An estimated 32 percent of state and federal prisoners and 40 percent of local jail inmates reported having at least one disability in the 2011–12 National Inmate Survey, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today. Estimates of disabilities include six specific classifications: hearing, vision, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care and independent living.

A cognitive disability—defined as serious difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions—was the most common disability reported by prison and jail inmates. An estimated 19 percent of prisoners and 31 percent of jail inmates reported having a cognitive disability. An ambulatory disability was the second most common reported disability, with 10 percent of each population reporting difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

Prisoners were about three times more likely and jail inmates were about four times more likely than the general population (standardized to match the prison and jail populations by sex, age, race, and Hispanic origin) to report a disability. Compared to the general population, prisoners were about four times more likely and jail inmates were about 6.5 times more likely to report a cognitive disability....

Prison and jail inmates of two or more races and white inmates were more likely than blacks to report having at least one disability. Among prisoners, 42 percent of persons of two or more races, 37 percent of whites, 28 percent of Hispanics and 26 percent of blacks reported having a disability. Among jail inmates, 55 percent of persons of two or more races, 40 percent of whites, 38 percent of Hispanics and 35 percent of blacks reported having a disability.