ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 1:00  P.M. EDT              BJS
TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1999                    202/307-0784                 
         
AN ESTIMATED 312,000 HANDGUN SALES BLOCKED
DURING THE 1994-1998 BRADY INTERIM PERIOD

     WASHINGTON, D.C.   An estimated 312,000 felons,
fugitives and other prohibited people were prevented
from buying handguns during the Brady Act's interim
period from March 1, 1994, through November 29, 1998,
the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics
(BJS) announced today...

Justice Department Awards Over $42 Million to Improve Criminal History Records

Funds Enhance Identification of Ineligible Gun Purchasers and Sex Offenders

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20—The Justice Department today is awarding more than $42 million to 55 states and territories to continue automating and improving the quality of criminal history records, which can help law enforcement with background checks for guns and other purposes. The awards mark...

More Than 200,000 Firearms Applications Rejected in 1999
Defendants Charged with Federal Firearms Offenses Increased from 1998 to 1999

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Approximately 536,000 of the more than 22.2 million individual applications to purchase or pawn firearms have been rejected based on federal, state or local laws since the inception of the Brady Act...

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCES $40 MILLION TO ENHANCE STATES' CRIMINAL JUSTICE RECORDS

WASHINGTON, DC—The Justice Department announced today that it is awarding $40 million (See chart attached) to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality and accessibility of the nation's criminal record systems. Since 1995, awards have totaled over $354 million and have gone to all states.

Funding, which is provided under...

FIREARM SALES REJECTION RATE IN 2001 SIMILAR TO PRIOR YEARS

An Estimated 8 Million Prospective Purchasers Checked

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today that nearly 2 percent of the 8 million applications made by U.S. residents to purchase or transfer firearms were rejected in 2001...

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AWARDS OVER $36 MILLION TO IMPROVE CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEMS

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Department of Justice announced today that it is awarding over $36 million to the 50 states, District of Columbia, and three territories to improve the quality and accessibility of the nation�s criminal history record systems. States can use the funds for a variety of purposes, including to strengthen their criminal...

BACKGROUND CHECKS BLOCKED 136,000 GUN PURCHASES IN 2002

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The National Instant Criminal Background Check System last year rejected 136,000 applications from among the more than 7.8 million applications to buy or transfer a firearm, a 1.7 percent rejection rate, the Justice Department's Bureau...

ABOUT 7.8 MILLION FIREARMS APPLICATIONS APPROVED LAST YEAR 126,000 FIREARMS APPLICATIONS REJECTED

WASHINGTON, D.C.- About 1.6 percent of the approximately 7,831,000 applications for firearm transfers or permits were denied by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or state or local agencies during...

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCES $31 MILLION TO ENHANCE STATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE RECORDS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department today announced $31 million in awards to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality and accessibility of the nation's criminal record systems. Since 1995...

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AWARDS $26 MILLION TO ENHANCE
STATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE RECORDS

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Department of Justice today announced awards of $26 million to state agencies and tribes to improve the completeness, quality and accessibility of the nation's criminal record systems. Of this amount...

JUSTICE AWARDS $11 MILLION TO ENHANCE STATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE RECORDS

WASHINGTON—The Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) today announced almost $11 million in awards to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality and accessibility of the nation's criminal record...