Death in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA)
The Death in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA; Pub. L. No. 113-242) requires states to report information to the Attorney General regarding the death of any individual who meets the following conditions:
- Is detained, under arrest, or in the process of being arrested.
- Is en route to be incarcerated.
- Is incarcerated in any of the following facilities:
- Municipal or county jail.
- State prison or state-run boot camp prison.
- Boot camp prison contracted out by the state.
- Any state or local contract facility.
- Other local or state correctional facilities, including juvenile facilities.
In Mississippi, the Office of Justice Planning (OJP) which operates under Public Safety Planning (PSP) is responsible for collecting and reporting death-in-custody data.
If you have any questions or issues completing this form, please contact:
PSP Executive Director Joshua Bromen at 601.391.4885 or OJP Director Sharon Nguyen at 601.391.4886.
You can submit data using the site below or by visiting this link.
Addition Resources
Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice - Program Overview
Authorizing Legislation: Death in Custody Reporting Act
State Reported Deaths in Custody Interactive Tables
Examples of Reportable and Non-Reportable Scenarios Under DCRA
1. What deaths are required to be reported under DCRA?
States must report the death of any individual who:
- Is detained, under arrest, or in the process of being arrested.
- Is en route to incarceration.
- Is incarcerated at a municipal or county jail, state prison, state-run boot camp prison, state-contracted boot camp prison, state or local contract facility, or other local or state correctional facility, including juvenile facilities.
2. Suicide Scenarios During Police Detention
a. A person with a mental disturbance or distraught behavior is taken into custody for mental health evaluation prior to determining criminal charges.
- Reportable.
b. A suspect in a crime or a person wanted for questioning commits suicide while in custody, regardless of whether an arrest warrant was issued.
- Reportable.
3. Death During Police Use of Force
A police pursuit of a burglar ends with the suspect brandishing a weapon and being fatally shot by officers. The officers never physically attempted to arrest the suspect before the shooting.
- Reportable.
4. Death During Police Pursuits
a. A suspect crashes and dies during an active vehicle pursuit by police.
- Reportable.
b. A suspect crashes and dies after police terminate the pursuit for safety reasons, with no active pursuit at the time of the crash.
- Not Reportable.
5. Are deaths of bystanders during police pursuits reportable?
- Not Reportable.
6. Death Following Police Contact
During a brief detention (e.g., traffic stop or questioning), an individual has a medical emergency and dies.
- Reportable.
7. Death at a Medical Facility Post-Incarceration
An inmate transferred to a medical facility dies while receiving treatment. Although not physically in a correctional facility at the time of death, the inmate would have been incarcerated absent the medical condition.
- Reportable.
8. Deaths in Halfway Houses
Deaths in halfway houses are:
- Reportable if the halfway house is under contract with the state or local government.
- Not Reportable if the halfway house is privately run and not under government contract.
9. Reporting Location of Death
If a death occurs following a reportable event but the individual is pronounced dead elsewhere (e.g., at a hospital), report the location of the death.
- The location of the death is reportable, not the location of the preceding event.
10. Overdose Deaths Before Officer Arrival
A decedent’s overdose death that occurs before law enforcement arrives on the scene is:
- Not Reportable.