Frequent Fliers

Jail practitioners are very familiar with a small, but very active group of minor offenders that cycle through local correctional institutions on a regular basis. These offenders have received comparatively little scrutiny from jail scholars, and this study responds to this gap in the literature by examining the legal and social characteristics of a group of Florida jail offenders that has been labeled frequent fliers. This exploratory study examines the characteristics of these high-demand users and their involvement in local justice systems. The findings reveal that a small group of jail inmates have dozens, and in some cases, more than a hundred jail admissions over a period of years – most often for minor offenses. The results suggest that frequent fliers exhaust community services and that local jails are a safety net for this high-demand, high-needs population in the absence of alternatives. Implications for community health care and other county services are addressed.