U.S. Department of Justice office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Bureau of Justice Statistics 2000: At a Glance August 2000 NCJ 183014 ----------------------------------------------------------------- This file is text only without graphics and many of the tables. A zip archive of the tables in this report in spreadsheet format (.wk1) and the full report including tables and graphics in .pdf format are available from: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/bjsag00.htm This report is one in a series. More recent editions may be available. To view a list of all in the series go to http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pubalph2.htm#glance ----------------------------------------------------------------- Contents About the Bureau of Justice Statistics Crimes and victims Victimization surveys School crime Victimization of the disabled Cybercrime statistics Intimate partner victimization Tracking homicide The justice system Law enforcement Prosecution Courts and sentencing Federal justice statistics Juvenile defendants Corrections Expenditure and employment Drugs, alcohol, and crime International statistics Methodological research and studies General criminal justice statistics Visiting Research Fellowship Program Support to State and local governments State Justice Statistics Program Criminal records systems improvement and policy National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) How to use BJS services From the BJS website Dissemination programs How to order BJS products About the Bureau of Justice Statistics The Bureau of Justice Statistics collects, analyzes, publishes, and disseminates information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government. These data are critical to Federal, State, and local policymakers in combating crime and ensuring that justice is both efficient and evenhanded. This year BJS will -- * Interview nearly 100,000 citizens in 50,000 households about any experiences they may have had as crime victims during the year. * Describe the characteristics and consequences of over 31 million criminal victimizations. * Analyze the operations of the 50,000 agencies, offices, courts, and institutions that comprise the justice system. * Count populations and conduct sample surveys among the more than 5.9 million adults who during an average day are subject to the care, custody, or control of Federal, State, and local criminal justice authorities. * Maintain more than two dozen major data collection series from which it publishes and distributes reports nationwide. * Undertake special data collections and analyses to respond to programmatic, policy, and legislative needs of the Department, the Administration, Congress, and the criminal justice community. * Maintain a website and data archive that is accessed up to 6,000 times a day by scholars, students, policymakers, the media, and others around the world. * Provide assistance to users in identifying sources of BJS information, interpreting statistical data from BJS series and data collections, and understanding the methodologies of BJS surveys. BJS annually publishes data on -- * Criminal victimization * Populations under correctional supervision * Federal criminal offenders and case processing. BJS's periodic data series include -- * 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 A description of the various BJS data series can be found under the topical sections of this report. The U.S. Census Bureau carries out many of BJS' data collection activities. BJS staff also coordinate with other Department of Justice statistical programs, such as the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program and National Incident-Based Reporting System. The BJS Federal Justice Statistics Program collects data from other Federal agencies, including the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. BJS provides financial and technical support to State and local governments in -- * developing capabilities in criminal justice statistics * implementing the National Incident-Based Reporting System * improving the accuracy, utility, and interstate accessibility of criminal history records * enhancing records of protective orders involving domestic violence and stalking, sex offender records, automated identification systems, and other State systems supporting national records systems and their use for background checks. BJS also supports surveys, conferences, and technical assistance on issues that relate to criminal records policy, covering topics such as State criminal history record procedures and systems, privacy and security standards, and interstate exchange of criminal history records for noncriminal justice purposes. Crimes and victims Victimization surveys The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is the Nation's primary source of information on criminal victimization. The NCVS provides data on the number of rapes, sexual assaults, robberies, assaults, thefts, household burglaries, and motor vehicle thefts experienced by U.S. residents age 12 or older and their households each year. * In 1998, U.S. residents age 12 or older experienced approximately 31.3 million crimes. Nearly 23 million (73%) were property crimes, 8.1 million (26%) were crimes of violence, and 1% were personal thefts. * Murders, as measured by law enforcement data provided to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports, were the least frequent violent victimization. There were about 6 murder victims per 100,000 persons in 1998, the lowest rate per capita since detailed recording began in 1976. * In 1998 for every 1,000 persons age 12 or older, there occurred -- -- 2 rapes or sexual assaults -- 3 assaults with serious injury -- 4 robberies. Initiated in 1972 and redesigned in 1992, the NCVS is the only national crime measure that includes both those crimes that people experience but do not report to law enforcement authorities and those that they do report. During a collection year, data are obtained at 6-month intervals from a nationally representative sample of roughly 50,000 households, comprising nearly 100,000 persons, on the impact, frequency, and consequences of criminal victimization in the United States. The survey enables BJS to estimate the likelihood of victimization for segments of the population such as the elderly or city dwellers. The NCVS is the only national forum for victims to describe the consequences of crime and the characteristics of violent offenders. Forthcoming and recent reports * Black Crime Victims, expected release 10/00 (NCJ 176354) * Criminal Victimization and Perceptions of Community Safety in 12 Cities, 1998, released 6/99 (NCJ 173940) * Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1998, released 5/00 (NCJ 181585 - electronic only) * Criminal Victimization 1998: Changes 1997-98 with Trends 1993-98, released 7/99 (NCJ 176353) * Crimes Against Persons Age 65 or Older, 1992-97, released 1/00 (NCJ 176352) * Injuries from Violent Crime, 1992-98, expected release 10/00 (NCJ 168633) * Sexual Victimization of College Women: Findings from Two National-level Studies (joint NIJ/BJS publication), expected release 8/00 (NCJ 182369) Crime Victimization Survey software is now available to help communities conduct local crime and attitudinal surveys. The Crime Victimization Survey (CVS) software package, designed by BJS and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), allows communities to conduct their own telephone surveys of residents to collect data on crime victimization, attitudes toward policing, and other community issues. Using the established methods and questions of the National Crime Victimization Survey, this software allows communities to generate crime and victimization estimates that facilitate comparisons among similar jurisdictions. The software is available free of charge from the BJS website at or from NCJRS for a small shipping and handling fee by calling 1-800-851-3420. In addition to the software, both the online file and the CD-ROM include the CVS Software User's Manual, released 10/99 (NCJ 176361) and Conducting Community Surveys: A Practical Guide for Law Enforcement Agencies, released 10/99 (NCJ 178246), which is a brief overview of the issues related to conducting local surveys. The CD-ROM version comes with printed copies of both documents. Agencies or communities that are interested in conducting local victimization surveys are encouraged to contact local universities or research organizations. Assistance in developing supplemental questions and in selecting the sample size will likely increase survey effectiveness. BJS will also assist researchers and statisticians with specific software support and sampling issues. In addition, the Office for Victims of Crimes (OVC) plans to make financial assistance available to interested States, through their VOCA Administrators, to conduct local victimization surveys for improving victim services planning. School crime BJS, in collaboration with the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), periodically collects data on aspects of school crime through a supplement to the NCVS. From January 1, 1999, to July 31, 1999, household members age 12 or older who attended school were asked questions about their school environment. These data represent about 25 million students. Information was obtained on the availability of drugs at school, existence of street gangs, prevalence of gang fights, presence of guns at school, victimizations, and fear of being attacked or harmed. The results of the 1999 School Crime Supplement will be included in the joint BJS/NCES publication, Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2000, which is the third in an annual series of reports and is expected to be released in Fall 2000. Latest data are available in Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 1999, released 9/99 (NCJ 178906) and Students' Report of School Crime: 1989 and 1995, released 4/98 (NCJ 169607). Victimization of the disabled In fiscal year 2000, BJS initiated efforts to establish a data collection program to measure victimization of disabled persons in the United States. These efforts will begin to address the requirements of the Crime Victims with Disabilities Awareness Act of 1998, which calls for BJS to collect these data on an ongoing basis. Currently, there is no systematic and recurring collection of national information on criminal victimization of persons with disabilities. BJS is working closely with other agencies and organizations that have an interest in disabled persons and a responsibility to address their problems. The Federal Government, by the use of consistent definitions and measurement techniques among statistical agencies, will be able to provide a comprehensive statistical portrait of disabled citizens and the challenges that confront them. Collaborative activities underway include the following: * The Interagency Subcommittee on Disability Statistics is an organization comprised of representatives of Federal and international agencies and co-chaired by the Interagency Committee on Disability Research and the National Center for Health Statistics. The subcommittee addresses the task of developing a concise battery of questions to identify persons with developmental disabilities. The BJS representative contributes to discussions of issues related to identifying and measuring the characteristics of persons with disabilities. * The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has funded a methodological initiative by the National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council. The council will carry out a study required by the Crime Victims with Disabilities Awareness Act. This initiative will be coordinated with BJS efforts to measure crimes affecting the disabled population. * BJS sponsored a working group to encourage discussion among interest groups and relevant Federal agencies. The discussion centered on measurement of criminal victimization among the disabled population. * Beginning July 1, 2000, BJS fielded, for an anticipated 6-month period, preliminary questions to learn if an NCVS victims of crime had poor health, impairments, or other disabilities affecting everyday life. These responses will be a field test of potential items for future administrations of the questionnaire. In addition, BJS will develop a data collection instrument and sample to obtain crime victimization data from a known population of the developmentally disabled. Cybercrime statistics With increasing Internet use and electronic transmission of personal and financial information, individuals, businesses, and governments are challenged to protect public safety from new kinds of electronic crime. In 2000 BJS will begin development of a comprehensive statistical program to measure changes in the incidence, magnitude, and consequences of electronic or cybercrime. Cybercrime statistics will include data on both personal and property crimes, ranging from e-mail threats and harassment to illegal use of or access to networks to commit fraud or theft. BJS plans to hold a focus group in October 2000. The group, including staff from BJS and the Census Bureau as well as representatives from businesses and universities, will explore issues and design an agenda for the collection of cybercrime statistics. In the future BJS will work with the Census Bureau to operationalize this plan for collecting data on electronic crime. There may be supplements to ongoing commercial and household surveys and enhancements of periodic collections from law enforcement agencies and the courts. Summary findings -- * In 1998 women experienced an estimated 876,340 rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault victimizations at the hands of an intimate, down from 1.1 million in 1993. Males experienced intimate partner violence at similar rates in 1993 and 1998. * Between 1976 and 1998, the number of male victims of intimate partner homicide fell an average 4% per year and the number of female victims fell an average 1%. * Intimate violence is primarily a crime against women. In 1998 females were 75% of the victims of intimate murders and about 85% of the victims of nonlethal intimate violence. * Between 1993 and 1998 women age 16 to 24 experienced the highest per capita rates of intimate violence. Data and trends in intimate partner victimization are collected as part of the NCVS, which asks victims of violence about the offender, their relationship to the offender, and characteristics of the victimization incidents. Asking the victim about his/her relationship to the offender is critical to determining whether the crime occurred between intimates (current or former spouses, girlfriends, or boyfriends). Using data from the NCVS and the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports, BJS published Intimate Partner Violence in May 2000 (NCJ 178247). The report presents trends in intimate violence, characteristics of victims (race, gender, age, income, ethnicity, and whether the victims live in urban, suburban, or rural areas), type of crime (physical assault or verbal threats), and trends for reporting to police. Intimate victimizations measured include murder, rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Domestic Violence Workshop sponsored by BJS, the NIJ, and VAWO, will bring together researchers who have been evaluating the impact of funding by the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA). The workshop will contribute to the development of a national agenda for domestic violence data collection, defining the direction that the Department of Justice should take. The agenda will include a long-term plan for comprehensive analyses of data. Tracking homicide Homicide trend data are continually updated on the BJS website. Homicide is of interest not only because of its severity but also because it is a reliable barometer of trends in violence. Among the most important and well-recorded data on crime are the incident-level Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR) collected by the FBI on each recorded homicide. Each month State and local law enforcement agencies submit supplemental data about homicide incidents. These data include detail on location, victim, and offender characteristics; the age, race, and gender of homicide victims and offenders; and the relationship of the victim to the offender. Topics covered on the BJS website include long-term trends, demographic trends, multiple victims and offenders, infanticide, eldercide, homicides by intimates, law enforcement officers killed, weapons trends, regional trends, and trends by city size. In March 2000, BJS released Homicide Trends in the United States: 1998 Update (NCJ 179767), which presents the primary findings of newly available data. The BJS site on homicide trends is located at . Developing a NIBRS-Compatible Homicide Database: A Multistate Pilot Test will examine the feasibility and cost of obtaining more complete data about homicides, including an incident number which permits linking the record to other information such as gun-tracing or ballistics information. * impediments to NIBRS-compliant reporting of homicides * reductions in missing and unreported data * possible inclusion of suicide data * linking NIBRS homicide reports to other State data files. The justice system Law enforcement BJS collects data about Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies and their activities. Recent findings include -- * As of June 1998, Federal agencies employed about 83,000 full-time personnel authorized to make arrests and carry firearms. Of all Federal officers, 14.2% were women, and 29.4% were members of a racial or ethnic minority. * As of June 1997, local police departments had an estimated 531,496 full-time employees, including about 420,000 sworn personnel. Sheriffs' departments had 263,427 full-time employees, including about 175,000 sworn personnel. From 1987 to 1997 minority representation among local police officers increased from 14.5% to 21.5%. In sheriffs' departments, minorities accounted for 19% of sworn personnel in 1997 compared to 13.4% 10 years earlier. * In 1995 BJS surveyed campus law enforcement agencies serving 4-year universities and colleges with 2,500 or more students. More than 9 in 10 public institutions used sworn police officers, compared to less than half of the private institutions. Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies collects data from all State and local law enforcement agencies employing one or more persons with general arrest powers. This data collection provides the Nation's most complete enumeration of police agencies, including information about community policing, personnel, operations, and the use of information systems. The 2000 census is currently being conducted. Latest data are available in Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, 1996, released 6/98 (NCJ 164618). Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey collects data from over 3,000 State and local law enforcement agencies, including all those that employ 100 or more sworn officers and a nationally representative sample of smaller agencies. Data are obtained on the organization and administration of police and sheriffs' departments, including agency responsibilities, operating expenditures, job functions of sworn and civilian employees, and officer salaries and special pay. Also collected is information on demographic characteristics of officers, sidearms and nonlethal weapons, education and training requirements, computers and information systems, vehicles, special units, community policing activities, and agencies' written policies. Findings from the 1999 LEMAS will be released in spring 2000. The latest published data available on local policing in the U.S. can be found in the following BJS publications: Sheriffs' Departments, 1997, released 2/00 (NCJ 173428); Local Police Departments, 1997, released 2/00 (NCJ 173429); and Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 1997: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers, released 4/99 (NCJ 171681). Survey of Campus Law Enforcement Agencies provides data describing nearly 600 campus law enforcement agencies serving 4-year universities or colleges with 2,500 or more students. Data are collected on agency personnel, expenditures and pay, operations, equipment, computers and information systems, policies, and special programs. Federal Law Enforcement Agency Census provides national data on Federal law enforcement agencies with arrest and firearms authority. Data collected include the number of officers working in the areas of criminal investigation and enforcement, police patrol and response, security and protection, court operations, and corrections, by agency and State. Data for race and gender of officers were collected for the first time in 1996. Police Public Contact Survey represents a second stage in the development of a recurring statistical collection on citizen contact with the police. This supplemental survey to the NCVS addresses the mandate set forth by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to collect, evaluate, and publish data on the use of excessive force by law enforcement personnel. Between July 1, 1999, and December 31, 1999, BJS conducted the nationwide Police Public Contact Survey of approximately 90,000 persons age 16 or older to learn about their contacts with the police. The survey uses an improved version of the questionnaire field tested in May 1996. The 1999 questionnaire captured more detailed information about the nature of the police-citizen contact, respondent perceptions as to whether any force encountered was excessive, and any provocative actions that the respondent may have initiated during the encounter. In addition, the questionnaire included a new section to gather information on police-initiated stops for routine traffic violations. Findings from the 1999 data collection are expected to be released in late 2000. Policing and homicide study provides data on justifiable homicides by police reported under the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reporting Program, including annual trends from 1976 to 1996 in two types of homicide: justifiable homicides of felons by police and murders of police officers by felons. Findings include the number and rate of justifiable homicides by police, demographic characteristics of officers who justifiably kill, characteristics of felons who are justifiably killed (gender, race, and age), the number and rate of murders of police officers, demographic characteristics of the murdered officers, and characteristics of felons who murdered officers (gender, race, and age). Also included are descriptions of actual cases of justifiable homicides by police in 1996 and descriptions of actual cases of murders of police officers in 1996. The report, Policing and Homicide, 1976-96: Justifiable Homicide of Felons by Police and Murder of Police by Felons, is scheduled for release in August 2000 (NCJ 180987). Survey of DNA Crime Laboratories, collects data from all public and private DNA laboratories on management and administrative statistics, including staff size and characteristics, staff training, budgets, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing procedures, processing policies, and archival capacity. The survey also obtains information on the degree of laboratory compliance with national standards and participation in the national database of DNA samples. The survey, first carried out in 1998, will be conducted again in summer 2000. BJS continues to work closely with the State and local crime laboratory directors and the FBI's Forensic Science Systems Unit in the design and conduct of the 2000 survey. Findings are useful to crime laboratory directors to compare procedures and capacities among laboratories, as well as to measure compatibility between the national DNA database, referred to as CODIS, and State DNA databases. Latest data are available in Survey of DNA Crime Laboratories, 1998, released 2/00 (NCJ 179104). Survey of State Police Agencies Information Inventory collects data on State police agency policies for recording demographic information on traffic-related contacts and violations. The questionnaire, first fielded in March 1999, obtained basic information from the Nation's State law enforcement agencies on the circumstances under which demographic data were collected for traffic-related stops and whether this information was stored in an electronically accessible format. Findings are reported in Traffic Stop and Data Collection Policies for State Police, 1999, released 2/00 (NCJ 180776). Prosecution BJS collects data on State and Federal prosecutors and the cases they prosecute. Summary findings -- * In 1996 half the prosecutors' offices nationwide employed 9 or fewer people and had a budget of $254,000 or less. * In 1996, 2,343 State and local court prosecutors' offices employed about 71,000 attorneys, investigators, and support staff, a 25% increase from 1992 and 9% from 1994. * Almost three-quarters of the Nation's chief prosecutors occupied full-time positions compared to about half in 1990. * Almost half of the prosecutors' offices had a staff person who had been threatened or assaulted. * Almost half of all offices reported the use of DNA evidence during plea negotiations or felony trials. * Three-fourths of all offices indicated having proceeded against an estimated 27,000 juveniles in criminal court. National Survey of Prosecutors collects data on resources, policies, and practices of local prosecutors from a nationally representative sample of chief litigating prosecutors in State court systems. The survey obtains basic information on staffing and operations and collects data on current topics such as the use of innovative prosecution techniques, intermediate sanctions, juvenile cases transferred to criminal court, and work-related assaults and threats. The latest data are available in Prosecutors in State Courts, 1996 (NCJ 170092). The next survey is scheduled for early 2001. Courts and sentencing BJS collects data about the Nation's court systems, including information about both civil and criminal courts, the cases brought, and their outcomes. Summary findings -- Pretrial release and detention * Almost two-thirds of defendants charged with a felony in the 75 most populated counties in May 1996 were released from jail pending disposition of their case. * 31% of those who were released were rearrested for a new offense or did not show up for a court date or violated some other condition of their pretrial release. Criminal case processing and sentencing * An estimated 54,579 felony cases were filed in the State courts of the Nation's 75 largest counties during May 1996. * State courts convicted almost 998,000 adults of a felony in 1996, an average growth of approximately 5% every year since 1988 (667,366). * From 1988 to 1996 the number of felony convictions increased faster than the number of arrests. Sixty-nine percent of those convicted in 1996 were sentenced to incarceration. Civil justice * In 1996 in the 75 largest counties in the United States, an estimated 15,638 tort, contract, and real property cases were decided by trial. About 70% of these cases were decided by a jury. * Individuals were plaintiffs in 82% of all trial cases disposed of during 1996. Individuals sued businesses in 37% and other individuals in an additional 34% of all trial cases. * Overall, plaintiffs won in 52% of trial cases. An estimated $3 billion in compensatory and punitive damages were awarded to plaintiff winners in trial cases. National Judicial Reporting Program (NJRP), conducted every 2 years, surveys a nationwide sample of felony trial courts and collects detailed information on demographic characteristics of felons, conviction offenses, type of sentences, sentence lengths, and amount of time from arrest to conviction and sentencing. Findings from the 1998 data collection will be published in fall 2000. Latest published data are available in State Court Sentencing of Convicted Felons, 1996, released 3/00 (NCJ 175708); Felony Sentences in the United States, 1996, released 7/99 (NCJ 175045); and Felony Sentences in State Courts, 1996, released 5/99 (NCJ 173939). State Court Processing Statistics (SCPS) provides data on the criminal justice processing of persons charged with felonies in a representative sample of felony defendants in the 75 largest counties. These counties account for about half of serious crime nationwide. The program tracks felony defendants from charging by the prosecutor until disposition in their cases or for a maximum of 12 months. Data are obtained on demographic characteristics, arrest offense(s), criminal justice status at time of arrest, prior arrests and convictions, bail and pretrial release decisions, court appearance record, re-arrest while on pretrial release, type and outcome of adjudication, and type and length of sentence if convicted. Recent data are included in Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties, 1996, released 10/99 (NCJ 176981). State Court Statistics Project, conducted by the National Center for State Courts, provides data on State appellate and trial court caseloads for the 50 States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Information is reported on case type, case filings, case processing, disposition, and appellate opinions. Data on State appellate caseloads are divided into mandatory and discretionary cases. Data on trial court caseloads include information about criminal cases, non-domestic civil cases, domestic cases, juvenile cases, and cases involving traffic and other violations of local ordinance. Data will be collected for reference year 2000 in summer 2000. Latest data are available in State Court Caseload Statistics, 1998, (National Center for State Courts, 1999) and Examining the Work of State Courts, 1998 (NCJ 181783). Collecting BJS data on the web New capabilities, emerging technologies, more efficient computer languages, and improved standards offer promising improvements for the way BJS collects justice statistics. In 2000 BJS began experimental use of the web to collect administrative data from selected State and local criminal justice agencies. BJS currently maintains over 2 dozen different data collection programs that obtain information describing the workload of the approximately 50,000 Federal, State and local agencies, offices, and institutions. Until now, all BJS collection efforts sent paper questionnaires to law enforcement agencies, prosecutor's offices, probation offices, local jails, courts, pretrial release agencies, public defender offices, and prison and parole authorities. Like many other governmental and private-sector data managers, BJS has begun the transition from paper-based data collection to direct Internet submission of information to a database. For examples of data collections using the Internet see the descriptions of the Survey of DNA Crime Laboratories, the Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, and the Annual Survey of Jails. Appropriate safeguards will be put into place. These include protections such as client-sided validation of data on electronic forms, electronic authentication and identification of respondent agencies, automatic e-mail notification, and automatic updating of directories and databases collection of statistical information. Compared to current methods, Internet-based data collection will -- -- be easier for the contributors -- provide more accurate data -- cost less than the current process -- take far less time to prepare the data and produce findings. Survey of State Court Organization, conducted by the National Center for State Courts, provides basic descriptive information relating to the Nation's State court systems. Information is collected on the following aspects -- * trial courts -- the role of grand juries, 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, mandatory judicial education * processing of criminal cases -- felony definition, mandatory minimum, habitual offender sentencing provisions. Latest data are available in State Court Organization, 1998, released 5/00 (NCJ 178932). New topics covered in this volume include the proliferation of specialized courts, new legislative mandates in the adjudication of domestic violence cases, current standards regarding insanity defense, and efforts in automating court information systems. The 1998 volume also expands the coverage of court administration and court procedure to include information about judicial compensation commissions, clerks of court responsibilities for providing services to appellate courts, and the authority of trial court administrative judges. Survey of Civil Trial Cases in State Courts collects civil trial caseload data for a 1-year period from a representative sample of the Nation's 75 largest counties. Data include case type, outcome, jury awards, type of litigants, legal representation, and dates of filing and disposition. Latest findings are reported in Tort Trials and Verdicts in Large Counties, expected release 7/00 (NCJ 179769); Contract Trials and Verdicts in Large Counties, 1996, released 4/00 (NCJ 179451); and Civil Trial Cases and Verdicts in Large Counties, 1996, released 9/99 (NCJ 173426). Survey of Indigent Defense Systems will measure how States and localities provide legal services for indigent criminal defendants, their caseloads, and related costs, policies, and practices. BJS has been working closely with the American Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association, and other indigent defense providers to identify important areas for data collection, which began in August 1999. The first report detailing the findings is expected to be released in late 2000. Federal justice statistics BJS collects annual data on workload, activities, and case outcomes in the Federal justice system. Summary findings -- Prosecution * U.S. attorneys opened matters for investigation against 115,692 suspects during 1998. * Of the 106,022 suspects in matters concluded during 1998, 72.8% were referred for prosecution either before a U.S. district court judge (61.3%) or a U.S. magistrate (11.5%). Nearly all (97.2%) of those investigated for immigration offenses were referred for prosecution. Pretrial * More than half (53.7%) of defendants charged with a Federal offense were released following the initial court appearance, provided that any court-imposed conditions were satisfied. * Most (83.5%) defendants released before trial completed their pretrial release without violating the release conditions; 6.2% had their release revoked. * Defendants charged with violent or drug offenses were less likely to satisfactorily complete the period of pretrial release without a violation (82% and 73.6%, respectively) than other defendants. Adjudication * During 1998, criminal cases were commenced against 78,172 defendants in U.S. district court. Most (82.9%) were charged with a felony offense. Cases were terminated against 69,769 defendants during 1998. Most (87.4%) defendants were convicted. Sentencing * Of the 60,958 defendants convicted and sentenced during 1998, 69.6% were sentenced to a term of imprisonment (either alone or in conjunction with probation), 19.9% were sentenced to probation (either alone or with incarceration), and 5.2% were sentenced to pay a fine alone. Corrections * During 1998 the Federal Bureau of Prisons received 42,613 inmates from U.S. district courts; an additional 15,602 inmates were received from other sources such as community supervision violations; 48,545 inmates were released during the year. As of September 30, 1998, 107,912 sentenced offenders were under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Federal Justice Statistics Program reports on all aspects of processing in the Federal justice system, including the number of persons investigated, prosecuted, convicted, incarcerated, sentenced to probation, released pretrial, and under parole or other supervision; initial prosecution decisions; referrals to magistrates; court dispositions; sentencing outcomes; sentence length; and time served. The data are available for online analysis at . The series also describes the processing of civil cases characteristics and outcomes in the Federal courts. Recent and forthcoming reports include -- * Federal Justice Statistics Program, 1997, CD-ROM, released 7/00 (NCJ 179086) * Prosecuting Firearm Offenders in Federal Courts, 1992-98, with preliminary data 1999, released 6/00 (NCJ 180795) * Compendium of Federal Justice Statistics, 1998, released 5/00 (NCJ 180258) * Civil Rights Complaints in U.S. District Courts, 1990-98, released 1/00 (NCJ 173427) * Federal Enforcement of Environmental Laws, 1997, released 11/99 (NCJ 175686) * Compendium of Federal Justice Statistics, 1997, released 10/99 (NCJ 176328) * Federal Tort Trials and Verdicts, 1996-97, released 3/99 (NCJ 172855) * Federal Pretrial Release and Detention, 1996, released 1/99 (NCJ 168635). Juvenile defendants Summary findings -- Juvenile defendants in criminal courts * Under certain circumstances, juveniles (as defined by State law) can be tried in criminal court. An estimated 7,110 juvenile defendants were charged with felonies in the State criminal courts of the Nation's 75 largest counties during May of 1990, 1992, and 1994. * Juvenile felony defendants handled as adults in criminal courts represented about 1% of all felony defendants. Two-thirds of the juvenile felony defendants handled in adult court had been charged with a violent offense. Juvenile defendants in juvenile courts * An estimated 24% of the 370,000 persons in juvenile courts in a selected number of the Nation's 75 largest counties from 1990, 1992, and 1994 were referred for violent offenses; 46% for property offenses; about 18% for public order offenses; and 13% for drug-related offenses. * 55% of the juvenile defendants formally processed in juvenile courts in the Nation's 75 largest counties were adjudicated delinquent. * Among juvenile defendants adjudicated delinquent, 40% received a disposition of residential placement, and 50% received probation supervision in the community. Juveniles in Federal court * During 1995, 468 juveniles were referred to Federal prosecutors for investigation -- 49% of these cases were declined for further action. During 1995, 122 juveniles were adjudicated as delinquent in the Federal courts -- 47% for either a violent or drug offense. Juvenile offenders in State prison * The number of offenders under age 18 admitted to State prison has more than doubled from 3,400 in 1985 to 7,400 in 1997, consistently representing about 2% of new admissions in each of the 13 years. * In 1997, 61% of persons admitted to State prison under age 18 had been convicted of a violent offense compared to 52% in 1985. The State Court Processing Statistics (SCPS) program obtains data on juvenile felony defendants tried as adults in criminal courts in the Nation's 75 largest counties, including offense characteristics, pretrial release and detention, offender demographics, adjudication outcomes, and sentencing. The Federal Justice Statistics Program (FJSP) describes juvenile offenders processed in the Federal criminal justice system, including the number of juveniles charged with acts of delinquency, the offenses for which they were charged, the proportion adjudicated delinquent, and the sanctions imposed. For more information on the SCPS program and the FJSP, refer to descriptions on pages 13 and 16, respectively. Methodologies for Studying of Racial Disparities in Processing Juvenile Offenders, a new fiscal year 2000 effort, will examine how juvenile records can be used to better understand racial disparities in arrests and confinement of juveniles and the impact of such disparities on subsequent processing of the same individuals if they enter the adult criminal justice system. While many studies evaluate racial disparities in various stages of juvenile justice processing, few use and document rigorous statistical methodologies. Moreover, little research examines the extent to which racial disparities in handling by the juvenile justice system may explain some subsequent disparate treatment of adults in criminal courts. This study will seek to design a methodology that could be used to answer the question of whether a youth's juvenile record acquired through disparate treatment has a carry-over effect on subsequent adult-level encounters with the criminal justice system. Latest available data -- * Profile of State Prisoners under Age 18, 1985-97, released 2/00 (NCJ 176989) * Juveniles Prosecuted in State Criminal Court, released 4/97 (NCJ 164265) * Juvenile Felony Defendants in Criminal Courts, released 10/98 (NCJ 165815) * Juvenile Delinquents in the Federal Criminal Justice System, released 2/97 (NCJ 163066). Corrections BJS collects data about the Nation's correctional system from over 1,500 Federal and State adult correctional facilities, 3,300 local jails, and 5,800 probation and parole agencies and offices. By extracting comparable data over time, these programs provide measures of how these correctional populations and agencies have changed. Summary findings -- * 6.3 million adults were on probation, in jail or prison, or on parole at yearend 1999 -- 3.1% of all U.S. adult residents. * State and Federal prison authorities had 1,284,894 inmates under their jurisdiction at yearend 1999. * Local jails held or supervised 596,485 adults awaiting trial or serving a sentence at midyear 1999. * Between 1990 and midyear 1999, the jail and prison population nationwide grew an average 5.7% annually. Population growth during the 12-month period ending December 31, 1999, was significantly lower in local jails (up 2.1%) than in previous years. The Federal prison population rose by 13.4% (up 14,889 prisoners), the largest 12-month gain ever reported. Annual Count of Deaths Occurring in Law Enforcement Custody, a voluntary annual reporting system of deaths of persons while in law enforcement custody will be expanded during calendar year 2000. When fully implemented, the collection will include annual reports of deaths in local jails and State and Federal prisons by cause. BJS is developing a new annual data collection of deaths in local jails to supplement existing collections in State and Federal prisons. Data elements will include the deceased inmate's date of birth, gender, race/ethnic origin, admission date, legal status at time of death, and offenses. Data on circumstances surrounding the death will include cause, date, and time of death, whether the cause was the result of a pre-existing medical condition, whether the inmate received medical treatment for the condition, where the death occurred, and whether the death resulted from an incident while in custody. Data collection procedures will be tested extensively during the summer of 2000. Data collection in jails will begin in December 2000 for deaths occurring in calendar year 2000. BJS is also developing methods to collect data on other deaths in custody. To capture the multiple circumstances under which persons may die while in custody, BJS is undertaking an analysis of vital statistics records maintained by the National Center for Health Statistics. The results of this analysis will help BJS to establish the best means of collecting these data nationwide. National Prisoner Statistics Program produces yearend and midyear National- and State-level data on the numbers of prisoners in State and Federal prison facilities. It also provides data on the number of admissions and releases during the year, the race and Hispanic origin of inmates, the number of inmate deaths by cause, and the number known to be HIV positive. Prisoners in 1999 (NCJ 183476) is expected to be released in August 2000. Capital Punishment Series yields annual National- and State-level data on persons sentenced to death and those executed. Data collected include offender demographic characteristics, prior criminal history, criminal justice system status at the time of the capital offense, and date of sentence. Data are available on executions since 1930 and on sentencing since 1973. The data series also includes annual information from each jurisdiction on statutory changes relating to the death penalty, including changes involving additional aggravating or mitigating circumstances, procedural amendments, and revisions to capital offenses. Recent data are reported in Capital Punishment 1998, released 12/99 (NCJ 179012). National Corrections Reporting Program annually collects individual-level data on prison admissions and releases and on parole entries and discharges in participating jurisdictions. Demographic information, conviction offense, sentence length, minimum time to be served, credited jail time, type of admission, type of release, and time served are collected from individual prisoner records. The latest data will be available on CD-ROM: National Corrections Reporting Program, 1997 (NCJ 180796), expected release 9/00. Annual Probation Data Survey and Parole Data Survey collect data on persons under Federal, State, and local probation or parole supervision. Key data elements include the number on probation and parole at yearend, number of entries and exits (by type), offender demographic characteristics, severity of offense, type of supervision, and special programs. Latest data are available in the release of statistical data for probation and parole, 1999, released 7/00 (NCJ 183508). Annual Survey of Jails provides estimates of the number of inmates by gender, race, Hispanic origin, conviction status, and juvenile/adult status. It also collects information on the rated capacity of facilities in each jurisdiction, and separate counts of offenders under community supervision by jail staff, including those under electronic monitoring and home detention, in alternative work programs, day-reporting programs, community service or weekender programs, or other alternative programs. The latest data are available in Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 1999, released 4/00 (NCJ 181643). Survey of Jails in Indian Country obtains baseline characteristics of Indian country detention facilities and the inmates housed in them. The 1999 survey included questions on the number of inmates, staffing, and facility characteristics. Detailed information was collected on the age of the facility, the rated capacity, renovation plans, crowding, and special facility and program needs. The report, Jails in Indian Country, 1998 and 1999 (NCJ 173410), was released in July 2000. Surveys of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities provide detailed data on individual characteristics of prison inmates, current offenses and sentences, characteristics of victims, criminal histories, family background, gun possession and use, prior drug and alcohol use and treatment, and educational programs and other services provided while in prison. Last conducted in 1997, the surveys obtained data from personal interviews with a nationally representative sample of about 14,300 State prison inmates and 4,000 Federal inmates in about 275 State prisons and 40 Federal prisons. Numerous reports presenting the 1997 data have been released. BJS expects to release Incarcerated Parents and Their Children, 1997, (NCJ 182335) in August 2000. Survey of Inmates in Local Jails collects data on the local jail population, including the personal and family characteristics of jail inmates, current offenses, sentences and time served, criminal histories, jail activities, conditions and programs, prior drug and alcohol use and treatment, and health care services provided while in jail. BJS expects to release Legal Counsel in Criminal Cases (NCJ 179023) in September 2000. Survey of Adults on Probation provides detailed information on the background and characteristics of a representative national sample of probationers under supervision in the community. Specific areas of inquiry include criminal history, prior drug and alcohol use, participation in drug and alcohol treatment programs, use of firearms, the conditions of supervision, and the extent of contact with probation authorities. Census of Jails obtains information on the inmate population, including inmates supervised in the community, persons held for other authorities, admissions and discharges, and inmate programs, health services, and screening for HIV and tuberculosis infection, and inmate deaths; staff characteristics and reports of inmate assaults on staff; and facility characteristics, including function and construction and renovation data. Initial findings from the 1999 census were released in Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 1999 (NCJ 181643) in April 2000. More detailed findings from the 1999 data collection will be available in late 2000. Census of State and Local Probation and Parole Agencies is a complete census of Federal, State, and locally operated probation and parole agencies. The census gathers data on staffing, expenditures, program operation and participation levels, and drug and HIV-testing policies and programs. The census serves as the sampling frame for the national Survey of Adults on Probation. Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities provides detailed information on facility characteristics, including design and rated capacity, construction and renovation, and facilities under court order for conditions of confinement; inmate counts, persons under age 18 and over age 55, inmate housing arrangements, and inmates being held for other authorities; facility operations and security, misconduct reports, and grievances filed; inmate health, including procedures for suicide prevention and screening for HIV and tuberculosis; facility programs, such as work, education, and counseling; and staff characteristics, including occupation and ethnicity. The 2000 census, with a reference data of June 30, is currently underway. Inventory of State and Federal Corrections Information Systems collected basic data on State and Federal offender-based corrections information systems, including a description of the capabilities of the information systems for producing data extracts, linking records, and exchanging information electronically. The inventory establishes a basis for improving the capacity to provide comparable data and to facilitate cross-jurisdictional research. The inventory was conducted by the Urban Institute with sponsorship from BJS, the National Institute of Justice, and the Corrections Program Office, and with assistance from the State-Federal Committee of the Association of State Corrections Administrators. Findings were reported in State and Federal Corrections Information Systems, released 10/98 (NCJ 170016). Association of State Court Administrators (ASCA) Performance Measures Project, sponsored by BJS, National Institute of Justice, and the OJP Corrections Program Office, will undertake a 2- year effort to improve correctional information systems. The project will build upon the inventory and State and Federal Corrections Information Systems. The report provided a baseline for developing outcome measures and an assessment of the capacity of existing systems to produce accurate, comparable data. As a followup, this project will identify approximately eight correctional performance measures and select a subset of up to four measures for development and improvement. A project consultant and advisory panel will assist ASCA members to reach common definitions for the categories being measured and to restructure data collection processes, as needed. National Recidivism Study, conducted by BJS in collaboration with the Corrections Program Office and the FBI, is currently analyzing a sample of State prison releases with oversampling of violent offenders, particularly those convicted of sexual assault and crimes against children. Fifteen States are participating: Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia. Collectively, these 15 States accounted for over half of all releases from prisons throughout the nation in 1994. BJS will track released prisoners for 3 years using State and Federal criminal history records. An initial report giving results of the 3-year recidivism study is expected in November 2000. Forthcoming and recent reports dealing with corrections issues -- * National Corrections Reporting Program, 1997 CD-ROM, expected release 9/00 (NCJ 180796) * Correctional Populations in the United States, 1997, expected release 9/00 (NCJ 177613) * Veterans in Prison or Jail, released 1/00 (NCJ 178888) * HIV in Prisons and Jails, 1996, released 6/98 (NCJ 174437) * Mental Health and Treatment of Inmates and Probationers, released 7/99 (NCJ 174463) * DWI Offenders under Correctional Supervision, released 6/99 (NCJ 172212) * Prior Abuse Reported by Inmates and Probationers, released 3/99 (NCJ 172879) Expenditure and employment BJS provides expenditure and employment data from Federal, State, and local criminal justice agencies nationwide. These data provide critical information to the formula-based programs within OJP that allocate funds based on State and local criminal justice spending. Summary findings -- * States now spend more on criminal justice than municipalities, counties, or the Federal government. Direct expenditures for each of the major criminal justice functions (police, corrections, judicial) are increasing. * In fiscal year 1996 Federal, State, and local governments spent more than $120 billion for civil and criminal justice, a 73% increase over 1995. The three levels of government together spent a total of $454 per resident. * In fiscal year 1996 State and local governments combined spent 85% of all justice dollars; the Federal government spent the rest. * The Federal Government alone spent more than $23 billion on criminal and civil justice in 1996, compared to almost $48 billion by State governments, $30 billion by counties, and $34 billion by municipalities. Justice Expenditure and Employment Extracts series obtains data extracted from the Census Bureau's Annual Government Finance Survey and Annual Survey of Public Employment. This series includes National and State-by-State estimates of government expenditures and employment for the following justice categories: police protection, all judicial (including prosecution, courts, and public defense), and corrections. (Only limited judicial data are available for 1980 and 1981.) Federal data for the same categories are also included, as are data for the largest local governments (counties with populations of 500,000 or more and cities with populations of 300,000 or more). The latest data are available in 1996 Justice Expenditure and Employment Extracts, released 5/00 (NCJ 180883). Justice Expenditure and Employment Survey (also referred to as Justice Assistance Data Survey) collects detailed information on the costs of the justice system, including police protection, courts, prosecution, public defense, and corrections. This survey, funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), is the only source of the variable pass-through data (VPT) required by the States for their allocation of the BJA Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Grant Program. These VPT data prescribe the minimum amount of each State's block grants that, under law, are to be "passed-through" to local governments in the State. The VPT is based on the ratio of State to local spending for criminal justice from "own revenue sources;" that is, expenditures from tax receipts, user fees, bond distributions, and so on, are included, but expenditures from funds received from other governments such as Federal grant programs are excluded. The 1997 VPT will be available to BJA for use in administering the fiscal year 2001 block grants. Expenditure and employment data from other BJS sources include those BJS series that collect agency-based employment and expenditure data to develop workload measures, ratios of employees to clients, and ratios of dollars per service delivered. These include Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, National Survey of Prosecutors, various court statistics series, the Census of Local Jails, and the Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities. The estimates produced from these sources may differ from those produced by the CJEE because of distinct collection methods, units of analysis, and data collection purposes. Drugs, alcohol, and crime Many of BJS's ongoing statistical data series collect drug-and alcohol-related information. Summary findings -- * Based on victim perceptions, about 2.7 million violent crimes occurred each year in which victims said that the offender had been drinking. For about 1 in 5 of these violent victimizations involving alcohol use by the offender, victims believed the offender was also using drugs at the time of the offense. * Among probationers surveyed in 1995, 14% reported they were on drugs when they committed their offense. * 33% of State prisoners and 22% of Federal prisoners said they had committed their current offense while under the influence of drugs, as reported in 1997. Drug offenders (42%) and property offenders (37%) reported the highest incidence of drug use at the time of the offense. * 36% of convicted jail inmates said they were using drugs at the time of their offense in 1996. Those jail inmates convicted of drug trafficking (60%), drug possession (57%), fraud (45%), or robbery (44%) were most likely to have reported to be using drugs at the time of the offense. * In 1996, 16% of convicted jail inmates said they had committed their offense to get money for drugs. Of convicted property and drug offenders, about 1 in 4 had committed their crimes to get money for drugs. * In 1997, 19% of State prisoners and 16% of Federal inmates said they committed their current offense to obtain money for drugs. * Drug prosecutions comprised an increasing proportion of the Federal criminal caseload -- from 21% of defendants during 1982 to 35% during 1998. In 1996 drug offenders comprised a third of all persons convicted of a felony in State courts. Drug traffickers accounted for 21% of all convicted felons; drug possessors also accounted for 14% of all convicted felons. 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 inmate participation 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 Facilities provide 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 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 the general population, on public opinion toward drugs and enforcement of drug laws. Recent reports -- * Drug Use, Testing, and Treatment in Jails, released 5/00 (NCJ 179999) * Substance Abuse and Treatment, State and Federal Prisoners, 1997, released 1/99 (NCJ 172871) A complete online reference to statistics on drugs and crime is accessible on the BJS website at under "Drugs and Crime Facts" or by calling the BJS Clearinghouse at 1-800-732-3277. International statistics Through the International Statistics Program BJS cooperates with other countries and the United Nations to improve the collection of statistics on crime and criminal justice systems. A long-term goal is to enable cross-national comparisons and examination of the relationship between crime trends in the United States and those in other countries. BJS funds international studies that compare the operations of the U.S. criminal justice system with that of other countries. In 2000 BJS will sponsor a comparative analysis of international crime and punishment trends as part of the NIJ Crime and Justice book series. Statistical crime data from the United States, England and Wales, Sweden, Scotland, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, and Finland will be assembled, focusing on six serious offenses. Cross-cutting issues will be examined with the similarities and differences among these countries highlighted. Recent comparative analyses are presented in Crime and Justice in the United States and England and Wales, 1981-96, released 10/98 (NCJ 169284), which compares crime in the United States and England with respect to crime rates (as measured both by victimization surveys and police statistics), conviction rates, incarceration rates, and length of sentences. This study was conducted as part of the BJS Visiting Fellow Program. World Factbook of Criminal Justice Systems at provides narrative descriptions of the criminal justice systems of countries around the world. These descriptions, available electronically through the BJS Internet site, are written to a common template to facilitate comparisons. In 2000 BJS will expand the World Factbook with system profiles of four additional Latin American countries and will revise the current template to include more information on crime and justice. Methodological research and studies BJS conducts, supports, and implements methodological research and initiatives designed to improve the quality of justice statistics, records, and information systems. Improving measurement methods Under the aegis of the American Statistical Association, BJS has launched a grant program designed to foster improvements in the methods used to obtain, analyze, and report national-level data on crime and criminal justice. In 2000 BJS is supporting the following studies designed to yield new insights to affect current practice. Improvements to the FBI's UCR Program. A challenging problem faced by users of summary crime data compiled under the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program is that not all jurisdictions fully report their crime data. As a result, the FBI must estimate the volume of crime occurring in those cities and counties to produce a national crime rate. This research will examine alternative ways to improve crime estimates for those jurisdictions with missing data. Specifically, the researchers will explore such concerns as seasonality, techniques for multi-year estimates, and patterns of stability in the prior reports of "missing-data" jurisdictions. The research should be of significant benefit to the FBI in considering new ways of addressing missing and incomplete data from law enforcement agencies. Impact of respondent recall problems. This methodological research addresses respondent memory and willingness to report victimization experiences to interviewers for the NCVS. The researchers will use the longitudinal features of the NCVS to examine under- and overreporting of victimization experiences. A person victimized by a crime is more likely to be victimized again than is someone who has never experienced a crime to be victimized a first time. Yet, it is possible that recall problems of those repeat victims affect victimization rates. A victim who has willingly described a past victimization to a survey interviewer may be less willing to report a second or third or fourth victimization. Understanding this reluctance and its effects on estimates of national rates of victimization is the first step toward revising procedures and trying to reduce this type of survey error. Impact of community policing on violent crime and new uses for BJS administrative data on law enforcement. This study of 190 cities with populations greater than 100,000 residents will link police administrative data drawn from the BJS LEMAS Program with Census Bureau economic and social data and FBI UCR data. Those data will be used to examine the impact of municipal police operational strategies on the rate of violent crime. Using these datasets, researchers will be able to take into account economic and social characteristics of cities while comparing differences in crime rates against differences in police administration. This study will demonstrate a new use for BJS jurisdiction-level data when combined with data from other sources and will provide new knowledge about operational strategies for addressing violent crime. General criminal justice statistics BJS produced a number of statistical documents and other products that cover more than one criminal justice topic. Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, first published in 1972, is compiled annually from more than 150 separate sources. Almost all data are nationwide in scope and, where possible, are displayed by region, State, and city for comparative analyses. The Sourcebook can be accessed online at and is updated as new information becomes available. Multi-year CD-ROMs are also available. Criminal Justice Agency Survey List is an updated directory of various State and local jurisdictions and criminal justice agencies from which sample surveys are selected. Visiting Research Fellowship Program Under BJS sponsorship, researchers selected as BJS Visiting Fellows come to Washington, D.C., to conduct studies on topics of their own choosing. While in Washington, fellows use BJS office space and have access to the agency's rich array of datasets and software. They interact with BJS staff and gain first-hand knowledge of some of the most recent developments in the field of criminal justice research. In addition to carrying out their research, fellows also have opportunities to contribute in other significant ways. For example, recent fellows have -- * Briefed the Attorney General on latest trends in youth violence * Collaborated on the creation of a BJS homicide statistics website * Helped design a BJS survey on police use of force * Explored new methods for visualizing BJS data * Compared crime rates between the U.S. and England. The BJS Visiting Fellowship Program is open to senior-level social science researchers whose work on crime-related subjects has been extensively published. Some fellows remain on-site at BJS for the entire duration of their project. Others make only occasional visits to accommodate their schedules. At the close of their visit, fellows prepare a research report summarizing results and policy implications of their project. Support to State and local governments State Justice Statistics Program for Statistical Analysis Centers The State Justice Statistics Program provides support to State Statistical Analysis Centers (SAC's) to collect, analyze, and report statistics on crime and justice to Federal, State, and local levels of government. BJS works in conjunction with the Justice Research and Statistics Association (JRSA) and selected SAC directors to identify particular criminal justice topics of concern and significance to criminal justice practitioners. SAC's are encouraged to conduct statistical research and in-depth analysis and to publish findings on these issues. In fiscal year 2000, BJS is encouraging SAC's to -- * Conduct local crime victimization surveys using software developed by BJS and COPS for local law enforcement organizations * Carry out special analyses utilizing criminal history records to better understand certain types of criminal behavior or to evaluate the State's use of such record systems * Undertake comprehensive studies of domestic and sexual violence and the response of the criminal justice system * Examine the relationship between drugs and crime and the management of drug offenders by the justice system * Maximize access to reports and other criminal justice information via the Internet * Conduct research using incident-based data obtained from local law enforcement agencies * Promote research to better understand the impact of corrections policies and practices * Foster new research examining juvenile violence and trends in juvenile offending. Further information on the fiscal year 2000 program and selected issues have been announced in the publication State Justice Statistics Program for Statistical Analysis Centers: Program Application Guidelines, Fiscal Year 2000, released 4/00 (NCJ 180969). Through the JRSA, BJS offers technical assistance to the State SAC's in the development, collection, analysis, use, and dissemination of criminal justice statistics. JRSA, formerly the Criminal Justice Statistics Association, was organized in 1974 by the directors of the State SAC's. It was formed to promote cooperation among States and the exchange of information, statistics, and technology. In providing technical services and liaison to the SAC's for BJS, JRSA maintains a criminal justice information clearinghouse; provides online access to the Database of State Activities and Research and the Firearms Research Information System (FARIS); and holds an annual conference on justice statistics, research, and policy analysis. Criminal records systems improvement and policy BJS supports several programs aimed at improving criminal records. Criminal history records are fingerprint cards or their electronic counterparts, linked with information about arrests, convictions, and sentences when available. Records are inaccessible electronically to other States if they are not automated or if a State does not participate in the national system referred to as the Interstate Identification Index. Records without dispositions delay inquiries and handicap law enforcement. The records are used in identifying individuals with a prior conviction and those who are prohibited from purchasing a firearm, are subject to domestic violence protective orders, or are ineligible to hold positions of responsibility involving children, the elderly, or the disabled. Criminal Records Policy Program supports surveys, studies, conferences, and technical assistance on issues relating to criminal justice records. Primary emphasis is on accuracy and completeness of records, limitations on dissemination, commingling of juvenile and adult records, data auditing techniques, and the interstate exchange of records. Under this program, the 50-State Survey of Criminal History Information Systems is conducted, providing information on the technology, policy, and legislative status of criminal history records. Recent reports include: * Survey of State Procedures Related to Firearm Sales, Midyear 1999, released 3/00 (NCJ 179022) * Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems, 1997, released 4/99 (NCJ 175041) * National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact: Resource Materials, released 7/98 (NCJ 171671) National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), since 1995, has helped States join with the FBI to build an accurate and useful national system of criminal records for improved identification of the criminal background of individuals. Interstate availability of complete computerized criminal records is increasingly vital for criminal investigations, prosecutorial charging, sentencing decisions, correctional supervision and release, community notification, and background checks for those applying for licenses, firearm purchases, and work involving the safety and well-being of children, the elderly, and the disabled. NCHIP is an umbrella program that assists States in addressing the expanding range of technology-based criminal justice information, identification, and communications needs. NCHIP-2000 continues and expands upon the existing NCHIP program to meet the goals of the Crime Identification Technology Act of 1998 (CITA). Program priorities for 2000 include: * Establishing the infrastructure to support full implementation of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), including full participation in the Interstate Identification Index (III) * Supporting efforts to develop court record systems * Encouraging States to focus on upgrading the quality of State and local protection order systems, ensuring that such systems are capable of supplying data on a real time basis to the FBI's Protection Order File, and ensuring that States have the capacity to initiate or enhance efforts to collect and flag misdemeanor records that involve domestic violence * Supporting State efforts to enhance access to criminal records for noncriminal justice purposes, including implementation of the Interstate Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact. For further details, refer to the National Criminal History Improvement Program: Fiscal Year 2000 Program Announcement, released 4/00 (NCJ 181463). Firearm Inquiry Statistics Project (FIST) is designed to collect annual data describing the number of inquiries made in connection with presale handgun checks and the number and basis for rejection of such applicants. Data collection procedures are adjusted to reflect the differing presale check procedures under the permanent system (which became effective on 11/30/98) and the interim period (02/28/94 - 11/29/98). As the permanent system requires a check on all firearms (including handguns), subsequent annual releases will include data on both long guns and handguns. Findings describing background checks for firearm transfers conducted in 1999 were published in Background Checks for Firearms Transfers, 1999, released 6/00 (NCJ 180882). Other recent data are available in Presale Handgun Checks, the Brady Interim Period, 1994-98, released 6/99 (NCJ 175034). National Technical Assistance and Evaluation Program, a component of the NCHIP program, provides technical assistance to States under NCHIP through a wide range of technology-based, criminal justice information, identification, and communications services. The program also helps States and localities in meeting requirements associated with participation in FBI-administered programs such as the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) and the Interstate Identification Index (III). BJS has funded a grant to SEARCH to provide on-site and telephone assistance to States that have received funds to upgrade record systems. BJS made an award to Queues Enforth Development (QED) to conduct an ongoing comprehensive evaluation of the NCHIP, the predecessor Criminal History Record Improvement (CHRI), and Byrne 5% Set-aside programs to assess the impact of these programs in individual States, particularly regarding the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of criminal history record information in central repositories. In February 2000, BJS published Continuing Criminal History Records Improvement Evaluation: Final 1994-98 Report (NCJ 179768) that describes the results of this ongoing evaluation of State activity relating to improvement of criminal records. National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program, which began in 1929, collects information about crimes reported to the police. In 1982 BJS and the FBI sponsored a study of the UCR Program with the objective of revising it to meet law enforcement needs into the 21st century. A 5-year redesign effort to provide more comprehensive and detailed crime statistics resulted in the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which collects data on each reported crime incident. The UCR Program is currently being converted to NIBRS. Currently under the summary program, law enforcement authorities aggregate the number of incidents by offense type monthly and report these totals to the FBI. Under incident-based reporting, agencies will provide an individual record for each crime reported. The summary UCR Program collects offense information on the eight Part I crimes of homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. It provides limited information about offenses, victims, and offenders, and includes reported arrests for 21 additional crime categories. Under NIBRS, law enforcement authorities will provide information to the FBI on each criminal incident in 22 broad categories of offenses that occur in their jurisdiction. NIBRS includes details about each incident, including information about multiple victims and offenders. The requirements for compatibility with NIBRS and the relaxed standards for NIBRS compliance can be found at the FBI website . BJS has participated in the design and development of NIBRS and supports several related efforts to encourage the use of incident-based data NIBRS Implementation Program is intended to improve the quality of crime statistics in the United States by implementing NIBRS. The Crime Identification Technology Act (CITA) provides funding to States (in conjunction with units of local government) and tribes that want to participate in the FBI's new approach to uniform crime reporting, NIBRS. Under this program, awards will be made to States applying on behalf of one or more cities or counties in the State, regardless of whether the State maintains a UCR program. Within the State, requests may be made on behalf of one or more jurisdictions or a collaboration of jurisdictions. In addition, a State can apply for funding to be used at the State level, provided that the State also applies for funds on behalf of a city or county jurisdiction. A complete description of requirements and programs funded under CITA is available at the OJP CITA website . Demonstrating the Utility of NIBRS BJS and SEARCH, the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics, are conducting a project to identify promising and cost-effective approaches to encourage wider adoption of NIBRS, including demonstrating how local agencies can or do use NIBRS data at the local level for crime analysis, resource allocation, and other purposes; identify the most significant impediments to NIBRS participation in large local law enforcement agencies nationwide; assess technical issues relating to data elements, software, and data input; and provide technical assistance to local agencies in record system upgrades and NIBRS implementation. Showcasing Modern Law Enforcement Records Management Systems assists large- and medium-sized jurisdictions in acquiring said systems, documenting successful experiences, and demonstrating the feasibility for large- and medium-sized law enforcement agencies to develop NIBRS-compliant systems. BJS is funding three cities -- Chicago, Wichita, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg -- to implement automated NIBRS-compliant records management systems. Eight other jurisdictions committed to implementing NIBRS have been selected to observe the three in their step-by-step progress, including Los Angeles County, CA; Washington, DC; New Castle, DE; Honolulu, HI; Jefferson Parish, LA; Suffolk County, NY; Austin, TX; and Seattle, WA. NIBRS comprehensive step-by-step guide, sponsored by BJS and FBI and to be developed by Mitretek, will assist law enforcement agencies in the implementation of NIBRS-compliant records management systems. The manual will be available electronically and will include information on RFP preparation, Federal funding, purchasing and leasing, vendors, and quality control. It will also include lessons learned by agencies that have been through the automation process, and an updated interactive cost model with new cost factors. Data Systems for Policing in the 21st Century, a multifaceted project to be conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum, will provide information to law enforcement executives regarding the utility of incident-based reporting systems and how to implement such systems. A survey of police executives will be conducted to determine the major factors that impede implementation of incident-based systems and to identify agencies that have successfully implemented such systems. In addition, a technical assistance symposium for local level police executives, systems administrators, and crime analysts will be held. Justice Research and Statistics Association (JRSA) Incident-Based Reporting Resource (IBR) Center, located at , provides comprehensive information on accessing and using incident-based law enforcement data for the analysis of crime and reporting of justice statistics. The goal of the website is to facilitate the use of State incident-based reporting (IBR) systems and the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) by crime analysts, researchers, and other justice professionals. The Center, supported by BJS, seeks to put practical analytical information and tools into the hands of analysts who want to work with incident-based data and to provide a forum where analysts can exchange information and ideas about using IBR data. NIBRS and COMPASS (Community Mapping, Planning, and Analysis for Safety Strategies) Incident-based crime statistics and NIBRS-compliant record management systems are also a central component of the OJP- initiative called COMPASS. Seattle, Washington, was selected as the pilot site for COMPASS, which seeks to use a data-driven approach for enhancing community safety through strategic problem-solving. This approach begins with the integration of current statistics collected from a variety of sources, including incident-based crime, public safety, demographic, social, and environmental data. BJS, NIJ, and their partners will select a second pilot site for fiscal year 2000. If funding is available in fiscal year 2001, an additional 8-10 sites will be considered for participation in COMPASS. For additional information on COMPASS, go to . BJS guidance To assist in the development and presentation of incident-based crime data, BJS staff developed a series of standardized incident-based tables. Based on several evaluations and on the commendations from the law enforcement community and other criminal justice representatives, 21 tables were identified as measures that could provide policy-relevant criminal information. Once finalized, BJS plans to provide recodes and related syntax to create these tables from NIBRS datasets. Suggested table shells are available for download at . How to use BJS services From the BJS website The BJS World Wide Web site is located at . Providing information on the Internet has proven to be the most efficient way BJS can make its data accessible to those who need it instantly. BJS information is updated continuously. For a report on the latest updates and additions to materials on the BJS Website, refer to the Guide to the BJS Website, Second Edition, released 5/00 (NCJ 180771). Visit these areas on the website -- Statistics about -- Summary findings and statistical graphics are presented by crime and justice topics -- crime and victims; criminal offenders; justice system components including prosecutors, courts and sentencing, and corrections; and special topics. Descriptions of the data collections and additional work by BJS staff are listed under each topic. Nearly 20 survey questionnaires are now available. Crime and justice data from other sources -- The BJS website provides links to data from other sources, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other Federal agencies. It also provides links to juvenile justice statistics and international crime statistics. What's new at BJS -- The most recent information from BJS is highlighted in this section, including announcements, releases, solicitations, and the latest data available on the BJS website. Key Facts at a Glance -- This area presents trends in crime and justice in 36 charts that are updated as new data become available. Small versions of the charts and brief statements of findings are presented with links to full-size charts, additional information about the charts and findings, and the data that support the chart. Publications -- Every BJS report produced by BJS since 1994, when the website was launched, is available electronically. The electronic versions of BJS publications are presented in two formats: in ASCII without formatted graphics and in portable document format (.pdf) as published with graphics and tables (viewable on any computer and printable on any printer). BJS also provides data from the tables of most BJS publications in spread-sheet format. Over 1,265 spreadsheets are available on the website. Tables from various BJS series that were printed in the past are now being offered exclusively online in spreadsheets. Press releases -- The most recent press releases from BJS are published on the website at the press release section of the BJS home page. Data for analysis -- Spreadsheets, datasets, and on-line tabulation capabilities can be accessed from this section of the website, including: Crime and Justice Electronic Data Abstracts are a series of spreadsheets that contain data from a wide variety of published sources, usually by jurisdiction and over time. These spreadsheets, updated as new data become available, can be used to answer particular informational questions, or may be used to support other analyses or graphics. Datasets and codebooks are archived, documented, and made available over the Internet through the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan. BJS reports are linked to the raw data used in the report, which can be downloaded from the archive. On-line tabulation capabilities are available using the Data Analysis System maintained at the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data website and at the Federal Justice Statistics Resource Center which provides on-line access to the BJS Federal Justice Statistics Program (FJSP) database. Through the FJSRC, users may generate customized statistics and download datasets for more detailed analyses. Justice records funding information -- Information is provided on various funding programs designed to assist State and local agencies in the areas of criminal history record improvement, development and enhancement of sex offender registries, and implementation of incident-based reporting. Related sites -- This section provides links to related Federal Government sites and BJS partners. About BJS -- An overview of BJS is provided, describing its mission and responsibilities, criminal justice areas covered by data collection programs, grant programs, and dissemination programs maintained. BJS encourages all users of its Internet site to send comments, suggestions, and information inquiries to . Dissemination Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Clearinghouse, a component of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), provides information about crime and justice statistics and disseminates BJS reports. The Clearinghouse offers products and services tailored to the needs of the criminal justice professional. Clearinghouse staff who specialize in BJS statistical resources can assist you in locating data that best meet your particular information needs. BJS specialists can also direct users to a variety of other criminal justice data. By contacting the NCJRS Justice Information Center, you can receive -- * BJS reports and BJS mailing list information * Criminal justice statistics over the phone * Custom literature searches of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) * Database referrals to other sources of crime data * Data assistance from information specialists. The BJS Clearinghouse responds to data requests from a variety of audiences -- * Federal policymakers and practitioners * State and local criminal justice practitioners * Private organizations * Faculty and students * Media and the public. The Clearinghouse has developed several products to assist researchers, policymakers, and other professionals -- * CD-ROM's * statistical information packages * slide presentations * topical searches * topical bibliographies. Contact the Clearinghouse to request information or to order publications and products by -- Internet: E-mail: Mail: BJS Clearinghouse/NCJRS P.O. Box 179 Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0179 Visit: BJS Clearinghouse/NCJRS 1600 Research Boulevard Rockville, MD 20850 Call: 1-800-732-3277 FAX orders: 1-410-792-4358 Access fax-on-demand system: 1-301-519-5550 National Archive of Criminal Justice Data, on behalf of BJS, archives data files, documents them, and makes them available to researchers, scholars, journalists, and other users. Established in 1978, NACJD headquarters are located with the central staff of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) in the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. The central mission of NACJD is to facilitate and encourage research in the field of criminal justice through the sharing of data resources. Specific goals include -- * Providing machine-readable data for the quantitative study of crime and the criminal justice system through the development of a central data archive. * Supplying technical assistance in analyzing data collections and selecting the computer hardware and software for analyzing data efficiently and effectively. * Offering training in quantitative methods of social science research to facilitate secondary analysis of criminal justice data. NACJD routinely receives data from four agencies within the U.S. Department of Justice: BJS, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Individual scholars and researchers in the criminal justice field may also deposit data with NACJD, and interested individuals should contact NACJD staff for more information on this process. Data files that are maintained by the NACJD are available at no charge for search and download from the NACJD website located at . Write or call: National Archive of Criminal Justice Data ICPSR Institute for Social Research P.O. Box 1248 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 1-800-999-0960 1-313-763-5011 Ask Archive staff questions via e-mail at . National Clearinghouse for Criminal Justice Information Systems, located at , has a new look and URL. Sponsored by BJS and operated by SEARCH, The National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics, the Clearinghouse has evolved into a national, centralized resource to criminal justice agencies and professionals that provides on-line Internet access to a host of justice-related information, including impartial data on available software solutions and a comprehensive, interactive database of justice agency requests for proposals. The Clearinghouse provides access to the following: * The Automated Index of Criminal Justice Information Systems, a database about criminal justice software and agencies that have practical experience with automated systems. * IT Acquisition Database, a database containing information technology (IT) procurement documents issued by States to vendors for wide dissemination and for use as models by other justice agencies. * Integrated Justice Information Systems, a site that provides policy, operational, technical, and research information to the justice community about integrating their automated systems. It offers access to a database of State integration activities and information on best practices, case studies, Federal activities, technical solutions and other resources. For more information about the Clearinghouse call 916-392-2550, or send e-mail to . Justice, E-Government, and the Internet, a national conference cosponsored by BJS and SEARCH, was held in Dallas, Texas, on June 26-28, 2000. The conference brought together practitioners, executives, subject matter experts, government officials, and industry leaders from throughout the Nation. They participated in interactive discussions on a variety of issues associated with the Internet and World Wide Web, the fundamental changes in the way both private industry and government do business, and the implications for justice agencies. Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, compiled and maintained by the State University of New York at Albany, is available online at with continuously updated data from more than 150 sources. Database of State Activities and Research, maintained by the Justice Research and Statistics Association (JRSA), covers the activities of State criminal justice statistical agencies, including current Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) activities, research efforts and statistical programs, abstracts of SAC publications, information on publications in the JRSA library, and data from the SAC Skills Survey. The JRSA staff can search the database for specific topics using key words and provide printouts of search results. Contact JRSA by -- Internet at e-mail to telephone: 202-842-9330 Firearms Research Information System (FARIS) Also maintained by JRSA, FARIS contains abstracts of unpublished firearms-related information from surveys, research, evaluations and statistical reports. The purpose of FARIS is to provide researchers with information pertaining to ongoing firearms studies. The abstracted information contains key findings and summarizes issues examined. FARIS contains over 120 records. American Statistical Association's Guide to Abstracts and Bibliographies, located at , is designed to inform researchers and statisticians about BJS datasets they can use in their research. Abstracts and bibliographies of many studies that used BJS datasets are available on this site. To order BJS products Publications You may order single-copy paper versions of BJS publications through the Bureau of Justice Statistics Clearinghouse, a component of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). The latest BJS data releases are available 24 hours a day through the Internet and other electronic means. Order online If you have a forms-compatible browser, you can place your order directly through the Internet at the Online Order Form located at . Order via Internet e-mail Send a message with the name of the publication, the NCJ number, and your mailing address to . Order by telephone In the United States, the BJS Clearinghouse offers toll-free access at 1-800-732-3277. Order via Fax-on-Demand System Call 301-519-5550 to order from a touchtone menu that automatically faxes your selection to you. (Only shorter publications are on this system.) Order by FAX FAX your order to the clearinghouse at 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. Data files and codebooks Data files and codebooks are maintained at the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data and are available at no charge for search and download from the NACJD site on the Internet at . In addition to online Internet access, data files and codebooks can be requested by telephone or mail from the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data. Call or write -- National Archive of Criminal Justice Data ICPSR Institute for Social Research P.O. Box 1248 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 1-800-999-0960 1-313-763-5011 Ask Archive staff questions via e-mail at . U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics Jan M. Chaiken, Ph.D. Director Maureen A. Henneberg, Associate Director, prepared this report with the assistance of BJS program managers. Ellen Goldberg, Tom Hester, and Tina Dorsey edited and produced it. End of file 8/24/00 ih