Criminal Justice Resources

What’s the next best thing to having all the answers?

Knowing where to find them!

This presentation is by no means exhaustive, but it will help you get started in your quest for information!

The Internet

There is an incredible amount of criminal justice information available on the internet.

The Search

The first step is to identify the type of information you need.

This may not be as easy as it sounds. . .

The Search

One of the best sites to begin a search is the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, referred to as NCJRS.

http://ncjrs.gov/

Think of this site as a repository for government publications, grant work products and reports and myriad other resources.

NCJRS

You can search alphabetically or by topic:

Corrections

Courts

Crime

Crime Prevention

Drugs

Justice System

Juvenile Justice

Law Enforcement

Victims

NCJRS

In the Spotlight

Many topics are covered in this special feature: Club Drugs

Drug Courts

Family Violence

Forensic Science

Gangs

Hate Crime

Identity Theft

NCJRS

Here is an example of this feature In the Spotlight: Drug Courts

Included are the following: Summary

Facts & Figures

Legislation

Publications

Programs Training & Technical Assistance

Grants & Funding

Related Resources

NCJRS

The NCJRS site also includes: Q & A

Grants and Funding

Criminal Justice Events (such as training and seminars)

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

http://www.justice.gov/

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

The U.S. Department of Justice encompasses many agencies, including:

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Community Oriented Policing Services

Drug Enforcement Administration

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Bureau of Prisons

U.S. Marshals Service

U.S. Parole Commission

Department of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created by the USA PATRIOT Act

Like the Department of Justice, many agencies make up DHS, including:

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

Transportation Security Administration

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

U.S. Secret Service

Department of Homeland Security

You can find links for all of these agencies at http://www.dhs.gov/

HINT

Government agency websites will usually have a gov suffix.

http://www.justice.gov/

This will help you to ascertain whether the information presented is reliable.

Law Enforcement Resources

Law Enforcement Information and Statistics NCJRS

Agency Websites

Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

Law Enforcement Resources

Law Enforcement Information and Statistics - Nonprofit Organizations

Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) http://www.policeforum.org/

International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) http://www.theiacp.org/

National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA)

http://www.sheriffs.org/

Police Foundation

http://www.policefoundation.org/

Law Enforcement Resources

Law Enforcement Information and Statistics continued State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies

www.officer.com This website lists thousands of state and local agency websites.

Court Resources

Federal Courts http://www.uscourts.gov/

You will find links to: U.S. Supreme Court

U.S. Courts of Appeals

U.S. District Courts

U.S. Bankruptcy Court

Court Resources

U.S. Supreme Court http://www.supremecourtus.gov/

Supreme Court Cases Supreme Court site

The Oyez Project

http://oyez.org/

This is a great site to find easy-to-understand information about Supreme Court decisions

Court Resources

Oyez Project The Oyez Project provides the following information:

Facts of the Case

Question

Conclusion

Decisions

Court Resources

Court Information and Statistics NCJRS

United States Sentencing Commission http://www.ussc.gov/

Court Resources

Court Information and Statistics - Nonprofit Organizations

American Bar Association (ABA) http://www.abanet.org/

Includes state court websites

National Center for State Courts (NSCS)

http://www.ncsc.org

Court Resources

Court Information and Statistics – Government Agencies

NCJRS

United States Sentencing Commission

http://www.ussc.gov/

Court Resources

Court Information and Statistics - Nonprofit Organizations

American Bar Association (ABA) http://www.abanet.org/

Includes state court websites

National Center for State Courts (NSCS)

http://www.ncsc.org

The Sentencing Project

http://www.sentencingproject.org

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) http://www.aclu.org/

Corrections Resources

Corrections Information and Statistics NCJRS

Bureau of Prisons (BOP) http://www.bop.gov/

National Institute of Corrections (NIC) http://www.nicic.org/

Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)

Corrections Resources

Corrections Information and Statistics – Nonprofit Organizations

American Correctional Association (ACA) http://www.aca.org/

Includes websites of all state correctional agencies

American Jail Association (AJA)

http://www.corrections.com/aja/

American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) http://www.appa-net.org

Juvenile Justice Resources

Juvenile Justice Information and Statistics NCJRS

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)

http://www.ojjdp.gov/

Miscellaneous

http://www.afterschool.gov/

Juvenile Justice Resources

Juvenile Justice Information and Statistics – Nonprofit Organizations

Annie E. Casey Foundation http://www.aecf.org

Miscellaneous Resources

Miscellaneous Information and Statistics – Nonprofit Organizations

Pew Charitable Trusts http://www.pewtrusts.org/

Beware of Collaborative Sites!

Some popular sites are written by everyone and anyone! These sites may or may not contain accurate information and therefore may not be used for this course.

Some of these include: Wikipedia (and other “wiki” sites)

Wisegeek.com

About.com

Infoplease.com

Other Types of Sites to Avoid

In addition to collaborative sites, here are a few other reminders:

No blogs or letters to the editor

Sites such as dictionary.com are helpful but they do not “count” as one of your sources (You still need to cite them)

Textbooks also do nt “count” as one of your sources (You still need to cite them)

Good luck in your search for knowledge and information!

“The journey is as important as the

destination”