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Major Agency Web Sites
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (U.S.)
As the principle investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI is responsible for gathering evidence, locating witnesses, and apprehending suspects in cases involving federal jurisdiction. Also provides law enforcement leadership and assistance to local and international law enforcement agencies. Gathers and published statistics on crime from local law enforcement agencies.
- Justice Department (U.S.)
Protects the public against crime and subversion, ensures healthy business competition, and enforces drug, immigration and naturalization laws.
- Supreme Court of the United States
The final legal authority on questions of the constitutionality of federal laws. Information about the Supreme Court's rulings or opinions, its docket or schedule of cases and related information.
- Criminal Justice Services Department (Virginia)
Offers a directory of all criminal justice agencies in Virginia and information about programs relating to prisons, parole, crime prevention, officer training and forensic science.
- State Police Department (Virginia)
For Virginia crime data, the sex offender registry, and data on firearms transactions.
Statistics
- Bureau of Justice Statistics
The major federal statistical site for data on crime, criminals, victims, and the criminal justice system.
- Compendium of Federal Justice Statistics 2002
Latest Information about all aspects of processing in the federal criminal justice systems including number of investigations, persons prosecuted, convicted and acquitted, and correctional populations.
- Crime and Justice Data Online
Interactive database of crime, homicide, and law enforcement management data from various sources sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Permits selection of variables including state(s), characteristics of victims, etc.
- Crime in Virginia
Data on crimes, arrests, the value of property stolen and recovered, and assaults on law enforcement officers. The best single source for crime data for Virginia.
- Crime in the Commonwealth 1988-1998
Shows trends in crime in Virginia. Sections on violent, property, and drug crime, victims of crime, and policy responses to crime in the state. From the Criminal Justice Research Center of the Department of Criminal Justice Services. For recent years, see Crime in Virginia
- Crime in the United States (Uniform Crime Reports)
Annual collection of crime data from local law enforcement departments. Accompanied by data on hate crimes and Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Injured.
- Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics Online
Data on crime, criminals, the criminal justice system, and public attitudes toward crime. Issued by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and hosted on the web by the State University of New York at Albany.
Periodicals
- FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin
Articles on law enforcement techniques, activities, and issues
- FOIA Update
Justice Department newsletter with information about developments affecting the Freedom of Information Act
- The Third Branch
Articles from the monthly newsletter of the federal courts.
Capital Punishment
- Capital Punishment
Presents characteristics of persons under sentence of death at year's end and of persons executed during the most recent year for which data is available. Other information includes historical table on executions in the U.S. since 1930. ( Link is to Publications page, then click on "C" section).
Clemency
- Presidential Clemency Actions 1900 to date
Offers statistics on presidential pardons by fiscal year from 1900 to 1945 and by administration from 1945 to date. From the Office of the Pardon Attorney in the Department of Justice.
Computers and Crime
- Cybercrime.gov
Offers general information, press releases, documents, policy, cases, and laws relating to computer crime, like hacking, and intellectual property crime. From the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice.
- Internet Crime Complaint Center
Serves as resource for reporting suspected criminal activity on the Internet to law enforcement authorities. Also offers annual data on current cyber crime. Sponsored by the FBI and National White Collar Crime Center.
Corrections
- Correctional Populations in the U.S.
Jurisdiction-level counts of prisoners, probationers, and parolees, by gender, race, Hispanic origin, admission type, release type, and sentence length. Data at jail level also includes the total jail capacity and percent occupied at midyear. The tables also include data on characteristics of inmates under a sentence of death, reported separately for those who entered prison and those who were removed from under a death sentence during the year. Finally, the tables include detailed data on correctional facilities operated by the U.S. military and characteristics of persons confined in them at yearend. From the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
- Jail Statistics
Summarizes latest information about jail facilities and jail inmates. Also has links to related data documents on prisons and jails. From the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
- Probation and Parole in the United States 2003
Data on the number of persons on probation and parole by state with sex, race, and Hispanic origin characteristics. Also offers comparative data for previous periods.. From the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Courts
- Alt Law
Offers the full text of Supreme Court and federal Courts of Appeal decisions. Plans call for coverage of all Supreme Court decisions from the beginning and Appeals Court decisions from 1950. From the law schools of Columbia University and the University of Colorado.
- Court Organization Statistics
Information and data on state court organization including types of courts, methods of operation, administration, jurisdiction, judicial selection, governance, funding, characteristics of jury system, and sentences. From the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
- Federal Criminal Case Processing, 2001: With Trends 1982-2001
Covers number of arrests for federal offenses, number of defendants in cases in U.S. district courts, disposition of cases, sentences imposed, number of persons under correctional supervision and trends. From the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
- Flite: Federal Legal Information through Electronics
A database of over 7,000 Supreme Court decisions, 1937-1975, offered by the National Technical Information Service's FedWorld site.
- History of Federal Judgeships: U.S. Courts of Appeals and U.S. District Courts
Documents the process for adding judgeships and forwarding recommendations to Congress for federal courts. Also includes historic information on authorized judgeships for all courts and judgeship appointments by presidents since 1933. From the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
- History of the Federal Judiciary
Biographical information about Presidentially-appointed judges, legislative histories of the federal courts and circuits, lists of judges, texts of major court-related laws and more. From the Federal Judicial Center.
- Judicial Facts and Figures
Data on the historical caseload of the U.S. Courts of Appeal, U.S. District Courts and U.S. Bankruptcy Courts from 1988 to date. Covers both civil and criminal cases. From the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
- The Proceedings of the Old Bailey London 1674 to 1834
Transcriptions of more than 22,000 criminal trials held at London's Central Criminal Court. A work in progress with coverage limited to the 18th century as of summer 2003. Coverage planned for over 100,000 trials when complete. From the Universities of Sheffield and Hertfordshire.
- Supreme Court Decisions
Full text of Supreme Court cases decided in the period 1990 to date. From the Cornell University Law School.
- Understanding the Federal Courts
Compendium of information about the administrative structure and jurisdictional responsibilities of the federal courts. Also features directory of federal district and appellate courts and a list of legal terms. From the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Crime Reporting Systems
Crime Research Databases
- Crime and Justice Electronic Data Abstracts
Offers crime, courts, and corrections data in spreadsheet format on various topics for various time periods and geographic areas. Sponsored by Bureau of Justice Statistics.
- FBI FOIA Electronic Reading Room
Offers documents released to the public under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Items selected as being "of public interest" and organized by categories such as "Famous Persons," "Espionage," and "Gangster Era."
- Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety
A collection of resources on the use of Geographic Information Systems software for mapping crime patterns. Includes conference papers, government agency reports, a bibliography, descriptions of crime mapping software, and links to other government agencies with crime data and maps on the Internet. From the National Institute for Justice.
- National Criminal Justice Reference Service
Offers access to full text reports, data and grants on all aspects of criminal justice. Also offers access to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts Database.
- National Criminal Justice Reference Service View All Topics
A to Z index of crime, courts, and corrections topics within the NCJRS system.
- NCJRS Abstracts Database
Offers online abstracts for more than 195,000 criminal justice publications, including books, research reports, journal articles, and unpublished research at the federal, state, and local level. Sponsored by the National Criminal Justice Reference Service.
- NCJRS Virtual Library Advanced Search
Searches a database of 7,000 full-text online publications of the Justice Department and the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Sponsored by the National Criminal Justice Reference Service.
- Special Reports, Office of the Inspector General, Department of Justice
Links to special reports from 1996 to date including some of the most publicized Justice Department reports dealing with terrorism, the FBI, spying and immigration matters.
- TRAC FBI
A nongovernment, nonpartisan research center at Syracuse University, the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse gathers data about FBI enforcement activities, policies and trends. Page also links to similar TRAC sites for the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Crime Victims
- Criminal Victimization 2003
Presents estimates of national levels and rates of personal and property victimization for the year 2003. Also includes characteristics of crime victims, victim-offender relationship, use of weapons, reports to police and data on historic trends. From the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Criminals
- FBI's Most Wanted Fugitives
Information on the ten most wanted fugitives plus other fugitives, crime alerts, and missing persons.
- Federal Justice Statistics Resource Center
Comprehensive information about suspects and defendants processed in each stage of the Federal criminal justice system from the Federal Justice Statistics Program Database. Sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Drugs and Crime
- Drugs and Crime Facts
A summary of U.S. statistics on drug-related crime and its effect on law enforcement, the courts, and the prison system.
- National Drug Control Strategy
Annual document which outlines the fight against drugs waged by the President's Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Firearms
Forensics
Homicide
- Homicide Trends in the United States
Charts and data that describe homicide trends since 1976 including geographic and demographic characteristics, weapons trends, and trends involving special groups such as infants, elders, intimates, and law enforcement officers. Updated periodically. From the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Identity Theft
Military Justice
PATRIOT Act/Surveillance
- Wiretap Report 2003
Annual report on number and nature of federal and state applications for orders approving wiretaps. Includes information on arrests/convictions from wiretaps in prior years. From the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Schools and Crime
Sex and Crime
