In releasing the latest Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities this week, the Bureau of Justice Statistics provides a snapshot of prisons in the United States at the end of 2005.  As summarized in the Bureau's announcement, "The report includes data on characteristics of facilities by type, size, security level, rated and design capacities, court orders, and use of private contractors. It provides data on custody populations by type of facility, gender, and facility security level. The report includes data on facility staff by gender, occupational categories, and inmate-to-staff ratios by type of facility. Program data include work activities of inmates inside prison and on work release; educational training such as basic literacy and college courses; and counseling programs such as drug and alcohol dependency and employment interviewing skills. The report compares selected findings to the 2000 census."