Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Role in Criminal Justice Data Collection and Dissemination
June 15, 2021
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Role in Criminal Justice Data
Collection and Dissemination
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), established in 1979,
Justice, that facilitate its mission to disseminate information
is an agency within the Department of Justice (DOJ), Office
on crime and criminal justice.
of Justice Programs (OJP). Its mission is “to collect,
analyze, publish, and disseminate information on crime,
The National Criminal Justice Reference Service provides
criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of
access to BJS and other OJP reports as well as to
justice systems at all levels of government. These data are
information specialists who can assist with criminal justice
critical to federal, state, and local policymakers in
statistics and data.
combating crime and ensuring that justice is both efficient
and evenhanded.” BJS facilitates its mission by operating
The National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) is
statistical, grant-making, and dissemination activities. Many
a source of archived datasets (from DOJ agencies as well as
BJS projects involve a combination of these activities. As
from scholars and researchers) on crime and criminal
debates over criminal justice in the United States continue
justice. It highlights data relating to national criminal
to unfold, policymakers may further examine BJS’ role in
justice statistics, such as data from the National Crime
data collection and dissemination to help inform these
Victimization Survey and the Annual Survey of Jails, as
discussions.
well as to special topics such as gangs, terrorism, and hate
crimes.
Statistical Activities
BJS publishes annual data on crime victimization,
The Federal Justice Statistics Resource Center compiles
corrections populations, and federal criminal offenders and
data from BJS’ Federal Justice Statistics Program on
case processing. The Criminal Justice Statistics Program is
suspects, defendants, and federal prisoners processed in the
the base program through which BJS seeks to achieve its
federal criminal justice system. It also has a Federal
mission.
Criminal Case Processing Statistics data tool to help users
analyze these data.
BJS also publishes periodic data on issues such as the
administration of law enforcement agencies and
BJS also supports the Infobase of State Activities and
correctional facilities, state court case processing,
Research, which is maintained by the Justice Research and
prosecutorial practices and policies, characteristics of
Statistics Association. It contains information about the
correctional populations, justice-system expenditures and
research, activities, and publications of the various state
employment, and special studies on criminal justice issues.
Statistical Analysis Centers, which conduct research and
For instance, the Survey of State Attorneys General Offices
analyze statistics on criminal justice issues at the state and
was specifically designed to collect data on special topics
local levels.
over which state Attorneys General have jurisdiction, such
as human trafficking and white collar crime.
Cross-Cutting Data Efforts
As noted, BJS’ base program is the Criminal Justice
Grant Activities
Statistics Program, which collects data on corrections, the
BJS administers a number of grant programs broadly aimed
federal justice system, tribal crime and justice, law
at enhancing the completeness, timeliness, accuracy, and
enforcement, prosecution and the judiciary, and
dissemination of criminal justice data. These include grants
victimization. BJS also participates in activities related to
to support programs for data collection and processing as
data collection and improvement outside of its base
well as statistical and methodological research. Grants can
program. These activities may include collaborations or
support state, local, or tribal governments, for profit and
grants with outside entities, such as the National Crime
nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher
Statistics Exchange Initiative (NCS-X), the National
education. For instance, the State Justice Statistics Program
Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), the
for Statistical Analysis Centers supports collection,
National Instant Criminal Background Check System
analysis, and dissemination of statistical information on
(NICS), the Record Improvement Program (NARIP), and
crime and criminal justice at the state and local levels, and
the Prison Rape Prevention and Prosecution Program.
the National Census of Victim Service Providers funds data
collection with research partners on the availability and use
As part of these programs, BJS uses several modes of data
of services targeted at supporting victims of crime or abuse.
collection including both BJS-managed collections and
those completed by outside agencies and grantees. BJS
Dissemination Activities
directly administers several studies; some of these are
BJS supports several programs, in some cases in
conducted annually (e.g., the Annual Survey of Jails) and
partnership with agencies such as the National Institute of
others periodically (e.g., Census of Local Jails). BJS also
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Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Role in Criminal Justice Data Col ection and Dissemination
receives and analyzes data collected by outside agencies
justice agencies, courts, and law enforcement; jails and
such as the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Marshals Service,
other correctional facilities; capital punishment and deaths
the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Executive Office
while in the custody of juvenile and criminal justice
for U.S. Attorneys, the Administrative Office of the U.S.
entities; parole and recidivism; firearms; appeals; juvenile
Courts, the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and the Bureau of
justice; and tribal justice.
Prisons.
BJS notes that it prioritizes using its base funding to
BJS publications often lag by a year or more after data
accomplish the following goals: collecting, analyzing, and
collection, which is typical for work with large datasets that
disseminating reliable and objective statistics on the United
require careful cleaning and analysis. For example, the
States’ criminal justice system; supporting state and local
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) collects nationwide
jurisdictions in improving their justice information systems;
crime statistics each year—starting in 2021, this is
collaborating with other government agencies and
conducted through its National Incident-Based Reporting
organizations to develop standards for justice statistics; and
System (NIBRS)—and the publication of these data
assessing the availability and adequacy of crime-related
typically occurs by the fall of the following year. The delay
data as well as opportunities to improve data collection and
on data releases and publications vary at BJS. For instance,
analyses.
BJS’ releases during the first five months of 2021 have
reported on data collected between 2000 and 2020. During
BJS does not collect, analyze, and disseminate data on
the remainder of 2021, BJS expects to publish products and
every criminal justice topic. And, initiating or expanding
third-party reports from data collections that occurred
BJS’ work in particular criminal justice areas to fill these
between 2012 and 2020.
gaps could be a significant undertaking that may require
additional funding or a diversion of resources from existing
Potential Barriers to Data Collection
projects. Some have expressed concern that BJS funding is
BJS has broad authority to collect, analyze, and disseminate
already insufficient to carry out current data collection,
information and statistics on crime and criminal justice. It
analysis, and dissemination duties in a timely manner and
may also make grants to or contract with outside entities to
that reported staffing shortages may contribute to this lag.
help carry out these activities. Nonetheless, BJS has
received criticism that its data collection efforts do not
MOA Challenges
capture the full scope of crime and functions of the criminal
As noted, BJS may make grants to or enter into contracts or
justice system and that data and related analyses might not
agreements with outside entities to help carry out data
be made available in a timely manner. Statutory authorities
collection and analysis. BJS may also request information
do not appear to be the barrier to data collection, analysis,
and data from federal agencies as needed to carry out the
and dissemination. Rather, some barriers may include
agency’s duties, and these agencies are required to provide
funding, priorities, and hurdles to establishing memoranda
the necessary information to BJS. For instance, under this
of agreement (MOA) with relevant entities.
authority BJS entered into an MOA with the FBI to
establish a BJS website containing the FBI’s Uniform
Funding
Crime Reporting (UCR) program data. The agreement
Although annual BJS funding has fluctuated, it has
allowed for a publicly available UCR Data Tool that
remained around $44.0 million annually over the past
facilitates the analysis of UCR data in furtherance of BJS’
decade. Congress provided $45.0 million for BJS for
mission.
FY2021 through the Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act (P.L. 116-260). A
Some have suggested that BJS establish MOA with federal
report from the Institute for Excellence in Government
agencies other than those with a traditional criminal justice
concluded that federal investment in BJS is not sufficient to
role in order to get a more comprehensive view of specific
meet its responsibilities and assessed that this investment is
criminal justice issue areas, such as white collar crime.
not equal to that made in other federal statistical agencies
Certain crimes can involve criminal, civil, and regulatory
such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
violations, and a comprehensive understanding of these
crimes might benefit from enforcement data in these
In addition to BJS’ own budget, those of partner agencies
various realms. Establishing MOAs with agencies for
and organizations may ultimately affect the availability and
sharing data could run up against certain hurdles such as
completeness of BJS statistics on crime and criminal
agencies’ reluctance to share data, agencies’ concerns over
justice. Many federal crime data collections, including
risk from external analysis of their data, prioritization of the
those directed by BJS, rely on the voluntary participation of
data sharing project, concerns about budgetary costs
state, local, and tribal governments and agencies. Data
involved in a data sharing project, challenges surrounding
collection activities, specifically those that are perceived by
establishing a BJS database to receive and analyze the data,
these entities to be difficult or costly, can take a back seat to
and concerns over data security, among others.
state and local concerns.
Emily J. Hanson, Analyst in Social Policy
Data Collection Priorities
Kristin Finklea, Specialist in Domestic Security
BJS collects data about a broad array of topics related to the
criminal justice system in the United States and Indian
IF11857
country. This includes information on incidences of crime;
offenders and victims of crime; operations of criminal
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Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Role in Criminal Justice Data Col ection and Dissemination
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