BJS: Bureau of Justice Statistics

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Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
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The Prosecution and Adjudication Statistics Unit examines criminal and civil cases processed through the judicial system, as well as the organizations and the professionals that play key roles in the adjudication process. The unit also oversees several specialized projects that focus on specific crimes, offenders, and systems, such as cybercrimes and juveniles processed in state court systems.

BJS's Prosecution and Adjudication Unit also examines the work of offices and systems critical to the adjudication process, including indigent defense services, prosecutor offices, and state attorney general offices. Data from these offices provide estimates of staffing, caseloads, and expenditures associated with prosecuting and defending cases in the nation's courts.

BJS also sponsors projects that examine the adjudication of civil cases by bench or jury trial in a national sample of trial courts. These data provide information on the characteristics of plaintiffs and defendants as well as case processing and outcome characteristics, including post-verdict relief and appeals.

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Data Collections & Surveys

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Publications & Products


Tribal Crime Data-Collection Activities, 2020 Describes activities by the Bureau of Justice Statistics to collect and improve data on crime and justice in Indian country, including data-collection programs and activities during 2020.
  Full report (PDF 550K) | Data tables (Zip format)
Part of the Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities Series

Jurisdiction of State Attorneys General Offices over White-Collar Crime, 2014 This report describes the findings of the first Survey of State Attorneys General Offices, which collected information on jurisdiction, sources, and circumstances of white-collar crime cases.
  Full report (PDF 722K) | Data tables (Zip format 20K)

Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2016-18 Describes activities by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to collect and improve data on crime and justice in Indian country, as required by the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 (TLOA).
  Full report (PDF 377K)
Part of the Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities Series

State-Administered Indigent Defense Systems, 2013 Describes the methods for providing representation in criminal defense and civil, juvenile and appeals cases in 28 states and the District of Columbia.
  Summary (PDF 244K) | Full report (PDF 958K) | ASCII file (31K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format 31K)

Census of Problem-Solving Courts, 2012 Describes type, location, and characteristics of all known problem-solving courts active in 2012.
  Summary (PDF 217K) | Full report (PDF 1.1M) | ASCII file (37K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format 37K)

Criminal Appeals in State Courts Describes the characteristics of criminal appeals resolved in state appellate courts in 2010.
  Full report (PDF 973KB) | ASCII file (35KB) | CSV (Comma Separated Values) (Zip format 19KB)

State Government Indigent Defense Expenditures, FY 2008–2012 - Updated Provides data on state government indigent defense expenditures for fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
  Full report (PDF 997K) | ASCII file (38K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format 26K)

Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties, 2009 - Statistical Tables Presents data on felony defendants for cases filed in May 2009 and followed up for up to 1 year after filing (2 years for murder cases); statistics covered include arrest charges, demographic characteristics, criminal histories, pretrial processing, adjudication, and sentencing.
  Full report (PDF 2M) | ASCII file (49K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format 52K)
Part of the Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties Series

State Court Organization, 2011 Presents 2011 data on the organization and operations of state trial and appellate courts and examines trends from 1980 through 2011.
  Full report (PDF 1.8M) | ASCII file (23K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format 45K)
Part of the State Court Organization Series

Pretrial Detention and Misconduct in Federal District Courts, 1995-2010 Presents findings on general trends in pretrial detention and misconduct in the federal district courts between fiscal years 1995 and 2010.
  Full report (PDF 1.6M) | ASCII file (34K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format 11K)

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Terms & Definitions

Adjudication The act of a court in making an order, judgment, or decree.
 
Appellate Courts Any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal.
 
Assigned counsel The appointment from a list of private bar members who accept cases on a judge-by-judge, court-by-court, or case-by-case basis. This may include an administrative component and a set of rules and guidelines governing the appointment and processing of cases handled by the private bar members.
 
Bench trial (nonjury trial) A trial held in the absence of a jury and decided by a judge culminating in a judgment for the plaintiff(s) or defendant(s).
 
Capital cases Crimes that can result in a death penalty.
 
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Related Links

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