirmed] UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project shifted to all-cause prison mortality The UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project (formerly the COVID Behind Bars Data Project) has shifted its focus to report on all-cause mortality in state and federal prisons, filling the void left by the DCRA implementation collapse. This is currently the most comprehensive independent source for prison mortality data. Tags: death,data_gap Sources: UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project - [confirmed] Racial disparities in prison mortality rates BJS data shows significant racial disparities in prison mortality rates. Black prisoners had different mortality patterns from white prisoners, with disparities varying by cause of death. Tags: death,demographics Sources: BJS: Mortality in State and Federal Prisons, 2001-2019 (NCJ 309427) - [confirmed] GDC misclassified at least 13 drug overdose deaths as 'natural causes' GPS original research found that in at least 13 cases, GDC reported prisoners died of 'natural causes' while medical examiners later determined the deaths were accidental drug overdoses. Tags: death,overdose,drugs,corruption Sources: GPS Original Research on Mortality and Cause-of-Death Misclassification - [confirmed] GDC misclassified 31 drug overdose deaths as 'undetermined' GPS original research found that in 31 additional cases, GDC labeled deaths as 'undetermined' while medical examiners later ruled them accidental drug overdoses. Tags: death,overdose,drugs,corruption Sources: GPS Original Research on Mortality and Cause-of-Death Misclassification - [confirmed] Factors contributing to national cause-of-death misclassification Cause-of-death misclassification is a widespread problem in correctional settings. Factors include: reliance on facility medical staff rather than independent medical examiners; financial and reputational incentives to minimize reporting of violent or preventable deaths; lack of mandatory independent autopsy requirements; categorization of drug overdose deaths as 'natural causes' or 'undetermined'; deaths occurring after hospital transfer being reported differently; and inadequate death investigation protocols. Tags: death,medical,corruption,data_gap - [confirmed] Suicide remains a leading unnatural cause of death in custody Suicide remains a leading unnatural cause of death in custody, with rates significantly higher than the general population. Factors include mental health treatment deficits, isolation/restrictive housing, and inadequate screening. Tags: death,mental_health,solitary - [confirmed] Understaffing, overcrowding, and classification failures contribute to violence-related deaths Understaffing, overcrowding, and classification failures (such as housing close-security inmates in medium-security facilities) contribute to violence-related deaths. Tags: death,violence,staffing,conditions - [confirmed] Medical examiner independence varies by state and can be circumvented The independence and authority of medical examiners to determine cause of death varies by state. In some jurisdictions, correctional facility staff may influence or circumvent medical examiner findings. Independent autopsy requirements are not universal. Tags: death,legal,medical,corruption - [confirmed] Reuters created largest and most comprehensive database of jail deaths Reuters conducted an investigation of jail deaths resulting in the largest and most comprehensive database of jail deaths nationally. Tags: death Sources: Reuters: Investigation of Jail Deaths STATISTICS (19) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] BJA-reported deaths in custody FY 2020: 5,674 BJA reported 5,674 deaths in custody for fiscal year 2020. These figures are widely understood to be significant undercounts. Value: 5674.0 deaths Date: 2020-01-01 Tags: death Sources: BJA DCRA Reported Data - [reported] BJA-reported deaths in custody FY 2021: 6,909 BJA reported 6,909 deaths in custody for fiscal year 2021. These figures are widely understood to be significant undercounts. Value: 6909.0 deaths Date: 2021-01-01 Tags: death Sources: BJA DCRA Reported Data - [reported] BJA-reported deaths in custody FY 2022: 6,085 BJA reported 6,085 deaths in custody for fiscal year 2022. These figures are widely understood to be significant undercounts. Value: 6085.0 deaths Date: 2022-01-01 Tags: death Sources: BJA DCRA Reported Data - [reported] BJA-reported deaths in custody FY 2023: 6,725 BJA reported 6,725 deaths in custody for fiscal year 2023. These figures are widely understood to be significant undercounts. Value: 6725.0 deaths Date: 2023-01-01 Tags: death Sources: BJA DCRA Reported Data - [confirmed] DOJ report found more than 5,000 uncounted in-custody deaths The Department of Justice published a scathing report in 2022 regarding more than 5,000 uncounted in-custody deaths in the national mortality data. Value: 5000.0 uncounted deaths Date: 2022-01-01 Tags: death,data_gap Sources: DOJ DCRA Underreporting Report (2022) - [confirmed] Marshall Project found nearly 700 law enforcement custody deaths missing from DCRA A Marshall Project investigation found nearly 700 individuals who died in law enforcement custody but were not present in the DCRA dataset. Entire states, like Mississippi, had reported almost zero deaths in their prisons or jails. Value: 700.0 missing deaths Date: 2025-08-01 Tags: death,data_gap Sources: The Marshall Project: DCRA Data Investigation (August 2025) - [confirmed] Over 75% of DCRA entries failed to meet federal recording criteria A review of a random sample of approximately 1,000 DCRA entries found that more than three-quarters did not meet the federal government's own criteria for how a death should be recorded. Value: 75.0 percent Tags: death,data_gap,policy Sources: The Marshall Project: DCRA Data Investigation (August 2025) - [confirmed] 21 of 54 prison systems release NO individual death data According to a Third City Mortality project study published in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice (May/June 2024), 21 of 54 prison systems (38%) release no individual death data. Value: 21.0 prison systems (vs. 54 total prison systems) Date: 2024-05-01 Tags: death,data_gap,policy Sources: Third City Mortality Project (JPHMP, May/June 2024) - [confirmed] 13 prison systems release incomplete data slower than 1 year 13 of 54 prison systems release incomplete death data slower than 1 year, according to the Third City Mortality project study. Value: 13.0 prison systems (vs. 54 total prison systems) Date: 2024-05-01 Tags: death,data_gap,policy Sources: Third City Mortality Project (JPHMP, May/June 2024) - [confirmed] 19 prison systems release timely but incomplete death data 19 of 54 prison systems release timely but incomplete death data, according to the Third City Mortality project study. Value: 19.0 prison systems (vs. 54 total prison systems) Date: 2024-05-01 Tags: death,data_gap,policy Sources: Third City Mortality Project (JPHMP, May/June 2024) - [confirmed] Only Iowa releases complete and timely death data Only 1 system (Iowa) releases complete and timely death data, according to the Third City Mortality project study. Value: 1.0 prison system (vs. 54 total prison systems) Date: 2024-05-01 Tags: death,policy Sources: Third City Mortality Project (JPHMP, May/June 2024) - [confirmed] Only 8 states have laws requiring regular reporting of deaths in custody Only 8 states reported having their own laws requiring police, jails, and prisons to regularly report deaths in custody to state authorities, according to a Project on Government Oversight review of DCRA State Implementation Plans. Value: 8.0 states Tags: death,legal,policy Sources: Project on Government Oversight: DCRA State Implementation Plans Review - [confirmed] At least 44 deaths misclassified by GDC combined Combined, at least 44 deaths were misclassified by GDC, where drug overdose deaths were reported as either 'natural causes' or 'undetermined' rather than accidental drug overdoses as determined by medical examiners. Value: 44.0 misclassified deaths Tags: death,overdose,drugs,corruption Sources: GPS Original Research on Mortality and Cause-of-Death Misclassification - [confirmed] Illinois: 36% of prison deaths confirmed preventable, up to 73% potentially preventable In Illinois, a court-appointed medical expert studying 33 prison deaths found 12 were preventable, 7 might have been preventable, and 5 could not be determined because the deaths were not adequately documented. This roughly 36% confirmed preventable rate and up to 73% potentially preventable rate suggests the scale of medical neglect's contribution to prison mortality. Value: 36.0 percent confirmed preventable (vs. 73 percent potentially preventable) Tags: death,medical - [reported] Over 20% of state prisoners with persistent medical conditions go without care Medical neglect kills hundreds of incarcerated people every year despite the constitutional standard. Over 20% of state prisoners with persistent medical conditions go without care, according to the Vera Institute (2025). Value: 20.0 percent Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: medical,death,conditions Sources: Vera Institute (2025) - [reported] Nearly 3,000 incarcerated people died from COVID-19 since March 2020 Nearly 3,000 incarcerated people died from COVID-19 since March 2020. The pandemic exposed and amplified existing healthcare deficiencies. Value: 3000.0 deaths Date: 2020-03-01 Tags: death,medical - [confirmed] Georgia saw at least 49 drug overdose deaths 2019-2022, up from 2 in 2018 Drug overdose deaths have surged in prisons nationally, mirroring but lagging the community opioid and fentanyl crisis. Georgia saw at least 49 drug overdose deaths between 2019 and 2022, up from just 2 in 2018. Value: 49.0 drug overdose deaths (vs. 2 drug overdose deaths in 2018) Tags: death,overdose,drugs Sources: GPS Original Research on Mortality and Cause-of-Death Misclassification - [reported] Virginia 2024 prison death rate approximately 418 per 100,000 inmates Virginia's 2024 deaths in custody data showed approximately 418 deaths per 100,000 inmates in state prisons. Value: 418.0 deaths per 100,000 inmates Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: death - [confirmed] Washington Post database documents 10,000+ fatal police shootings 2015-2024 The Washington Post has compiled a database of police shootings documenting over 10,000 fatal shootings from 2015 to 2024. Value: 10000.0 fatal shootings Tags: death,violence Sources: Washington Post: Database of Police Shootings DATA GAPS (3) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] Mississippi reported almost zero deaths in prisons or jails Entire states, like Mississippi, had reported almost zero deaths in their prisons or jails to the DCRA dataset, according to The Marshall Project investigation. Date: 2025-08-01 Tags: death,data_gap Sources: The Marshall Project: DCRA Data Investigation (August 2025) - [confirmed] Thousands of DCRA records lacked basic cause or location information There were thousands of records lacking any basic information about the cause or location of death, and hundreds that did not note the law enforcement agency involved or the race or ethnicity of the person who died. Tags: death,data_gap,demographics Sources: The Marshall Project: DCRA Data Investigation (August 2025) - [confirmed] Georgia does not proactively publish individual death data Georgia does not proactively publish individual death data. GPS has tracked mortality through its own data collection systems, finding patterns of misclassification and underreporting. Tags: death,data_gap,policy Sources: GPS Original Research on Mortality and Cause-of-Death Misclassification TRENDS (3) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Aging prison population driving rising illness-related mortality and healthcare costs As the prison population ages due to longer sentences (including Truth in Sentencing laws), mortality rates from illness-related causes have increased. The aging prison population is a major driver of rising healthcare costs and death rates. Tags: death,medical,budget,demographics Sources: BJS: Mortality in State and Federal Prisons, 2001-2019 (NCJ 309427) - [confirmed] Data quality deteriorated after BJS-to-BJA transition After responsibility for mortality data collection shifted from the Bureau of Justice Statistics to the Bureau of Justice Assistance around 2019, data quality and transparency deteriorated significantly, creating what amounts to a collapse of the DCRA implementation. Date: 2019-01-01 Tags: death,data_gap,policy - [confirmed] Drug overdose deaths surging in prisons nationally lagging community crisis Drug overdose deaths have surged in prisons nationally, mirroring but lagging the community opioid and fentanyl crisis. Tags: death,overdose,drugs DATASETS (4) ---------------------------------------- # BJA-Reported Deaths in Custody by Fiscal Year Total deaths in custody reported to the Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Death in Custody Reporting Act, by fiscal year. Widely understood to be significant undercounts. Fiscal Year Deaths --------------------- 2020 5674 2021 6909 2022 6085 2023 6725 # Prison System Death Data Transparency Assessment Third City Mortality Project assessment of 54 prison systems' transparency in releasing individual death data, published in Journal of Public Health Management and Practice (May/June 2024). Category Number of Systems Percentage -------------------------------------------------------------------- No individual death data released 21 38.9 Incomplete data, slower than 1 year 13 24.1 Timely but incomplete data 19 35.2 Complete and timely data 1 1.9 # GDC Cause-of-Death Misclassification by Type GPS original research findings on GDC misclassification of drug overdose deaths, comparing GDC-reported cause of death with medical examiner determinations. GDC Reported Cause ME Determination Number of Cases --------------------------------------------------------------- Natural causes Accidental drug overdose 13 Undetermined Accidental drug overdose 31 # Illinois Court-Appointed Expert: Preventability of Prison Deaths Findings from a court-appointed medical expert studying 33 prison deaths in Illinois, classifying each by preventability. Classification Number of Deaths ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Preventable 12 Might have been preventable 7 Could not be determined (inadequate documentation) 5 Not preventable or other 9 KEY ENTITIES (21) ---------------------------------------- - Andrea Armstrong [person]: Louisiana professor who has led a multi-year facility-level prison death data collection effort. - Atlanta Journal-Constitution [organization]: Georgia newspaper that conducted multi-year investigation into GDC corruption, drug trafficking, and overdose deaths. (aka: AJC) - Bureau of Justice Assistance [organization]: Federal agency within DOJ that assumed responsibility for DCRA data collection from BJS around 2019, after which data quality and transparency deteriorated significantly. (aka: BJA) - Bureau of Justice Statistics [organization]: Federal statistical agency within DOJ that collected and published mortality in correctional institutions data from approximately 2000 until 2019. (aka: BJS) - Death in Custody Reporting Act [legislation]: Federal law originally passed in 2000 and updated in 2013 requiring states receiving Byrne JAG funding to report deaths of any person detained, arrested, or incarcerated to the Attorney General. (aka: DCRA, Public Law 113-242) - Department of Justice [organization]: Federal department that published a 2022 report identifying more than 5,000 uncounted in-custody deaths in national mortality data. (aka: DOJ) - Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant [program]: Federal grant program whose funding is conditioned on states' compliance with DCRA death reporting requirements. (aka: Byrne JAG, JAG) - Georgia Department of Corrections [organization]: State agency responsible for operating Georgia's prison system. Subject of federal DOJ investigation in 2022-2023 for constitutional violations including food-related deaths. (aka: GDC) - Georgia Prisoners' Speak [organization]: Advocacy organization documenting conditions inside Georgia prisons through photos and insider accounts, including food inadequacy. (aka: GPS) - Grant Duwe [person]: Researcher who authored 'Literature Review and Data Analysis on Deaths in Custody' (2022) for NIJ. - Iowa Department of Corrections [organization]: The only state prison system identified as releasing complete and timely death data. - Mortality in Correctional Institutions [program]: BJS data collection program that collects quarterly inmate death records from state prison systems, juvenile correctional authorities, and local jails. (aka: MCI, Deaths in Custody Reporting Program) - National Institute of Justice [organization]: DOJ research agency that commissioned studies on deaths in custody to meet DCRA 2013 requirements. (aka: NIJ) - Project on Government Oversight [organization]: Government accountability organization that reviewed DCRA State Implementation Plans and found only 8 states have their own death reporting laws. (aka: POGO) - Reuters [organization]: News organization that created the largest and most comprehensive database of jail deaths through an investigative project. - RTI International [organization]: Research organization commissioned by NIJ to conduct a national-level review of understanding and reducing deaths in custody (2024). - The Marshall Project [organization]: Nonprofit journalism organization that investigated DCRA data and found nearly 700 law enforcement custody deaths missing from the dataset. - Third City Mortality Project [program]: Research project that assessed DCRA compliance and data completeness across 54 prison systems, publishing findings in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. - UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project [program]: UCLA-based research project, formerly focused on COVID-19, now the most comprehensive independent source for all-cause mortality data in state and federal prisons. (aka: COVID Behind Bars Data Project, Behind Bars Data Project) - Vera Institute of Justice [organization]: Research organization focused on criminal justice; published Health Care Behind Bars report (2025) (aka: Vera Institute, Vera) - Washington Post [organization]: News organization maintaining a database of over 10,000 fatal police shootings from 2015 to 2024. SOURCES (14) ---------------------------------------- - BJA DCRA Reported Data, Bureau of Justice Assistance [data_portal, primary] URL: https://bja.ojp.gov/program/dcra/reported-data - BJS: Mortality in State and Federal Prisons, 2001-2019 (NCJ 309427), Bureau of Justice Statistics [official_report, primary] - Bureau of Justice Statistics: Mortality in Correctional Institutions (MCI), Bureau of Justice Statistics [data_portal, primary] URL: https://bjs.ojp.gov/programs/dicra - Death in Custody Reporting Act (Public Law 113-242), U.S. Congress (2013-01-01) [legislation, primary] - DOJ DCRA Underreporting Report (2022), Department of Justice (2022-01-01) [official_report, primary] - GPS Original Research on Mortality and Cause-of-Death Misclassification, Georgia Prisoners' Speak [gps_original, primary] - NIJ/RTI International: Understanding and Reducing Deaths in Custody (2024), National Institute of Justice / RTI International (2024-01-01) [official_report, primary] - Project on Government Oversight: DCRA State Implementation Plans Review, Project on Government Oversight [official_report, secondary] - Reuters: Investigation of Jail Deaths, Reuters [journalism, secondary] - The Marshall Project: DCRA Data Investigation (August 2025), The Marshall Project (2025-08-01) [journalism, secondary] - Third City Mortality Project (JPHMP, May/June 2024), Journal of Public Health Management and Practice (2024-05-01) [academic, primary] - UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project, UCLA Law [data_portal, primary] - Vera Institute (2025), Vera Institute of Justice (2025-01-01) [official_report, secondary] - Washington Post: Database of Police Shootings, Washington Post [journalism, primary]