Starting in 2019, the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute has been responsible for collecting data regarding the number and manner of in-custody deaths that occur across Indiana, pursuant to the federal Death in Custody Reporting Act. “In custody” is defined as the death of any person who is detained, under arrest, or is in the process of being arrested, is en route to be incarcerated, or is incarcerated at a municipal or county jail, state prison, state-run-boot camp prison, boot camp prison that is contracted out by the state, any state or local contract facility, or other local or state correctional facility (including any juvenile facility). For each quarter in a calendar year, criminal justice entities must either (1) identify all reportable deaths that occurred in their jurisdictions during the corresponding quarter and provide basic information about the circumstances of the death, or (2) affirm that no reportable death occurred during the reporting period.
This applies to the following jurisdictions:
- Law enforcement agencies.
- Municipal or county jails.
- State prisons.
- State-run boot camp prison or boot camp prison that is contracted out by the state.
- Any state or local contract facility.
- Other local or state correctional facility (including any juvenile facility).
The data is then collected by ICJI and reported to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Reporting
All reporting entities should access the online reporting tool to complete the required questions related to DCRA within 20 days of each quarter ending. For each report, entities must enter: the decedent’s name, date of birth, gender, race and ethnicity; the date, time and location of the death; the law enforcement or correctional agency involved; and the manner of death. Reporting deadlines are as follows; however, you may complete the form any time during the quarter in which a death occurred, instead of waiting until due date.
- Quarter 1: October 1 to December 31 – Report by Jan. 20
- Quarter 2: January 1 to March 31 – Report by April 20
- Quarter 3: April 1 to June 30 – Report by July 20
- Quarter 4: July 1 to September 30 – Report by Oct. 20
The reporting tool can be found by clicking the link below. Note: Jurisdictions that fail to comply may be ineligible to receive funds from ICJI.
Data
The Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013 requires states that receive allocations under specified provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to report certain information regarding the death of any person in law enforcement custody. This may include individuals who are detained, arrested, en route to incarceration, or incarcerated in state or local facilities or a boot camp prison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of frequently asked questions. Click here for a PDF version.
- When are reports due?
- What kind of information am I reporting?
- Will the DOJ treat this information as confidential or as public information?
- Do we need to report on deaths of persons in custody at juvenile correctional centers or under the jurisdiction of juvenile courts? Will juvenile data be kept confidential?
- Given the time lapse between identifying a potential death in custody and obtaining confirmation of a death in custody, when do we report deaths?
- What deaths are required to be reported under DCRA?
- How does this differ from similar data collection efforts?
- Example scenarios