The Correctional Association of New York (CANY) provides independent oversight of prisons to promote transparency and accountability. 

Included in this dataset: Monthly snapshot data of incarcerated individuals under custody starting June 2014. The dataset enumerates the number of people incarcerated at DOCCS facilities on the first of each month and includes information on the demographics of each incarcerated individual in addition to their facility, commitment county, crime of conviction, and parole board eligibility.

To ensure compliance with Correction Law §9 and to align with the New York State Committee on Open Government's advisory opinion on case FOI-AO-18823, CANY has deidentified the source data by (1) removing the names and departmental identification numbers of the individuals in custody, (2) sharing only a selection of the fields available in the source data, and (3) altering select fields to be less granular (for example, changing “date of birth” to “age range”).

How this data is generated: This data is derived from DOCCS’ incarcerated individual movement system, which the agency employs for operational purposes, including transfers. CANY obtains the data through a monthly data-sharing agreement with DOCCS.

Limitations and guidelines for use: Because this dataset consists of snapshot data, rows representing the same individuals will be repeated from month to month. The data does not include individuals who are adjudicated as youth or individuals who are housed in DOCCS facilities as incarcerated parolees.

Why we’re publishing this data: By making this information publicly available, CANY seeks to promote a shared understanding of basic questions regarding the incarcerated population in New York State: How many people are incarcerated in the state? Where are they incarcerated? What are the characteristics of the individuals who are incarcerated? What charges were they convicted of? And how have these answers changed over time?

Expected update frequency: Every three months

Related data, research, and analysis:

  • DOCCS Under Custody Profile: A monthly report on the under custody population by facility, disaggregated by characteristics such as age, religious affiliation, and education level.

  • DOCCS Open Data NY Data Portal: Annual data on DOCCS admissions, releases, recidivism, and the under custody population from 2008 onwards, published in a downloadable format.

  • CANY Prison Map: An interactive map of operational and recently closed prisons in New York State, with information on each facility including population, capacity, and staff vacancy rates. 

  • CANY Distance Analysis: An analysis of distance between incarcerated people’s facilities and commitment counties using under custody data.

  • Data Collaborative for Justice: Trends in the New York State Prison Population: An analysis of the DOCCS under custody population between 2008 and 2023, including trends by latest admission type, commitment county, and demographic categories.

 

 For recommendations reflecting trends in administrative data, read CANY’s Policy Agenda and Departmental Recommendations. For findings from monitoring visits, including survey and interview data from incarcerated individuals, read CANY’s Post-Visit Briefings.