Bureau of Justice Statistics: At a Glance, 2002

Bureau of JusticeStatistics 2002:At a Glance

U.S. Department of JusticeOffice of Justice ProgramsBureau of Justice Statistics

Bureau of Justice Statistics

This report is one in a series. More recent editions may be available. To view a list of all in the series go to the publications page at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pubalp2.htm#glance

U.S. Department of JusticeOffice of Justice Programs

810 Seventh Street, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20531

John AshcroftAttorney General

Office of Justice Programs

Deborah J. DanielsAssistant Attorney General

World Wide Web site:http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Lawrence A. Greenfeld Director

World Wide Web site:http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

For information contact:BJS Clearinghouse

1-800-732-3277

Bureau of Justice Statistics 2002:At a Glance

Prepared byDevon B. Adams and Lara E. Reynolds

August 2002NCJ 194449

U.S. Department of JusticeOffice of Justice ProgramsBureau of Justice Statistics

U.S. Department of JusticeBureau of Justice Statistics

Lawrence A. GreenfeldDirector

Devon Adams and Lara Reynolds, under the supervision of Maureen A.Henneberg, prepared this report from materials provided by BJS programmanagers and staff. Devon Adams and Tom Hester edited the report.Jayne Robinson prepared it for printing.

BJS staff are grateful to all whoparticipate in our surveys.

ii Bureau of Justice Statistics 2002

Contents

About the Bureau of Justice Statistics 1

Crimes and victims 3

Victimization surveys 3School crime 4Victimization of the disabled 5 Cybercrime statistics 5Intimate partner victimization 6Justice system response to domestic violence cases 6Tracking homicide 7

The justice system 8

Law enforcement 8Prosecution 11Courts and sentencing 11Tribal criminal justice statistics 13Federal justice statistics 14Corrections 16Expenditure and employment 21Drugs, alcohol, and crime 22International statistics 23Methodological research and studies 25General criminal justice statistics 26Visiting Research Fellowship Program 26

Support to State and local governments 26

State Justice Statistics Program 26Criminal records systems improvement and policy 28National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) 30

How to use BJS services 32

From the BJS website 32Dissemination programs 34

To order BJS products 37

Bureau of Justice Statistics 2002 iii

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About the Bureau of Justice Statistics

The Bureau of Justice Statistics collects, analyzes, publishes, anddisseminates information on crime,criminal offenders, victims of crime,and the operation of justice systems atall levels of government. These dataare critical to Federal, State, and localpolicymakers in combating crime andensuring that administration of justiceis both efficient and evenhanded.

This year BJS will �

� Conduct interviews among a nation-ally representative sample of 45,000households comprising nearly80,000 U.S. residents about anyexperiences they may have had ascrime victims during the year.

� Describe the characteristics andconsequences of nearly 26 millioncriminal victimizations.

� Analyze the operations of the50,000 agencies, offices, courts,and institutions that comprise thejustice system.

� Count populations and conductsample surveys among the morethan 6.5 million adults who duringan average day are subject to thecare, custody, or control of Federal,State, and local criminal justiceauthorities.

� Maintain more than two dozenmajor data collection series fromwhich it publishes and distributesreports nationwide.

� Undertake special data collectionsand analyses to respond toprogrammatic, policy, and legislativeneeds of the Department, theAdministration, Congress, and thecriminal justice community.

� Maintain a website and data archivethat has up to 12,000 visitors a day,including scholars, students, policy-makers, the media, and othersaround the world.

� Provide assistance to users inidentifying sources of BJS informa-tion, interpreting statistical data fromBJS series and data collections, andunderstanding the methodologies ofBJS surveys.

BJS annually publishes data on �

� Criminal victimization � Populations under correctional

supervision � Federal criminal offenders and case

processing.

BJS’ periodic data series gather information on �

� Administration of law enforcement

agencies and correctional facilities � Prosecutorial practices and policies � State court case processing � Felony convictions � Characteristics of correctional

populations � Criminal justice expenditure and

employment � Civil case processing in State courts� Special studies on other criminal

justice topics

At a Glance 1

A description of the various BJS dataseries can be found under the topicalsections of this report.

The U.S. Census Bureau carries outmany of BJS' data collection activities.BJS staff also coordinate with otherDepartment of Justice statisticalprograms, such as the FBI's UniformCrime Reporting Program and NationalIncident-Based Reporting System.The BJS Federal Justice StatisticsProgram collects data from otherFederal agencies, including the Execu-tive Office for U.S. Attorneys, theAdministrative Office of the U.S.Courts, the U.S. Sentencing Commis-sion, and the Federal Bureau ofPrisons.

BJS provides financial and technicalsupport to State and local govern-ments in �

� developing capabilities in criminaljustice statistics� implementing the National Incident-Based Reporting System� improving the accuracy, utility, andinterstate accessibility of criminalhistory records� enhancing records of protectiveorders involving domestic violence and stalking, sex offender records,automated identification systems, and other State systems supportingnational records systems and their use for background checks.

BJS also supports surveys, confer-ences, and technical assistance onissues that relate to criminal recordspolicy, covering topics such as Statecriminal history record procedures and systems, privacy and securitystandards, and interstate exchange ofcriminal history records for noncriminaljustice purposes.

2 Bureau of Justice Statistics 2002

Crimes and victims

Victimization surveys

The National Crime VictimizationSurvey (NCVS) is the Nation's primarysource of information on criminalvictimization. The NCVS provides dataon the number of rapes, sexualassaults, robberies, assaults, thefts,household burglaries, and motorvehicle thefts experienced by U.S.residents age 12 or older and theirhouseholds each year.

� In 2000 U.S. residents age 12 orolder experienced approximately25.9 million crimes. Just over 19million (75%) were property crimes, 6.3 million (24%) were crimes ofviolence, and 1% were personalthefts.

� Murders, as measured by lawenforcement data provided to theFBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, werethe least frequent violent victimiza-tion. There were about 6 murdervictims per 100,000 persons in1999.

� In 2000 for every 1,000 persons age12 or older, there occurred �� 1 rape or sexual assault � 2 assaults with injury � 3 robberies.

Initiated in 1972 and redesigned in1992, the NCVS is the only nationalcrime measure that includes boththose crimes that people experiencebut do not report to law enforcementauthorities and those that they doreport. During a collection year, dataare obtained at 6-month intervals from

a nationally representative sample ofroughly 45,000 households, compris-ing nearly 80,000 persons, on theimpact, frequency, and consequencesof criminal victimization in the UnitedStates.

The survey enables BJS to estimatevictimization of specific segments ofthe population such as the elderly orcity dwellers. The NCVS is the onlynational forum for victims to describethe consequences of crime and thecharacteristics of violent offenders.

Reports planned for 2002–

� Criminal Victimization in the UnitedStates, 2000

� Crime and the Nation’s House-holds, 2000, Trends 1999-2000

� Criminal Victimization 2001,Changes 2000-2001, Trends1993-2001

� Weapon Use and Violent Crime,1993-2000

� Third Party Involvement in Crime � Violent Victimization of Teenagers,

2000, Trends 1993-2000 � Household Burglary, 1993-2000 � Trends in Violent Crime,

1993-2001� Rape and Sexual Assault: Report-

ing and Medical Attention, 1992-2000

� Victimization of College Students

Recent reports –

� Hispanic Victims of Violent Crime,1993-2000, released 4/02 (NCJ191208)

� Age Patterns in ViolentVictimization, 1976-2000, released2/02 (NCJ 190104)

At a Glance 3

� Violence in the Workplace, 1993-99,released 12/01 (NCJ 190076)

� Intimate Partner Violence and Ageof Victim, 1993-99, released 10/01 (NCJ 187635)

� Injuries from Violent Crime,1992-98, released 6/01 (NCJ168633)

� Criminal Victimization 2000,Changes 1999-2000 with Trends1993-2000, released 6/01 (NCJ187007)

� Violent Victimization and Race,1993-98, released 3/01 (NCJ176354)

Crime Victimization Survey softwareis available to help communitiesconduct local crime and attitudinalsurveys. The Crime VictimizationSurvey (CVS) software package,designed by BJS and the Office ofCommunity Oriented Policing Services(COPS), allows communities toconduct their own telephone surveys ofresidents to collect data on crimevictimization, attitudes toward policing,and other community issues.

Using the established methods andquestions of the National CrimeVictimization Survey, this softwareallows communities to generate crimeand victimization estimates that facili-tate comparisons among similar juris-dictions. The software is available freeof charge from the BJS website at<www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cvs.htm> or from NCJRS for a smallshipping and handling fee by calling1-800-851-3420.

In addition to the software, both theonline file and the CD-ROM include the

CVS Software User's Manual (NCJ176361) and Conducting CommunitySurveys: A Practical Guide for LawEnforcement Agencies (NCJ 178246),which is a brief overview of the issuesrelated to conducting local surveys.The CD-ROM version comes withprinted copies of both documents.Agencies or communities that areinterested in conducting local victimiza-tion surveys are encouraged to contactlocal universities or research organiza-tions. BJS will also assist researchersand statisticians with specific softwaresupport and sampling issues.

School crime

BJS, in collaboration with the NationalCenter for Education Statistics(NCES), periodically collects data onaspects of school crime through asupplement to the NCVS. FromJanuary 1, 2001, to July 31, 2001,household members age 12 or olderwho attended school were askedquestions about their school environ-ment. These data represent about 27million students.

Information was obtained on the avail-ability of drugs at school, existence ofstreet gangs, prevalence of gangfights, presence of guns at school,victimizations, and fear of beingattacked or harmed. The results of the2001 School Crime Supplement will beincluded in the joint BJS/NCES publi-cation, Indicators of School Crime andSafety, 2002, which is expected to bereleased in fall 2002. Latest data areavailable in Indicators of School Crimeand Safety, 2001, released 10/01 (NCJ190075).


Victimization of the disabled

Workplace violence

BJS, in collaboration with the NationalInstitute for Occupational Safety andHealth, is currently collecting data tomeasure the circumstances surround-ing incidents involving violence in theworkplace. The survey, through anNCVS supplement, provides a detaileddescription and assessment ofworkplace incidents and work-relatedrisk factors, including the work tasksbeing performed at the time of victimization, the specific locationwithin the workplace where the victimi-zation occurred, the specific workrelationship of the victim to theoffender, the presence/use of work-place violence prevention strategies, or the actions of the victim and theirimpact on the outcome or severity of the attack.

Latest data on the extent of workplacecrime in the United States are avail-able in Workplace Violence, 1993-99,released 12/01 (NCJ 190076).

Cybercrime statistics

Cybercrime Statistics Program, initi-ated in 2001, is designed to measurechanges in the incidence, magnitude,and consequences of electronic orcybercrime. Cybercrime statistics willinclude data on both personal andproperty crimes, ranging from e-mailthreats and harassment to illegal useof or access to networks to commitfraud or theft. In July 2001 BJS addeditems to the National Crime

Victimization Survey to learn aboutfrauds, identify thefts, and stalkingexperienced as a consequence of useof the Internet.

In FY 2002 BJS has initiated its firstpretest of a commercial victimizationsurvey in nearly 30 years, focusing onthe exposure to computer crimeamong businesses engaging ine-commerce. In FY 2003 BJS willcarry out the full survey entailing datacollection from a representativesample of approximately 36,000businesses nationwide.

In addition, a series of questions relat-ing to computer crime were added tothe 2001 National Survey of Prosecu-tors, which collected data from 2,355State court prosecutors who handlefelony cases in State courts of generaljurisdiction. The BJS Bulletin Prosecu-tors in State Courts, 2001 (NCJ193441) was released 5/02. BJS willalso collect information on cybercrimeoffenses on its 2003 Survey of Inmatesin State and Federal CorrectionalFacilities, and on its next Law Enforce-ment Management Survey, alsoscheduled for FY 2003.

At a Glance 5

Intimate partner victimization

Summary findings –

� In 1999 females experienced anestimated 671,110 rape, sexualassault, robbery, aggravatedassault, and simple assault victimi-zations at the hands of an intimate,down from 1.1 million in 1993.Women were victimized in 85% ofthe intimate partner violent crimes in 1999.

� Between 1993 and 1999, the overallrate of intimate partner violenceagainst all females decreased 41%from 10 to 6 victimizations per 1,000females age 12 or older.

� Females were more likely thanmales to be murdered by anintimate partner in 1999.

� Between 1993 and 1999 womenage 16 to 24 experienced thehighest per capita rates of intimate violence.

Data and trends in intimate partnervictimization are collected as part ofthe NCVS, which asks victims ofviolence about the offender, theirrelationship to the offender, andcharacteristics of the victimizationincidents. Asking the victim abouthis/her relationship to the offender iscritical to determining whether thecrime occurred between intimates(current or former spouses, girlfriends,or boyfriends).

Using data from the NCVS and theFBI’s Supplementary HomicideReports, BJS published IntimatePartner Violence and Age of Victim,1993-99 in October 2001 (NCJ187635). The report presents trendsin intimate violence, characteristics ofvictims (race, gender, age, income,ethnicity, and whether the victims livein urban, suburban, or rural areas),type of crime (physical assault orverbal threats), and trends for reportingto police with a focus on the victims'age. Intimate victimizations measuredinclude murder, rape, sexual assault,robbery, aggravated assault, andsimple assault.

Justice system response to domestic violence cases

In 2002 BJS will conduct a study ofcase-processing flows through thecriminal justice system for domesticviolence offenses. Representativedata from the 75 largest counties will be collected in which an estimated16,000 domestic violence cases will betracked from time of arrest, throughprosecution, to conviction and sentenc-ing. Information will be obtained on


1976 1982 1988 19940

400

800

1,200

1,600

2,000

Num ber of victim s m urdered

1999

Female victims

Male victim s

by an intimate partner

the types of sentences imposed fordomestic violence, including contin-gencies associated with supervision in the community under sentences to probation.

Factors that increase or decrease thelikelihood of conviction will be carefullydocumented. Apart from varying legalprovisions, these factors may includethe following: the victim-offenderrelationship, criminal histories of victimand offender, policies regardingissuance and enforcement of restrain-ing orders, prosecutorial policiesregarding domestic violence cases,and pretrial release and sentencingpractices in the jurisdiction.

Homicide trends


� The homicide rate doubled from themid 1960's to the late 1970's. In 1980it peaked at 10.2 per 100,000 popula-tion and subsequently fell off to 7.9 per100,000 in 1985. It rose again in thelate 1980's and early 1990's to anotherpeak in 1991 of 9.8 per 100,000.Afterwards the rate declined sharply,reaching 5.7 per 100,000 by 1999.

Based on data for 1976-99 �

� Blacks are disproportionately repre-sented as both homicide victims andoffenders. In terms of rates per100,000, blacks are 6 times morelikely to be victimized and 8 timesmore likely to commit homicide thanare whites.

� Males represent three-quarters ofhomicide victims and nearly 90%

of offenders. In terms of rates per100,000, males are 3 times morelikely than females to be killed and 8 times more likely to kill.

� Approximately a third of murdervictims and almost half the offend-ers are under age 25. For bothvictims and offenders, the rate per100,000 peaks in the 18-to-24 agegroup.

Homicide trend data are updatedannually on the BJS website. Homi-cide is of interest not only because ofits severity but also because it is areliable barometer of trends in vio-lence. Among the most important andwell-recorded data on crime are theincident-level Supplementary HomicideReports (SHR) collected by the FBI oneach recorded homicide.

State and local law enforcementagencies submit data about eachhomicide to the FBI. These datainclude detail on the jurisdictionallocation, victim and offender character-istics (age, race, and gender), and therelationship of the victim to theoffender. Topics covered on the BJSwebsite include long-term trends,demographic trends, multiple victimsand offenders, infanticide, eldercide,homicides by intimates, law enforce-ment officers killed, weapons trends,regional trends, and trends by city size.

Data from the 2000 trends will be avail-able in summer 2002. The BJS site onhomicide trends is located at<www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/homtrnd.htm>.

At a Glance 7

The justice system

Law enforcement

BJS collects data about Federal, State,and local law enforcement agenciesand their activities.

Recent findings include –

� As of June 2000, Federal agenciesemployed about 88,496 full-timepersonnel authorized to makearrests and carry firearms. Of allFederal officers, 14.4% werewomen, and 30.5% were membersof a racial or ethnic minority.

� As of June 1999, local policedepartments had an estimated556,631 full-time employees, includ-ing about 436,000 sworn personnel.Sheriffs' departments had 290,707full-time employees, including about186,000 sworn personnel.

� From 1987 to 1997 minority repre-sentation among local police officersincreased from 14.6% to 21.5%. Insheriffs' departments, minoritiesaccounted for 19% of sworn person-nel in 1997 compared to 13.4% 10 years earlier.

Census of State and Local LawEnforcement Agencies collects datafrom all State and local law enforce-ment agencies employing one or morepersons with general arrest powers.This data collection provides theNation’s most complete enumerationof police agencies, including informa-tion about community policing, person-nel, operations, and the use ofinformation systems. Detailed findings

from the 2000 data collection will beavailable in summer 2002.

Law Enforcement Management andAdministrative Statistics (LEMAS)Survey collects data from over 3,000State and local law enforcementagencies, including all those thatemploy 100 or more sworn officers anda nationally representative sample ofsmaller agencies. Data are obtainedon the organization and administrationof police and sheriffs' departments,including agency responsibilities,operating expenditures, job functionsof sworn and civilian employees, andofficer salaries and special pay. Alsocollected is information on demo-graphic characteristics of officers,sidearms and nonlethal weapons,education and training requirements,computers and information systems,vehicles, special units, communitypolicing activities, and agencies’written policies.

Recent findings are available in �

� Police Departments in LargeCities, 1990-2000, released 5/02(NCJ 175703)

� Local Police Departments, 1999,released 5/01 (NCJ 186478);

� Sheriffs’ Offices, 1999, released5/01 (NCJ 186779);

� Community Policing in Local PoliceDepartments, 1997 and 1999,released 2/01 (NCJ 184794);

� Law Enforcement Managementand Administrative Statistics, 1999:Data for Individual State and LocalAgencies with 100 or MoreOfficers, released 11/00 (NCJ184481).


Survey of Campus Law Enforce-ment Agencies provides data describ-ing nearly 600 campus law enforce-ment agencies serving 4-year universi-ties or colleges with 2,500 or morestudents. Data are collected onagency personnel, expenditures andpay, operations, equipment, computersand information systems, policies, andspecial programs.

Federal Law Enforcement AgencyCensus provides national data onFederal law enforcement agencies with arrest and firearms authority.Data collected include the number ofofficers working in the areas of criminalinvestigation and enforcement, policepatrol and response, security andprotection, court operations, andcorrections, by agency and State.Latest data are available in FederalLaw Enforcement Officers, 2000,released 7/01 (NCJ 187231).

Police Public Contact Surveycollects data on police and citizencontacts including the nature of thepolice-citizen contact, respondentperceptions as to whether any forceencountered was excessive, and anyprovocative actions that the respon-dent may have initiated during theencounter. In addition, the question-naire included a new section to gatherinformation on police-initiated stops forroutine traffic violations. This supple-mental survey to the NCVS addressesthe mandate set forth by the ViolentCrime Control and Law EnforcementAct of 1994 to collect, evaluate, andpublish data on the use of excessiveforce by law enforcement personnel.The survey will be fielded during the

last 6 months of 2002. Latest findingscan be found in Characteristics ofDrivers Stopped by Police, 1999,released 3/02 (NCJ 191548) andContacts Between Police and Public:Findings from the 1999 NationalSurvey, released 2/01 (NCJ 184957).

Traffic stop statistics come from thePolice Public Contact Survey, summa-rizing the frequency and nature oftraffic stops, with specific focus oninteractions between police and citi-zens, as well as incidents in whichofficers used or threatened to useforce against a respondent. Questionsregarding police-public contacts duringtraffic stops focus on four main areas:1) reason for the traffic stop; 2) vehicleand/or personal searches conducted;3) outcome of the traffic stop; and 4)use or threat of force during thecontact. In addition, this year thesurvey has been expanded to includequestions regarding respondents’usual driving behavior, as well asdriver behavior during the traffic stop.The next data collection will beconducted during the last 6 months of 2002.

Survey of State Police Traffic StopData Collection Procedures collectsdata on State police agency policies forrecording demographic information ontraffic-related contacts and violations.The questionnaire, first fielded inMarch 1999, obtained basic informa-tion from State law enforcementagencies on the circumstances underwhich demographic data werecollected for traffic-related stops andwhether this information was stored inan electronically accessible format.

At a Glance 9

Latest findings are reported in TrafficStop and Data Collection Policies forState Police, 2001, released 12/01(NCJ 191158).

Policing and homicide studyprovides data on justifiable homicidesby police reported under the FBI’sSupplementary Homicide ReportingProgram, including annual trends from1976 to 1996 in two types of homicide: justifiable homicides of felons by policeand murders of police officers byfelons. Findings include the numberand rate of justifiable homicides bypolice, demographic characteristics ofofficers who justifiably kill, characteris-tics of felons who are justifiably killed(gender, race, and age), the numberand rate of murders of police officers,demographic characteristics of themurdered officers, and characteristicsof felons who murdered officers(gender, race, and age). Also includedare descriptions of actual cases ofjustifiable homicides by police in 1996and descriptions of actual cases ofmurders of police officers in 1996. Findings are reported in Policing andHomicide, 1976-96: JustifiableHomicide of Felons by Police andMurder of Police by Felons, released3/01 (NCJ 180987).

Survey of DNA Crime Laboratories,collects data from all public and privateDNA laboratories on management andadministrative statistics, including staffsize and characteristics, staff training,budgets, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)testing procedures, processingpolicies, and archival capacity. Thesurvey also obtains information on thedegree of laboratory compliance with

national standards and participation inthe national database of DNA samples. Findings are useful to crime laboratorydirectors to compare procedures andcapacities among laboratories, as wellas to measure compatibility betweenthe national DNA database, referred toas CODIS, and State DNA databases.Latest data are available in Survey ofDNA Crime Laboratories, 2001,released 1/02 (NCJ 191191).

Survey of Forensic Crime Laborato-ries, to be conducted for the first timein 2002, will provide a national assess-ment of the workloads of the State andlocal crime labs and variations inlaboratory policies, practices, andprocedures. Data will be collected onorganizational issues such as staffingand budget; policies and procedures,including chain-of-custody; the numberand sources of cases/ evidencereceived; backlogs in processing ofcases; and contracting of work toprivate laboratories. Additional infor-mation will be collected on technology,equipment, and processes used forinteraction with other criminal justiceagencies. The survey will involve all ofthe approximately 400 publicly fundedcrime labs in the Nation.

Census of Law Enforcement Train-ing Academies, to be conducted in2002, will for the first time obtain infor-mation on the number and types ofstaff employed at the training facilities,budget, sources of funds, number ofofficers trained, and policies andpractices. In addition to basic organiza-tional data, the survey will gather dataon training issues which are critical to


current law enforcement policydevelopment.

Prosecution

BJS collects data on State and Federal prosecutors and the casesthey prosecute.

Summary findings �

� Over the past decade prosecutors'offices nationwide, on average,experienced increases in their staffsize, budget for prosecutorialfunctions, and population served.

� In 2001 chief prosecutors weremuch more likely to serve in a full-time capacity than 10 years ago.

� The percentage of prosecutors'offices prosecuting felonies relatedto domestic violence, child abuse,and bank or thrift fraud increasedin 2001 compared to 1993, whensimilar data were collected.

� Over the 12 months preceding the2001 survey, 42% of prosecutors'offices reported prosecuting eitherfelony or misdemeanor computer-related crimes under their State'scomputer crime statutes.

� Two-thirds of prosecutors' officesused DNA evidence during pleanegotiations or felony trials in2001, compared to about half ofthe offices in 1996.

� In 2001 about 23% of officesassigned prosecutors to handlecommunity-related activities.

National Survey of Prosecutorscollects data on resources, policies,and practices of local prosecutors froma nationally representative sample ofchief litigating prosecutors in Statecourt systems. The survey obtainsbasic information on staffing andoperations and collects data on currenttopics such as the use of innovativeprosecution techniques, intermediatesanctions, juvenile cases transferred to criminal court, and work-relatedassaults and threats. Findings fromthe 2001 survey were released in May2002.

Courts and sentencing

BJS collects data about the Nation'scourt systems, including informationabout both civil and criminal courts, thecases brought, and their outcomes.


Pretrial release and detention� An estimated 64% of defendants

charged with a felony in the 75 mostpopulated counties in May 1998were released from jail pendingdisposition of their case.

� About a third of released defen-dants were either rearrested for anew offense, failed to appear incourt as scheduled, or committedsome other violation that resulted inthe revocation of their pretrialrelease.

At a Glance 11

Criminal case processing andsentencing� In 1998 State and Federal Courts

convicted a combined total of nearly980,000 adults of felonies.

� State courts convicted almost928,000 adults of a felony in 1998.

� From 1988 to 1998 the number of felony convictions increasedfaster than the number of arrests.Sixty-eight percent of thoseconvicted in 1998 were sentenced to incarceration.

� Just over 50% of felony defendantswere convicted of a felony, and 15%were convicted of a misdeamnor.Among those convicted, 96% wereby a plea.

Civil justice� In 1996 in the 75 largest counties

in the United States, an estimated15,638 tort, contract, and realproperty cases were disposed bytrial. About 70% of these caseswere decided by a jury.

� Individuals were plaintiffs in 82% ofall trial cases disposed of during1996. Individuals sued businessesin 37% and other individuals in anadditional 34% of all trial cases.

� Overall, plaintiffs won in 52% of trialcases. An estimated $3 billion incompensatory and punitivedamages were awarded to plaintiffwinners in trial cases.

National Judicial Reporting Program(NJRP), conducted every 2 years,surveys a nationwide sample of felonytrial courts and collects detailed

information on demographic character-istics of felons, conviction offenses,type of sentences, sentence lengths,and amount of time from arrest toconviction and sentencing. Findingsfrom the 1998 data collection can befound in State Court Sentencing ofConvicted Felons, 1998, released12/01 (NCJ 190637); and FelonySentences in State Courts, 1998,released 10/01 (NCJ 190103). Forth-coming reports include FelonySentences in State Courts, 2000,which is expected to be released inlate 2002.

State Court Processing Statistics(SCPS) provides data on the criminaljustice processing of persons chargedwith felonies in a representativesample of felony defendants in the 75largest counties. These countiesaccount for about half of serious crimenationwide. The program tracks felonydefendants from charging by theprosecutor until disposition in theircases or for a maximum of 12 months. Data are obtained on demographiccharacteristics, arrest offense(s), criminal justice status at time of arrest,prior arrests and convictions, bail and pretrial release decisions, courtappearance record, re-arrest while on pretrial release, type and outcomeof adjudication, and type and length of sentence if convicted. Recent dataare included in Felony Defendants inLarge Urban Counties, 1998, released11/01 (NCJ 187232). The 2000 dataare expected to be released in fall2002.


State Court Statistics Project,conducted in collaboration with theNational Center for State Courts,provides data on State appellate andtrial court caseloads for the 50 States,the District of Columbia, and PuertoRico. Information is reported on casetype, case filings, case processing,disposition, and appellate opinions.Data on State appellate caseloads aredivided into mandatory and discretion-ary cases.

Data on trial court caseloads includeinformation about criminal cases,nondomestic civil cases, domesticcases, juvenile cases, and casesinvolving traffic and other violations oflocal ordinance. Data will be collectedfor reference year 2001 in summer2002. Latest data are available inState Court Caseload Statistics, 2001,(National Center for State Courts,2001) and Examining the Work ofState Courts, 2001.

Survey of State Court Organization, conducted by the National Center forState Courts, provides basic descrip-tive information relating to the Nation’sState court systems. Information is collected on the following characteristics �

� trial courts � the role of grandjuries, peremptory jury challenges,jury verdict rules

� appellate courts � case selection,expedited procedures

� governance of court systems �budgets, administration

� judges and judicial selection �numbers of judges, mandatoryjudicial education

� processing of criminal cases �felony definition, mandatoryminimum sentences, habitualoffender sentencing provisions.

Latest data are available in State CourtOrganization, 1998 (NCJ 178932).

Civil Justice Survey of State Courtscollects information for a 1-year periodon tort, contract, and real propertyrights cases disposed by jury or benchtrial in State courts of general jurisdic-tion in 46 counties chosen to representthe Nation's 75 most populouscounties. Data collected include trialtype, case type, plaintiff and defendanttypes, economic and noneconomicdamages awarded, punitive damagesawarded, and dates of filing and dispo-sition. Data for the 2001 Civil JusticeSurvey are currently being collected.

Tribal criminal justice statistics

Tribal Justice Statistics AssistanceCenter (TJSAC), funded by BJS andadministered by the Justice Researchand Statistics Association, providestechnical assistance and training toAmerican Indian and Native Alaskajurisdictions to improve their criminaljustice statistical systems. The Centerdelivers assistance via a toll freenumber, a website, statistical trainingsessions, and a variety of publicationsabout collecting, reporting, and utilizingcrime statistics in Indian Country.

Criminal Victimization Studies inIndian Country are projected for thereservations of the Zuni, Umatilla, andSouthern Ute people. BJS is currentlyworking with the American Indian

At a Glance 13

Development Associates, NationalIndian Justice Center, and the Univer-sity of California at Irvine to conductthese studies. The studies willmeasure the incidence and rates ofcrime on the reservations and examinethe role of alcohol in violent crimevictimizations and the characteristics ofdomestic violence incidents.

Census of Tribal Justice Agenciesin American Indian and AlaskaNative Tribal Jurisdictions, to beconducted in 2002, will obtain baselineinformation about tribal justice institu-tions including prosecution, courtsystems, and other forms of disputeresolution. Data also will be collectedon information/case managementsystems and statistical reportingcapabilities.

Annual Survey of Jails in IndianCountry collects data from all 69confinement facilities, detentioncenters, jails, and other facilitiesoperated by tribal authorities or theBureau of Indian Affairs. The surveycovers rated capacity, facility crowding,plans for renovation and building,inmate characteristics, and numbers ofthe following — adults and juvenilesheld, persons under community super-vision, admissions and discharges inthe last 30 days, and inmate deaths.The annual report, Jails in IndianCountry, 2001, released 5/02 (NCJ193400), presents the latest data. Federal justice statistics

BJS collects annual data on workload,activities, and case outcomes in theFederal justice system.


Prosecution � U.S. attorneys opened matters

for investigation against 123,559suspects during fiscal year 2000.

� Of the 117,450 suspects in mattersconcluded during 2000, 74% werereferred for prosecution eitherbefore a U.S. district court judge(62%) or a U.S. magistrate (12%).Nearly all (97%) of those investi-gated for immigration offenses werereferred for prosecution.

Pretrial � More than half (53.7%) of defen-

dants charged with a Federaloffense were released following theinitial court appearance, providedthat any court-imposed conditionswere satisfied.

� Most (81.7%) defendants releasedbefore trial completed their pretrialrelease without violating the releaseconditions; 6.7% had their releaserevoked.

� Defendants charged with violent ordrug offenses were less likely tosatisfactorily complete the period ofpretrial release without a violation(77% and 72%, respectively) thanother defendants.

Adjudication � During 2000, criminal cases were

commenced against 83,251 defen-dants in U.S. district court. Most(85%) were charged with a felonyoffense. Cases were terminatedagainst 76,952 defendants during2000. Most (89%) defendants wereconvicted.


Sentencing � Of the 68,156 defendants convicted

and sentenced during 2000, 73%were sentenced to a term of impris-onment (either alone or in conjunc-tion with probation), 18% weresentenced to probation (either aloneor with incarceration), and 4% weresentenced to pay a fine alone.

� The mean prison sentence im-posed during 2000 was 57 months.Defendants convicted of weaponsfelonies (92 months), violent felo-nies (87 months), and drug felonies(76 months), received the longestprison terms on average.

Corrections � During 2000 the Federal Bureau

of Prisons received 49,678 inmatesfrom U.S. district courts; anadditional 15,240 inmates werereceived from other sources suchas community supervision

violations; 55,876 inmates werereleased during the year. As ofSeptember 30, 2000, 129,329sentenced offenders were under thejurisdiction of the Federal Bureau ofPrisons.

Federal Justice Statistics Programreports on all aspects of processing inthe Federal justice system, includingthe number of persons investigated,prosecuted, convicted, incarcerated,sentenced to probation, releasedpretrial, and under parole or othersupervision; initial prosecutiondecisions; referrals to magistrates;court dispositions; sentencingoutcomes; sentence length; and timeserved. The data are available foronline analysis at <www.fjsrc.urban.org>. The series also describes theprocessing of civil cases characteris-tics and outcomes in the Federalcourts.

At a Glance 15

Felony and misdemeanor defendants in U .S. district court, 1985-99

1985 1990 1995 2000

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Violent

Public-orderDrug

Property

The number of Federal public-order defendants, who included personscharged with immigration or weapon offenses, increased 50%, 1985-2000

Forthcoming reports include –

� Immigration Offenders in FederalCriminal Justice System

� Money Laundering Offenders inthe Federal Criminal JusticeSystem, 1992-2000

� Civil Cases in Federal Courts,1970-2000

Recent reports include – � Federal Justice Statistics Program,

1999, CD-ROM, released 1/02(NCJ 186181)

� Prisoner Petitions Filed in U.S.District Courts, 2000, released12/01 (NCJ 189430)

� Federal Criminal Case Processing,2000: with Trends 1982-2000,Reconciled Data, released 11/01(NCJ 189737)

� Federal Drug Offenders, 1999,with Trends 1984-99, released8/01 (NCJ 187285)

� Compendium of Federal JusticeStatistics, 2000 released 4/01(NCJ 186179)

� Federal Criminal Appeals, 1999with Trends, 1985-99, released4/01 (NCJ 185055)

� Federal Criminal Case Processing,1999: with Trends 1982-99,Reconciled Data, released 2/01(NCJ 186180)

Corrections

BJS collects data about the Nation’scorrectional system from over 1,500Federal and State adult correctionalfacilities, 3,300 local jails, and 5,800probation and parole agencies andoffices. By extracting comparable dataover time, these programs providemeasures of how these correctionalpopulations and agencies havechanged.


� 6.5 million adults were on probation,in jail or prison, or on parole at yearend 2000 – 3.1% of all U.S. adult residents.

� Two-thirds of the 6.5 million wereunder supervision in the community.

� State and Federal prison authorities

had 1,381,892 inmates under theirjurisdiction at yearend 2000.

� Local jails held or supervised621,149 adults awaiting trial orserving a sentence at midyear 2000.

� Between 1995 and midyear 2001,the jail and prison population nation-wide grew an average 4.0%annually. The number under Statejurisdiction rose 0.3% during the12-month period ending June 30,2001 — the smallest annual growthrate in 28 years. The number ofinmates under Federal jurisdictionrose 7.2%.

Quarterly Data Collection on Deathsin Custody currently implementsprovisions of the Deaths in CustodyReporting Act of 2000 (PL 106-297),


which requires a collection of data onall deaths of persons held in local jails,State prisons, and juvenile correctionalfacilities, and of those persons "in theprocess of arrest.” Since October2001 BJS has received quarterlyreports on inmate deaths in both localjails and State prisons. In July 2002BJS will add juvenile correctional facili-ties to these collections.

Data elements cover the personalbackground of the deceased inmate(date of birth, gender, race, ethnicorigin, admission date, and currentoffenses), as well as the date, time,location, and cause of death. BJS isalso exploring methods to collect dataon deaths occurring during the"process of arrest.” BJS is currentlyworking with the FBI to establish thebest means of collecting these datanationwide.

National Prisoner StatisticsProgram produces yearend andmidyear National- and State-level dataon the numbers of prisoners in Stateand Federal prison facilities. It alsoprovides data on the number of admis-sions and releases during the year, therace and Hispanic origin of inmates,the number of inmate deaths by cause,and the number known to be HIVpositive. Recent data are reported inPrisoners in 2000, released 8/01 (NCJ188207).

Capital punishment series yieldsannual National- and State-level dataon persons sentenced to death andthose executed. Data collectedinclude offender demographic charac-teristics, prior criminal history, criminaljustice system status at the time of thecapital offense, and date of sentence.Data are available on executions since

At a Glance 17

Note: Counts include all inmates held in public and private adult correctional facilities. Jail counts for 1995-2000 exclude persons supervised outside of a jail facility. aNumber of prison and jail inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents at yearend. bIn 1999, 15 States expanded their reporting criteria to include inmates held in privately operated correctional facilities. For comparisons with previous years, the State count 1,137,544 and the total count 1,869,169 should be used.Source: Prisoners in 2000 (NCJ 188207)

4.4%5.6%8.6%5.3%1990-2000Average annual increase,

2.5%1.5%6.6%2.1%1999-2000Percent change,

699621,1491,178,433133,9211,933,5032000691605,9431,161,490125,6821,893,1151999b

669592,4621,113,676110,7931,816,9311998648567,0791,074,809101,7551,743,6431997618518,4921,032,44095,0881,646,0201996601507,044989,00489,5381,585,5861995

458405,320684,54458,8381,148,7021990ratea on June 30StateFederalinmatesYear

Incarcer-ation

Inmates inlocal jails

Prisoners in custody on December 31

Total

Number of persons held in State or Federal prisons or in local jails, 1990-2000

1930 and on sentencing since 1973.The data series also includes annualinformation from each jurisdiction onstatutory changes relating to the deathpenalty, including changes involvingadditional aggravating or mitigatingcircumstances, procedural amend-ments, and revisions to capitaloffenses. Recent data are reported in Capital Punishment 2000, released12/01 (NCJ 190598).

National Corrections ReportingProgram annually collects individual-level data on prison admissions andreleases and on parole entries anddischarges in participating jurisdictions.Demographic information, convictionoffense, sentence length, type ofadmission, method of release, andactual time served of inmates exitingprison and parole are collected fromindividual records. The latest data willbe available on CD-ROM: NationalCorrections Reporting Program, 1999(NCJ 192868), expected release 6/02.

Annual Probation Survey and ParoleSurvey collect data on persons underFederal, State, and local probation orparole supervision. Key data elementsinclude the number on probation andparole at yearend, number of entriesand exits (by type), offender demo-graphic characteristics, severity ofoffense, type of supervision, andspecial programs. Latest data areavailable in the release for probationand parole, 2000, on 8/01 (NCJ188208).

Annual Survey of Jails providesestimates of the number of inmates by gender, race, Hispanic origin,

conviction status, and juvenile/adultstatus. It also collects information onthe rated capacity of facilities in eachjurisdiction, and separate counts ofoffenders under community supervi-sion by jail staff, including those underelectronic monitoring and home deten-tion, in alternative work programs, day-reporting programs, community serviceor weekender programs, or other alter-native programs. The latest data areavailable in Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2001, released 4/02 (NCJ191702).

Surveys of Inmates in State andFederal Correctional Facilitiesprovide detailed data on individualcharacteristics of prison inmates,current offenses and sentences,characteristics of victims, criminalhistories, family background, gunpossession and use, prior drug andalcohol use and treatment, and educa-tional programs and other servicesprovided while in prison.

Last conducted in 1997, the surveysobtained data from personal interviewswith a nationally representative sampleof about 14,300 State prison inmatesand 4,000 Federal inmates in 275State prisons and 40 Federal prisons.Numerous reports presenting the 1997data have been released. The nextsurvey will be conducted in 2003.

Survey of Inmates in Local Jailscollects data on the local jailpopulation, including the personal andfamily characteristics of jail inmates,current offenses, sentences and timeserved, criminal histories, jail activities,conditions and programs, prior drug


and alcohol use and treatment, andhealth care services provided while in jail. The latest survey wasconducted in early 2002. Findings are expected for release in 2003.

Survey of Adults on Probationprovides detailed information on thebackground and characteristics of arepresentative national sample ofprobationers under supervision in thecommunity. Specific areas of inquiryinclude criminal history, prior drug andalcohol use, participation in drug andalcohol treatment programs, use offirearms, the conditions of supervision,and the extent of contact with proba-tion authorities.

Census of Jails obtains informationon the inmate population, includinginmates supervised in the community,persons held for other authorities,admissions and discharges, andinmate programs, health services, andscreening for HIV and tuberculosisinfection, and inmate deaths; staffcharacteristics and reports of inmateassaults on staff; and facility character-istics, including function and construc-tion and renovation data. The latestdata can be found in Census of Jails1999, released 9/01 (NCJ 186633);and Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear2001, released 4/02 (NCJ 191702).

Census of State and Local Proba-tion and Parole Agencies is acomplete census of Federal, State,and locally operated probation andparole agencies. The census gathersdata on staffing, expenditures,program operation and participationlevels, and drug and HIV-testing

policies and programs. The censusserves as the sampling frame for thenational Survey of Adults on Probation.The next survey will be conducted in 2003.

Census of State and Federal Correc-tional Facilities provides detailedinformation on facility characteristics,including design and rated capacity,construction and renovation, and facili-ties under court order for conditions ofconfinement; inmate counts, personsunder age 18 and over age 55, inmatehousing arrangements, and inmatesbeing held for other authorities; facilityoperations and security, misconductreports, and grievances filed; inmatehealth, including procedures for suicideprevention and screening for HIV andtuberculosis; facility programs, such aswork, education, and counseling; andstaff characteristics, including occupa-tion and ethnicity. Data from the 2000census is expected to be released in fall 2002.

Association of State Corrections Administrators (ASCA) PerformanceMeasures Project, sponsored by BJS, National Institute of Justice, andthe OJP Corrections Program Office, is undertaking a 2½ -year effort toimprove correctional informationsystems. The project is building uponfindings from the report State andFederal Corrections InformationSystems (NCJ 170016). This reportprovided a baseline for developingoutcome measures and an assess-ment of the capacity of existingsystems to produce accurate, compa-rable data. As a followup, this projecthas identified eight correctional

At a Glance 19

performance measures and selected asubset of four measures for develop-ment and improvement. A projectconsultant and advisory panel haveassisted ASCA members in reachingcommon definitions and counting rulesfor the categories being measured.The next phase of the project willinvolve the project consultant workingwith ASCA members to determine thecapability of capturing performancemeasures data electronically.

Recidivism Survey of ReleasedPrisoners provides national estimatesof the recidivism rate of prisonersreleased in selected years. In thesurvey, samples of released prisonersare tracked for 3 years, and data arecompiled on the percentage of themthat are rearrested, reconvicted, orreimprisoned for new crimes within thethree-year follow-up period. Thevarious recidivism measures are basedon official criminal history recordsmaintained by each State and the FBI.BJS is currently analyzing a sample ofState prison releases from 15 Stateswith oversampling of violent offenders,particularly those convicted of sexualassault and crimes against children.These 15 States collectively accountedfor two-thirds of all releases fromprisons throughout the Nation in 1994.An initial report is expected in summer2002.

State Prison Expenditures, 2001 willanalyze data supplied by State financeofficers to the U.S. Census Bureau inits annual Census of GovernmentFinances. The report will summarizedata on State outlays for prisonsalaries, wages and employee

benefits; capital expenditures; andcosts of utilities, medical care, foodservice, and contractual housing ofinmates. Data are currently beingcollected for 2001. An earlier BJSreport, State Prison Expenditures,1996, was released in August 1999(NCJ 172211).

Forthcoming reports —

� Prisoners in 2001� HIV in Prisons, 2000� Prevalence of Ever Going to State

or Federal Prison, 1974-2000� Testing and Treatment of Hepatitis

B and C among State Prisoners� Probation and Parole in the United

States, 2001� Census of State and Federal Adult

Correctional Facilities, 2000 � Aging Inmates in State and

Federal Correctional Facilities,2001

� Capital Punishment, 2001 � Deaths in Custody, 2001� Measuring Length of Stay in State

Prison

Recent reports —

� Jails in Indian Country, 2001,released 5/02 (NCJ 193400)

� Prison and Jail Inmates, Midyear2001, released 4/02 (NCJ 191702)

� Capital Punishment, 2000,released 12/01 (NCJ 190598)

� Firearm Use by Offenders,released 11/01 (NCJ 189369)

� Trends in State Parole, 1990-2000,released 10/01 (NCJ 184735)

� Census of Jails, 1999, released9/01 (NCJ 186633)

� HIV in Prisons and Jails, 1999,released 7/01 (NCJ 187456)


� Prisoners in 2000, released 8/01(NCJ 188207)

� Probation and Parole in the U.S.,2000, released 8/01 (NCJ 188208)

� Jails in Indian Country, 2000,released 7/01 (NCJ 188156)

� Mental Health Treatment in StatePrisons, 2000, released 7/01 (NCJ 188215)

� Prison and Jail Inmates atMidyear, 2000, released 3/01 (NCJ 185989)

� Medical Problems of Inmates,1997, released 1/01 (NCJ 181644)

Expenditure and employment

BJS provides expenditure and employ-ment data from Federal, State, andlocal criminal justice agencies nation-wide. These data provide critical infor-mation to the formula-based programswithin OJP that allocate funds basedon State and local criminal justicespending.


� States now spend more on criminaljustice than municipalities, counties,or the Federal Government. Directexpenditures for each of the majorcriminal justice functions (police,corrections, judicial) are increasing.

� In fiscal year 1999 Federal, State,and local governments spent morethan $146 billion for civil and crimi-nal justice, an 8% increase over1998. The three levels of govern-ment together spent a total of $521 per resident.

� In fiscal year 1999 State and localgovernments combined spent 85%of all justice dollars; the Federalgovernment spent the rest.

� The Federal Government alonespent more than $22 billion on criminal and civil justice in 1999,compared to almost $50 billion byState governments, $35 billion bycounties, and $39 billion by munici-palities.

Justice Expenditure and Employ-ment Extracts series obtains dataextracted from the Census Bureau'sAnnual Government Finance Surveyand Annual Survey of Public Employ-ment. This series includes Nationaland State-by-State estimates ofgovernment expenditures and employ-ment for the following justice catego-ries: police protection, all judicial(including prosecution, courts, andpublic defense), and corrections.Federal data for the same categoriesare also included, as are data for thelargest local governments (countieswith populations of 500,000 or moreand cities with populations of 300,000or more). The latest data are availablein Justice Expenditure and Employ-ment in the United States, 1999,released 2/02 (NCJ 191746).

Justice Expenditure and Employ-ment Survey (also referred to asJustice Assistance Data Survey)collects detailed information on thecosts of the justice system, includingpolice protection, courts, prosecution,public defense, and corrections. Thissurvey, funded by the Bureau ofJustice Assistance (BJA), is the only

At a Glance 21

source of the variable passthroughdata (VPT) required by the States fortheir allocation to local governments ofthe BJA Edward Byrne Memorial Stateand Local Law Enforcement GrantProgram.

These VPT data prescribe theminimum amount of each State’s blockgrants that, under law, are to be“passed through” to local governmentsin the State. The VPT is based on theratio of State to local spending forcriminal justice from “own revenuesources;” that is, expenditures from taxreceipts, user fees, bond distributions,and so on, are included, but expendi-tures from funds received from othergovernments such as Federal grantprograms are excluded. The latestdata are available in Justice VariablePassthrough Data, 1997, released11/01 (NCJ 190359).

Expenditure and employment datafrom other BJS sources includethose BJS series that collect agency-based employment and expendituredata to develop workload measures,ratios of employees to clients, andratios of dollars per service delivered.These include Law EnforcementManagement and AdministrativeStatistics, National Survey of Prosecu-tors, various court statistics series, theCensus of Local Jails, and the Censusof State and Federal CorrectionalFacilities. The estimates producedfrom these sources may differ fromthose produced by the CJEE becauseof distinct collection methods, units ofanalysis, and data collection purposes.

Drugs, alcohol, and crime

Many of BJS’s ongoing statistical dataseries collect drug- and alcohol-relatedinformation.


� Based on victim perceptions, about1.2 million violent crimes occurredeach year in which victims reportedthat the offender had been drinking.For about 1 in 4 of these violentvictimizations involving alcohol useby the offender, victims believed theoffender was also using drugs at thetime of the offense.

� Among probationers surveyed in1995, 14% reported they were ondrugs when they committed theiroffense.

� 33% of State prisoners and 22% of Federal prisoners said they hadcommitted their current offensewhile under the influence of drugs,as reported in 1997. Drug offenders(42%) and property offenders (37%)reported the highest incidence ofdrug use at the time of the offense.

� 36% of convicted jail inmates saidthey were using drugs at the time of their offense in 1998. Those jailinmates convicted of drug trafficking(60%), drug possession (57%),fraud (45%), or robbery (44%) weremost likely to have reported to beusing drugs at the time of theoffense.

� In 1996, 16% of convicted jailinmates said they had committed


their offense to get money for drugs.Of convicted property and drugoffenders, about 1 in 4 had commit-ted their crimes to get money fordrugs.

� In 1997, 19% of State prisoners and16% of Federal inmates said theycommitted their current offense to obtain money for drugs.

� Drug prosecutions comprised anincreasing proportion of the Federalcriminal caseload � from 21% ofdefendants during 1982 to 36%during 1999. In 1998 drug offend-ers comprised a third of all personsconvicted of a felony in State courts.Drug traffickers accounted for 21%of all convicted felons; drug posses-sors also accounted for 13% of allconvicted felons.

International statistics

Through the International StatisticsProgram BJS cooperates with othercountries and the United Nations toimprove the collection of statistics oncrime and criminal justice systems. A long-term goal is to enable cross-national comparisons and examinationof the relationship between crimetrends in the United States and thosein other countries.

World Factbook of Criminal JusticeSystems at <www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/wfcj.htm> provides narra-tive descriptions of the criminal justicesystems of more than 40 countries.These descriptions, available electroni-cally through the BJS Internet site, arewritten to a common template to facili-tate comparisons. In 2002 BJS willexpand the World Factbook withjustice system profiles of fouradditional Latin American countries.

At a Glance 23

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 20000

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

Number of arrests for drug offenses

Adult arrests

Juvenile arrests

Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports


Drug- and alcohol-related data from ongoing BJS statistical series

The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) asks victims of personal crimes if the offenders had been using drugs, alcohol, or an unknown substance.

Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) obtains information on drug-related programs of State and local police agencies. The Federal Justice Statistics Program publishes detailed data on drug law violators in the Federal justice system.

The National Judicial Reporting Program (NJRP) provides information on adjudication and sentencing of drug offenders at the State level.

State Court Processing Statistics reports drug law violators’ criminal histories and status at time of arrest, pretrial release/detention status, trial appearance, and type and length of sentence if convicted.

The National Survey of Prosecutors examines current topics such as the use of innovative prosecution techniques, including those that affect drug law violators.

National Prisoner Statistics collects information on admissions to and releases from State and Federal prisons of those convicted of drug offenses and obtains data on persons under parole supervision who were convicted of drug offenses.

The Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities collects data on inmateparticipation in drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs and drug testing for inmates and employees in State and Federal prison facilities.

The Census of Jails collects data on drug testing policies and practices.

The Survey of Inmates in Local Jails collects data on past drug and alcohol use,substance use at the time of the offense, and participation in substance abuse treatment programs.

The Surveys of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities/Federal Correctional Facilitiesprovide information on prior drug and alcohol use, experiences while under the influence, substance use at offense, and substance abuse treatment history.

The Survey of Adults on Probation provides information on prior drug and alcohol use, experiences while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, substance use at the time of the offense, and participation in drug and alcohol treatment programs.

The Annual Probation Data Survey and Parole Data Survey report on the number of people convicted of drug offenses or on probation for DWI.

The Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics presents data on drug use in thegeneral population, on public opinion toward drugs and enforcement of drug laws.

A complete online reference to statistics on drugs and crime is accessible on the BJS website at <www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs> under “Drugs and Crime Facts” or by calling the BJS Clearinghouse at 1-800-732-3277.

Methodological research andstudies

BJS conducts, supports, and imple-ments methodological research andinitiatives designed to improve thequality of justice statistics, records, and information systems.

Improving measurement methods

Under the aegis of the AmericanStatistical Association (ASA), BJS haslaunched a methodological researchprogram designed to foster improve-ments in the methods used to obtain,analyze, and report national level dataon crime and criminal justice. In 2002BJS is supporting or will support thefollowing studies designed to yield newinsights to affect current practice.

Methodological and research issuesrelated to developing a NationalComputer Crime Estimate. BJS plansto initiate and maintain an ongoingnational statistical program in 2002focused on measuring the magnitudeand consequences of computer crime.Researchers will be encouraged toexplore the issues in developing themethods, definitions, and protocols toobtain nationally representative data.The program will encompass criminalactivities involving computers orcomputer networks and the responseof the criminal justice system to viola-tions of computer crime statutes.

Variation in victim reporting of crimesto the police. This methodologicalresearch addresses respondentmemory and willingness to reportvictimization experiences to interview-ers for the NCVS. The researchers will

use the longitudinal features of theNCVS to examine reporting of victimi-zation experiences as well as examin-ing small area variations with regardsto the respondent's place of residence.Examining characteristics of therespondent’s residential area may yieldinsights into reporting variations.Accounting for these variations andtheir effects on estimates of nationalvictimization rates is the first steptoward better understanding the natureof victims' reluctance to notify thepolice when a crime occurs.

Improvements to the FBI's UCRProgram. A challenging problem facedby users of summary crime datacompiled under the FBI's UniformCrime Reporting Program is that not all jurisdictions fully report their crimedata. As a result, the FBI mustestimate the volume of crime occurringin those cities and counties to producea national crime rate. This researchwill examine alternative ways toimprove crime estimates for thosejurisdictions with missing data.

Specifically, the researchers willexplore such concerns as seasonality,techniques for multi-year estimates,and patterns of stability in the priorreports of "missing-data" jurisdictions.The research should be of significantbenefit to the FBI in considering newways of addressing missing andincomplete data from law enforcementagencies.

Police agency under-reporting of biascrimes. BJS has sponsored a projectwith Northeastern University to betterunderstand the decisions to categorizebias crime for the FBI reportingprogram. In some cases hate crimes

At a Glance 25

are reported to the police but are notrecorded as such by local police statis-tics or by the UCR. The projectfocuses on quantifying the under- andover-reporting of bias crimes inselected law enforcement agencies.Archival data analyses and field inter-views are used to help identify bothinternal and external sources of report-ing error.

Visiting Research FellowshipProgram

Under BJS sponsorship, researchersselected as BJS Visiting Fellows cometo Washington, D.C., to conductstudies on topics of their own choos-ing. Fellows have access to theagency's rich array of datasets andsoftware. They interact with BJS staffand gain first-hand knowledge of someof the most recent developments in thefield of criminal justice research. Inaddition to carrying out their research,fellows also have opportunities tocontribute in other significant ways.

For example, recent fellows have �

� Briefed the Attorney General onlatest trends in youth violence

� Collaborated on the creation of aBJS homicide statistics website

� Helped design a BJS survey onpolice use of force

� Explored new methods for visualiz-ing BJS data

� Compared crime rates between theU.S. and England.

The BJS Visiting Fellowship Programis open to senior-level social scienceresearchers whose work on crime-related subjects has been extensivelypublished. Some fellows remainon-site at BJS for the entire duration oftheir project. Others make onlyoccasional visits to accommodate theirschedules. At the close of their visit,fellows prepare a research reportsummarizing results and policy impli-cations of their project.

Support to State and localgovernments

State Justice Statistics Program forStatistical Analysis Centers

The State Justice Statistics Programprovides support to State StatisticalAnalysis Centers (SAC’s) to collect,analyze, and report statistics on crimeand justice to Federal, State, and locallevels of government. BJS works inconjunction with the Justice Researchand Statistics Association (JRSA) andselected SAC directors to identifyparticular criminal justice topics ofconcern and significance to criminaljustice practitioners. SAC’s areencouraged to conduct statisticalresearch and in-depth analysis and topublish findings on these issues.


In fiscal year 2002, BJS is encourag-ing SAC’s to �

� Establish a data collection mecha-nism to gather information aboutdeaths in police custody

� Conduct local crime victimizationsurveys using software developedby BJS and COPS for local lawenforcement organizations

� Carry out special analyses utilizingcriminal history records to betterunderstand certain types of criminalbehavior or to evaluate the State’suse of such record systems

� Undertake comprehensive studiesof domestic and sexual violence andthe response of the criminal justicesystem

� Examine the relationship betweendrugs and crime and the manage-ment of drug offenders by thejustice system

� Carry out data collection and analy-sis involving cybercrime

� Conduct studies and collect datarelevant to anti-terrorism initiativesat the local and State level

� Maximize access to reports andother criminal justice information via the Internet

� Conduct research using incident-based data obtained from local lawenforcement agencies

� Promote research to better under-stand the impact of correctionspolicies and practices

� Foster new research examiningjuvenile violence and trends injuvenile offending.

Further information on the fiscal year2002 program are announced in thepublication State Justice StatisticsProgram for Statistical AnalysisCenters: Program Application Guide-lines, Fiscal Year 2002, released 6/02.

Through the JRSA, BJS offers techni-cal assistance to the State SAC's inthe development, collection, analysis,use, and dissemination of criminaljustice statistics. JRSA, formerly theCriminal Justice Statistics Association,was organized in 1974 by the directorsof the State SAC's. It was formed topromote cooperation among Statesand the exchange of information,statistics, and technology.

In providing technical services andliaison to the SAC's for BJS, JRSAmaintains a criminal justice informationclearinghouse; provides online accessto the Database of State Activities andResearch and the Firearms ResearchInformation System (FARIS); andholds an annual conference on justicestatistics, research, and policyanalysis.

At a Glance 27

Criminal records systems improvement and policy

BJS supports several programs aimedat improving criminal records. Criminalhistory records are fingerprint cards ortheir electronic counterparts, linkedwith information about arrests, convic-tions, and sentences when available.Records are inaccessible electronicallyto other States if they are not auto-mated or if a State does not participatein the national system referred to asthe Interstate Identification Index.

Records without dispositions delayinquiries and handicap law enforce-ment. The records are used in identi-fying individuals with a prior convictionand those who are prohibited frompurchasing a firearm, are subject todomestic violence protection orders, or are ineligible to hold positions ofresponsibility involving children, theelderly, or the disabled. Records arealso used to support backgroundchecks on persons employed orlicensed for sensitive positions such asat airports, government facilities, andlaw enforcement agencies.

National Criminal History Improve-ment Program (NCHIP), since 1995,has helped States join with the FBI tobuild an accurate and useful nationalsystem of criminal records forimproved identification of the criminalbackground of individuals. Interstateavailability of complete computerizedcriminal records is increasingly vital forcriminal investigations, prosecutorialcharging, sentencing decisions, correc-tional supervision and release,community notification, and back-

ground checks for those applying forlicenses, firearm purchases, and workinvolving the safety and well-being ofchildren, the elderly, and the disabled.NCHIP is an umbrella program thatassists States in addressing theexpanding range of technology-basedcriminal justice information, identifica-tion, and communications needs.

NCHIP is funded under the CrimeIdentification Technology Act of 1998(CITA). All States have received fundsunder NCHIP totaling over $354 millionfrom 1995 through 2001. The BJSwebsite provides information on StateNCHIP awards and activities at<www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/nchip.htm#F&A>.

Program priorities for 2002 include thefollowing:

� Establishing the infrastructure tosupport full implementation of theNational Instant Criminal Back-ground Check System (NICS),including full participation in theInterstate Identification Index (III)

� Supporting efforts to develop courtrecord systems

� Supporting efforts relating toimprovement of National securitystandards and improving records to avert terrorism

� Encouraging States to focus onupgrading the quality of State andlocal protection order systems,ensuring that such systems arecapable of supplying data on a realtime basis to the FBI’s ProtectionOrder File, and ensuring that States


have the capacity to initiate orenhance efforts to collect and flagmisdemeanor records that involvedomestic violence

� Supporting State efforts to enhanceaccess to criminal records fornoncriminal justice purposes, includ-ing implementation of the InterstateCrime Prevention and PrivacyCompact.

For further details, refer to the NationalCriminal History ImprovementProgram: Fiscal Year 2002 ProgramAnnouncement, released 2/02 (NCJ192811).

Criminal Records Policy Programsupports surveys, studies, confer-ences, and technical assistance onissues relating to criminal justicerecords. Primary emphasis is onaccuracy and completeness ofrecords, limitations on dissemination,commingling of juvenile and adultrecords, data auditing techniques, andthe interstate exchange of records.Under this program, the 50-StateSurvey of Criminal History InformationSystems is conducted, providing infor-mation on the technology, policy, andlegislative status of criminal historyrecords.

Forthcoming reports —

� Background Checks on FirearmTransfers, 2001

� Survey of State Criminal HistoryInformation Systems, 2001

Recent reports —

� Survey of State Procedures Relatedto Firearm Sales, released 4/02(NCJ 192065)

� Summary of State Sex OffenderRegistries, Update 2000, released3/02 (NCJ 192265)

� Use and Management of CriminalHistory Record Information: AComprehensive Report, 2001Update (SEARCH), released 12/01(NCJ 187670)

� Report to the National Task Forceon Privacy, Technology, and Crimi-nal Justice Information(BJS/SEARCH), released 8/01 (NCJ 187669)

� Public Attitudes Towards Uses of Criminal History Information,released 7/01 (NCJ 187663)

� Survey of State Procedures Relatedto Firearm Sales, Midyear 2000,released 4/01 (NCJ 186766)

Firearm Inquiry Statistics Project(FIST) is designed to collect annualdata describing the number of inquiriesmade in connection with presalefirearm checks and the number andbasis for rejection of such applicants.

Data collection procedures areadjusted to reflect the differing presalecheck procedures under the perma-nent system (which became effectiveon 11/30/98) and the interim period(02/28/94 - 11/29/98). As the perma-nent system requires a check on allfirearms (including handguns), subse-quent annual releases include data on both long guns and handguns.

At a Glance 29

Findings describing backgroundchecks for firearm transfers conductedin 2000 were published in BackgroundChecks for Firearms Transfers, 2000,released 6/01 (NCJ 187985). Theannual report presenting 2001 data isexpected in summer 2002.

National Technical Assistance andEvaluation Program, directly assistsStates to implement programs,policies, and technologies to upgradecriminal records and improve interfacewith the FBI’s national systems. TA isprovided through onsite visits, webtraining, telephone, training classes,and workshops and conferences.Since its inception, the technical assis-tance program has been managed bySEARCH, The National Consortium forJustice Information and Statistics,under a grant from BJS.

Onsite TA visits are coordinated withthe FBI to facilitate participation in FBIprograms such as the Interstate Identi-fication Index (III). To date, almost allStates have received some assistanceunder this component of NCHIP, andover 30 onsite visits have been made.Requests for assistance must be origi-nated by the NCHIP grantee agency,although the assistance may be provided to any agency designated by the grant recipient.

Justice Information Policy Assis-tance Technological development hasraised new questions about privacypolicy relevant to criminal recordsystems. To meet these needs, BJShas for over 20 years supported aprivacy program under an award toSEARCH. The goal of the NCHIP

privacy program is to identify andanalyze the privacy impact of changesin the systems environment, to providea forum for the discussion of theseissues, and to develop standardswhich may be applicable to the collec-tion, maintenance, and disseminationof criminal record data.

National Conferences andWorkshops are supported underNCHIP to convene meetings and train-ing sessions on regional and nationalissues of concern. The goals of theseconferences and workshops are toprovide information to practitioners andpolicymakers, to permit exchange ofinformation among representatives ofvarious agencies across the 50 States,to respond to the needs of granteesreceiving NCHIP funds, and to coordi-nate with other units of State andFederal Government that are involvedin record improvement activities andthe operation of the national recordsystems. Recently emphasis hasshifted to include anti-terrorism andhomeland security issues related to theuse of criminal history records.

Continuing National Evaluation efforts are supported by BJS on activi-ties being undertaken by States withNCHIP funds, as well as with fundsreceived from other Federal and Statesources. The evaluation program issupported under a grant to StructuredDecisions Corporation (SDC).

National Incident-Based ReportingSystem (NIBRS)

The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting(UCR) program, which began in 1929,


collects information about crimesreported to the police. In 1982 BJSand the FBI sponsored a study of theUCR Program with the objective ofrevising it to meet law enforcementneeds into the 21st century. A 5-yearredesign effort to provide more com-prehensive and detailed crime statis-tics resulted in the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS),which collects data on each reportedcrime incident. The UCR Program iscurrently being converted to NIBRS.

Under NIBRS, law enforcementauthorities will provide information tothe FBI on each criminal incident in 22broad categories of offenses that occurin their jurisdiction. NIBRS includesdetails about each incident, includinginformation about multiple victims andoffenders. The requirements forcompatibility with NIBRS and therelaxed standards for NIBRS compli-ance can be found at the FBI website<www.fbi.gov/publish/nibrs/nibrs.htm>.

BJS has participated in the design anddevelopment of NIBRS and supportsseveral related efforts to encouragethe use of incident-based data.

NIBRS Implementation Program isdesigned to improve the quality ofcrime statistics in the United States.Under this program, BJS providedfunding to 26 States in FY 2001 toparticipate in the FBI's new approachto uniform crime reporting.

The BJS website provides informationon State awards and activities for the NIBRS Implementation Program<www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/nibrs.htm>.

NIBRS technical assistance andresearch for systems implementationand data analysis, is provided bySEARCH under a grant from BJS.Assistance includes onsite visits, webassistance, guidance via telephoneand email, and training seminars. Awebsite has been created and will beenhanced to include State and localprofiles of NIBRS activity. Classes willbe conducted to train practitioners onprograms suitable for analysis ofNIBRS data. The technical assistanceprogram builds upon extensive previ-ous efforts to review ongoing NIBRSactivity and to identify impediments toNIBRS implementation and recom-mend solutions to these problems.

The Incident-Based ReportingResource Center, an online resourcefor incident-based crime data, wasestablished by the Justice Researchand Statistics Association with BJSfunding. The Center seeks to putpractical analytical information andtools into the hands of analysts whowant to work with incident-based data,and to provide a forum where analystscan exchange information and ideasabout using incident-based data.

BJS annually sponsors the AmericanStatistical Association (ASA) and BJSStatistical Methodological ResearchProgram through the ASA Committeeon Law and Justice Statistics. Thisprogram is designed to encourage thecreative and appropriate use of criminal justice data to inform sub-stance and methodological issues.Funding was provided for researchingtopics pertaining to NIBRS.

At a Glance 31

Under BJS sponsorship, the PoliceExecutive Research Forum (PERF) isconducting a project to stimulateNIBRS participation by law enforce-ment agencies. PERF interviewed keyinformation systems/data managementpersonnel and personnel from a varietyof other units within law enforcementagencies, gathering detailed informa-tion on departmental informationsystems and the varying levels ofdepartmental effort to switch to an IBRsystem compatible with the FBI’srequirements.

How to use BJS services

From the BJS website

The BJS website is located at<www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/>.Providing information on the Internethas proven to be the most efficient wayBJS can make its data accessible tothose who need it instantly. BJS infor-mation is updated continuously.

Visit these areas on the website –

Statistics about �� Summary findingsincluding statistical graphics, publica-tions, selected statistics, and relatedsites are presented by crime andjustice topics –

� Crime and victims � Criminal offenders � Key facts at a glance

� The Justice System� Law enforcement � Prosecutors � Courts and sentencing� Corrections� Federal justice system� Expenditures and employment� Criminal record systems

� Special topics� Drugs and crime � Homicide trends � Firearms and crime� International statistics

Descriptions of the data collectionsand additional work by BJS staff arelisted under each topic. Nearly 20survey questionnaires are nowavailable.


What's new at BJS � The mostrecent information from BJS ishighlighted in this section, includingannouncements, releases,solicitations, and the latest data available on the BJS website.

Publications � Every BJS reportproduced by BJS since 1994, when thewebsite was launched, is availableelectronically. The electronic versionsof BJS publications are presented intwo formats: in portable documentformat (.pdf) as published with graph-ics and tables and in ASCII withoutgraphics and tables. Spreadsheets forthe tables in most publications are alsoavailable. Over 3,000 spreadsheetsare available on the website.

Tables from various BJS series thatwere printed in the past are now beingoffered exclusively online.

Press releases � All BJS pressreleases since 1994 are published on the website at the press releasesection of the BJS home page.

Funding � Provides a listing of thecurrent solicitations, applicationsand forms, as well as information on funding programs.

Justice records improvementprogram � Information is provided on various funding programs designedto assist State and local agencies inthe areas of criminal history recordimprovement, development, andenhancement of sex offenderregistries, and implementation of incident-based reporting.

Data for analysis � Spreadsheets,datasets, and online tabulationcapabilities can be accessed from thissection of the website, including:

Data online allows users to extractthe data they specify for States andlocalities of interest. Data are avail-able on �

� Crime trends for the FBI’sUniform Crime Reports

� Homicide trends and character-istics, and

� Law Enforcement Managementand Administrative Statistics

Users select the jurisdictions andvariables of interest to build tableswhich they can view and downloadinto spreadsheets.

Spreadsheets (Crime and JusticeElectronic Data Abstracts) containdata from a wide variety ofpublished sources, usually by juris-diction and over time. Thesespreadsheets, updated as new databecome available, can be used toanswer particular informationalquestions, or may be used tosupport other analyses or graphics.

Datasets and codebooks arearchived, documented, and madeavailable over the Internet throughthe National Archive of CriminalJustice Data of the Inter-universityConsortium for Political and SocialResearch (ICPSR) at the Universityof Michigan and the Federal JusticeStatistics Resource Center. BJSreports are linked to the raw dataused in the report, which can bedownloaded from the Internet.

At a Glance 33

Data from other sources � The BJSwebsite provides links to data fromother sources, including the FederalBureau of Investigation and otherFederal agencies. It also provideslinks to juvenile justice statistics andinternational crime statistics.

Related sites �� This section provideslinks to related Federal Governmentsites and BJS partners.

About BJS � An overview of BJS isprovided, describing its mission andresponsibilities, criminal justice areascovered by data collection programs,grant programs, and disseminationprograms maintained. A listing of allBJS data collections is included. BJSencourages all users of its Internet siteto send comments, suggestions, andinformation inquiries to<[email protected]>.

Dissemination programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Clearinghouse, a component of theNational Criminal Justice ReferenceService (NCJRS) <www.ncjrs.org>,provides �

� copies of BJS reports and BJSmailing list information;

� criminal justice statistics and dataassistance from informationspecialists at the Clearinghouse;

� and referrals to other sources ofcrime data.

NCJRS is an information clearing-house in support of research, policy,and practice related to criminal andjuvenile justice and drug control. BJS,

the other components of the Office ofJustice Programs, and the Office ofNational Drug Control Policy supportNCJRS. NCJRS hosts one of thelargest criminal and juvenile justicelibraries in the world with over 160,000holdings. Users can view abstracts ofthe holdings online through the NCJRSAbstracts Database.

National Archive of Criminal JusticeData, on behalf of BJS, archives datafiles, documents them, and makesthem available to researchers, schol-ars, journalists, and other users.Established in 1978, NACJDheadquarters are located with thecentral staff of the Inter-universityConsortium for Political and SocialResearch (ICPSR) in the Institute forSocial Research at the University ofMichigan.

The central mission of NACJD is tofacilitate and encourage research inthe field of criminal justice through thesharing of data resources. Specific goals include �

� Providing machine-readable data forthe quantitative study of crime andthe criminal justice system throughthe development of a central dataarchive.

� Supplying technical assistance in analyzing data collections andselecting the computer hardwareand software for analyzing dataefficiently and effectively.

� Offering training in quantitativemethods of social science research


to facilitate secondary analysis of criminal justice data.

NACJD routinely receives data fromfour agencies within the U.S. Depart-ment of Justice: BJS, the NationalInstitute of Justice, the Office ofJuvenile Justice and DelinquencyPrevention, and the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation. Individual scholars andresearchers in the criminal justice fieldmay also deposit data with NACJD,and interested individuals shouldcontact NACJD staff for more informa-tion on this process.

Data files that are maintained by theNACJD are available at no chargefrom the NACJD website located at<www.icpsr.umich.edu/nacjd/>.

Ask Archive staff questions via e-mailat <[email protected]>.

The Federal Justice StatisticsResource Center maintains theBureau of Justice Statistics Federal Justice Statistics Programdatabase, which contains informationabout suspects and defendantsprocessed in the Federal criminaljustice system. Currently, data areobtained from the —

� U.S. Marshals Service � U.S. Attorneys � Federal Judiciary � U.S. Sentencing Commission� Federal Bureau of Prisons

At the FJSRC website<fjsrc.urban.org>, you can:

� Find out more about the BJSFederal Justice Statistics Program

� Access a data dictionary thatdescribes each element in theFJSP database

� Query/search the FJSP databaseto quickly obtain customized statis-tics describing Federal offensesand offenders such as the numberof defendants prosecuted,convicted, and sentenced in agiven year

� Download Federal criminal justicedata sets for more in-depthanalysis

CD-ROMs containing all of the dataarchived at the FJSRC and the onlinedata dictionary can be purchased fromthe BJS Clearinghouse.

National Clearinghouse for CriminalJustice Information Systems islocated at <www.search.org/it-clearinghouse/>. Sponsored by BJSand operated by SEARCH, the Clear-inghouse has evolved into a national,centralized resource to criminal justiceagencies and professionals thatprovides online Internet access to ahost of justice-related information,including impartial data on availablesoftware solutions and a comprehen-sive, interactive database of justiceagency requests for proposals. TheClearinghouse provides access to thefollowing:

� The Automated Index of CriminalJustice Information Systems, adatabase about criminal justicesoftware and agencies that havepractical experience with automatedsystems.

� IT Acquisition Database, a databasecontaining information technology

At a Glance 35

(IT) procurement documents issuedby States to vendors for widedissemination and for use asmodels by other justice agencies.

� Integrated Justice InformationSystems, a site that provides policy,operational, technical, and researchinformation to the justice communityabout integrating their automatedsystems. It offers access to adatabase of State integration activi-ties and information on bestpractices, case studies, Federalactivities, technical solutions, andother resources.

For more information about the Clear-inghouse call 916-392-2550, or sende-mail to <[email protected]>.

Sourcebook of Criminal JusticeStatistics, compiled and maintainedby the State University of New York atAlbany, is available online at<www.albany.edu/sourcebook> withcontinuously updated data from morethan 150 sources. Annual editions ofthe Sourcebook with over 600 tablesare also available in print and onCD-ROM.

Dissemination Activities by theJustice Research and StatisticsAssociation (JRSA) include maintain-ing two databases of disseminationinformation from State criminal justicestatistical agencies:

� Infobase of State Activities andResearch (ISAR), covers theactivities of State criminal justicestatistical agencies, includingcurrent Statistical Analysis Center(SAC) activities, research efforts

and statistical programs, abstractsof SAC publications, informationon publications in the JRSA library,and data from the SAC SkillsSurvey. The JRSA staff cansearch the database for specifictopics using key words and provideprintouts of search results.

� Firearms Research InformationSystem (FARIS), containsabstracts of unpublished firearms-related information from surveys,research, evaluations and statisti-cal reports. The purpose of FARISis to provide researchers withinformation pertaining to ongoingfirearms studies. The abstractedinformation contains key findingsand summarizes issues examined.FARIS contains over 120 records.

Contact JRSA by �

Internet at <www.jrsa.org/>e-mail to <[email protected]>telephone: 202-842-9330

American Statistical Association'sGuide to Abstracts and Bibliogra-phies, located at <www.la.utexas.edu/research/crime_criminaljustice_research>, is designed to informresearchers and statisticians aboutBJS datasets they can use in theirresearch. Abstracts and bibliographiesof many studies that used BJSdatasets are available on this site.


At a Glance 37

Publications

You may order paper versions of BJSpublications, CD-ROM’s, and otherproducts through the Bureau ofJustice Statistics Clearinghouse, acomponent of the National CriminalJustice Reference Service (NCJRS).

To order by �

Internet: <www.puborder.ncjrs.org/Content/search.asp>

E-mail: <[email protected]>

Telephone: 1-800-732-3277

FAX: 1-410-792-4358 (include name, address, title, and NCJ number) or download an order form in Acrobat format, print it off, complete it, and fax it to the clearinghouse.

Mail: BJS Clearinghouse/NCJRS P.O. Box 6000 Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0179

Data files and codebooks

National Archive of CriminalJustice (NACJD) maintains datafiles and codebooks which arepublicly available.

On the Internet at: <www.icpsr.umich.edu/nacjd/>

E-mail: <[email protected]>

Telephone: 1-800-999-0960 1-734-998-9825

Mail: National Archive of Criminal Justice Data

ICPSR Institute for Social Research P.O. Box 1248

Ann Arbor, MI 48106

Federal Justice StatisticsResource Center (FJSRC) maintainsthe BJS Federal Justice StatisticsProgram (FJSP) database; whichcontains information about suspectsand defendants processed in theFederal criminal justice system.Federal criminal justice datasets canbe downloaded from the FJSRCwebsite at: <fjsrc.urban.org>.

To order BJS products

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Bureau of Justice Statistics: At a Glance, 2002

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