Federal Deaths in Custody

Federal Deaths in Custody Reporting Program

The Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013 (42 U.S.C. §13727) requires the head of each federal law enforcement agency to report certain data annually to the Attorney General regarding the death of any person occurring during an interaction with law enforcement officers in their custody. The report shall provide "information regarding the death of any person who is—

1. detained, under arrest, or is in the process of being arrested by any officer of such Federal law enforcement agency (or by any State or local law enforcement officer while participating in and for purposes of a Federal law enforcement operation, task force, or any other Federal law enforcement capacity carried out by such Federal law enforcement agency); or


2. en route to be incarcerated or detained, or is incarcerated or detained at—(A) any facility (including any immigration or juvenile facility) pursuant to a contract with such Federal law enforcement agency; (B) any State or local government facility used by such Federal law enforcement agency; or (C) any Federal correctional facility or Federal pre-trial detention facility located within the United States."

In response to the DCRA of 2013 reporting requirements, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is conducting a survey of federal agencies with law enforcement, detention, and/or incarceration functions. The survey is designed to identify deaths that occurred during the course of official federal law enforcement, detention and incarceration agency functions and to collect additional information about the decedent and the circumstances surrounding the death.