PRIVACY STATEMENT
Thank you for visiting the National Criminal Justice Reference Service Web site of the Office of Justice Programs at the Department of Justice and reviewing our privacy and security notice. We remind you that if you link to a site outside of the Department of Justice, you are subject to the policies of the new site.
Privacy
Here is how we handle information about your visit to our Web site:
A. Information Collected and Stored Automatically
If you visit our site to read or download information, we collect and store the following information about your visit:
- The name of the Internet domain (for example, "xcompany.com" if you use a private Internet access account, or "yourschool.edu" if you are connecting from a university's domain) and the IP address (a number that is automatically assigned to your computer when you are using the Internet) from which you access our site;
- The type of browser and operating system used to access our site;
- The date and time you access our site;
- The Internet address of the Web site from which you linked directly to our site; and
- The pages you visit and the information you request.
This information is primarily collected for statistical analysis and technical improvements to the site. This government computer system uses software programs to create summary statistics, which may be used for such purposes as assessing what information is of most and least interest, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas. In certain circumstances, however, we may take additional steps to identify you based on this information and we may share this information, including your identity, with other government agencies.
B. If You Send Us Personal Information
You do not have to provide any personal information to visit this Web site. If you choose to provide us with personal information, such as by sending an e-mail or by filling out a form and submitting it through our Web site, we will use that information to respond to your message or to fulfill the stated purpose of the communication.
We may share the information you give us with contractors acting on our behalf or with another government agency if your inquiry relates to that agency. In other limited circumstances, such as responses to requests from Congress and private individuals, we may be required by law to disclose information you submit.
Electronically submitted information is maintained and destroyed according to the principles of the Federal Records Act and the regulations and records schedules of the National Archives and Records Administration, and in some cases may be covered by the Privacy Act and subject to the Freedom of Information Act. A discussion of the FOIA can be found at http://www.justice.gov/oip/foia_guide09.htm and a discussion about the Privacy Act can be found at http://www.justice.gov/opcl/privacyact1974.htm.
Remember that e-mail is not necessarily secure against interception. If your communication is sensitive or includes personal information you may prefer to send it by postal mail instead.
C. COPPA
We believe in the importance of protecting the privacy of children online and do not knowingly contact or collect personal information from children under 13. Our site is not intended to solicit information of any kind from children under 13.
D. Cookies
Website measurement and customization technologies (commonly called “cookies") are small bits of text that are downloaded to your internet browser when you visit a website. The Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization Technologies defines conditions under which Federal agencies may use session and persistent cookies, and categorizes them in “tiers” to identify their characteristics. You may control permissions for cookies on this or any other website by adjusting your individual browser settings for customized privacy protection – see http://www.usa.gov/optout-instructions.shtml for helpful guidance. You can still use Department websites if you do not accept the cookies, but you may be unable to use certain cookie-dependent features.
Session cookies
Session cookies are not stored on your computer’s hard drive, and are removed when you complete your session or exit the site. Some Department websites use these “Tier 1” session cookies to provide streamlined navigation and statistical analysis. No personally identifying information is gathered.
Persistent cookies
Certain Department websites use “Tier 2” persistent cookies that remain on your computer’s hard drive after you complete an activity. For example, some Department websites use persistent cookies in association with a voluntary customer satisfaction survey conducted by a third party, Foresee Results™. These surveys obtain feedback and data regarding visitors’ satisfaction with our websites, but they do not collect any personally identifying information. If you are randomly selected to participate in this survey, a persistent cookie may be stored on your computer’s hard drive for 30 to 90 days to preclude a new invitation during that time. Some Department websites also use persistent cookies to enable a Google Analytics or Webtrends program to measure how new and returning visitors use our websites over time. These persistent cookies do not collect any personally identifying information, and the information that is collected is only used to improve our websites.
Security
For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this Government computer system employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Anyone using this system expressly consents to such monitoring and is advised that if such monitoring reveals evidence of possible abuse or criminal activity, such evidence may be provided to appropriate law enforcement officials. Unauthorized attempts to upload or change information on this server are strictly prohibited and may be punishable by law, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996.
Disclaimers
NCJRS tries to keep the information on this Web site timely and accurate, but we cannot guarantee either. Errors brought to our attention are corrected as soon as possible.
Some of the documents on this Web site contain live references, or pointers, to information created and maintained by other organizations. Please note that we do not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, accuracy, or even the existence of these outside materials.
The information available on this Web site has been composed in a manner thought to be compatible with client software likely to be used to access the server. The final appearance of the documents, however, is dependent on the client software as implemented at the user's Web site. User feedback on the appearance of information across various clients is appreciated.
The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Government.
Reference herein to any specific commercial products, processes, or services by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government.
The information and statements contained on this Web site shall not be used for the purposes of advertising, nor to imply the endorsement or recommendation of the United States Government.
With respect to documents available from this Web site, neither the United States Government nor any of its employees make any warranty, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Further, neither the United States Government nor any of its employees assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product or process disclosed; nor do they represent that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.
Copyright Status
The United States Government retains a non-exclusive, irrevocable, and royalty-free license to publish or reproduce these documents for U.S. Government purposes, or to allow others to do so.
These documents may be freely distributed and used for non-commercial, scientific and educational purposes. Commercial use of the documents available from this server may be protected under U.S. and foreign copyright laws. If you wish to publish or reproduce these documents for commercial purposes, please contact us with your request.
Individual documents on this server may have different copyright conditions, and that fact will be noted with those documents.
