Research Guides: Criminal Justice: Government Data

Handbook of Crime Correlates

Measuring Crime : Behind the Statistics

Statistics in Criminology and Criminal Justice

Data.gov
Data.gov is the home of the U.S. Government’s open data. You can find Federal, state and local data, tools, and resources to conduct research, build apps, design data visualizations, and more.
Federal Statistical System
Statistical programs of the Federal government
How Crime in the United States Is Measured
a Congressional Research Service reports (2008)

Crash Course Statistics
a video series from Crash Course
Desmos

50-State Crime Data
Crime data visualizations by state from The Council of State Governments
Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics
For over 40 years, Sourcebook has served as a standard reference tool in the field of criminal justice.

National Crime Statistics

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Bureau of Justice Statistics
To collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government. These data are critical to federal, state, and local policymakers in combating crime and ensuring that justice is both efficient and evenhanded.

Using BJS

For issue-specific information, browse the Topics section of the website. In addition, users can browse Publications & Products for detailed reports. Analysis and reports of government departments and services can be found under the Programs & Initiatives tab. BJS's Data Analysis Tools are topical visualizations that allow users to toggle variables. Users do not need to analyze raw data to use these resources.

NCJRS

The National Criminal Justice Reference Service Virtual Library is the portal for accessing research reports and educational materials from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

NCVS

The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is an annual survey of that aims to collect data on victims of crime since 1973. Users can analyze the questions asked, published reports, and raw data.

U.S. Census Bureau

The Census is a decennial survey of the United States population. It has been conducted every 10 years since 1790.

Encyclopedia of the U.S. Census by Margo Anderson (Editor)
Publication Date: 2012
Guide to the Census by Frank Bass
Publication Date: 2013

U.S. Census Bureau
American Fact Finder
"Your source for population, housing, economic, and geographic data." Offered by the Census Bureau.

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Bureau of Investigation
FBI's Crime Data Explorer (CDE)
The portal for access to statistical information and data visualization from the FBI

Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR)

"The UCR Program consists of four data collections: The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), the Summary Reporting System (SRS), the Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, and the Hate Crime Statistics Program. " (FBI.gov). Users can examine these collections separately or in combination. The UCR is published as annual reports. The primary analysis tool is the Crime Data Explorer, which provides visualizations and dashboards. Users can also download raw datasets.

Pennsylvania UCR

National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)

The NIBRS is a newer, more detailed crime log system designed to support law enforcement. Users can browse annual publications and view manuals but data is not made available in raw form or in collections.