Annual Reports

Most questions about the Delaware Department of Correction can be answered in the Department's annual report. Annual reports contain offender demographic data, correctional facility and probationer population information, and data about a variety of special topics. The last five years’ reports are listed below; for older reports, visit the Annual Report Archive.

Research Requests

The DOC enjoys cooperative relationships with a variety of researchers working on projects relating to our offender population and our workforce. Individuals who wish to apply to perform research should follow the following steps:

1. Review DOC Policy 6.9 - Research Activities.
2. Contact the Chief of Planning to discuss the feasibility of the research proposal prior to submitting an application or submitting an IRB application to your respective academic institution. This step often helps applicants avoid common pitfalls which could lead to an application being denied and may help to identify mutually beneficial research topics. Email Planning, Research and Reentry at DOC_ResearchRequest@delaware.gov or call (302) 857-5307 to schedule a teleconference.
3. Submit the DOC Research Request Form, ensuring that all requested components are completed. Incomplete applications will be returned. Submissions must include copies of all survey or interview instruments to be used, informed consent forms, a resume/CV from the researcher(s), and the Human Subjects Review Board/IRB approval notice from the applicant's academic institution.

Data Requests

Requests for data should be submitted using the DOC Data Request Form. Completed forms should be emailed to Planning, Research and Reentry at DOC_DataRequest@delaware.gov The DOC reserves the right to modify or deny any data request based on a variety of factors. Due to the high volume of requests and the staff time needed to perform the relevant analyses, data requests from graduate students are typically prioritized over requests from undergraduates. Please note that freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests are managed through the Community Relations Unit; information on submitting FOIA requests is available here.

Delaware Open Data Portal

DOC participates in and contributes to the Delaware Open Data Portal, an online public database administered by the Open Data Council. Monthly inmate and probationer population reports furnished by DOC are available in the Public Safety section of the Portal. Users accessing the Inmate Population dataset on the Open Data Portal can search for aggregate numbers of offenders by year, month, county, type of institution, name of institution, sentence type, gender, and ethnicity. End of the month population totals are uploaded into the Portal on an ongoing basis. In accordance with State law, personal identifying information of offenders is not furnished to the public. The database platform, hosted by Socrata, allows viewers to not only view quantitative summaries, but also to create data visualizations such as charts and graphs to analyze trends or make comparisons.

The DOC Planning, Research & Reentry Unit in the Office of the Commissioner handles all data and research requests for the Department. Please review the available information listed above prior to making a data or research request. For additional inquiries, contact:

Chief of Planning, Research and Reentry, Heather Zwickert
Office of the Commissioner
245 McKee Road
Dover, DE 19904
Email: heather.zwickert@delaware.gov
Phone: (302) 857-5307