Learn more about BJS’s activities in December 2024! Click on the headings below for details.
2025 Publications Calendar
BJS has released its publications list for calendar year 2025.
Access 2023 prison statistics before the annual prisons report release
BJS released Prisons Report Series: Preliminary Data Release, 2023. This web report provides preliminary statistics on key items from the annual prisons data collection. The statistics feature information on all incarcerated individuals under the jurisdiction of state and federal correctional authorities and those sentenced to more than 1 year under the same authorities. This preliminary release includes counts from 2013 through 2023 and a year-to-year comparison of 2022 and 2023 by jurisdiction and the sex of persons who were incarcerated. Final statistics will be published in Prisoners in 2023 – Statistical Tables (forthcoming).
View 2022 findings on capital punishment collected through the National Prisoner Statistics program
BJS released Capital Punishment, 2022 – Statistical Tables. This report presents statistics on prisoners who were under sentence of death in 2022 and historical trends in executions. It describes which jurisdictions carried out an execution in 2022 and includes advance counts of 2023 executions. The report also presents the demographics (including sex, race and ethnicity, age, education, and marital status) and criminal history of persons under sentence of death. A summary of changes to state and federal death penalty laws during 2022 and tables showing state and federal capital offenses accompany the report as separate attachments. BJS collects information about capital punishment each year through the National Prisoner Statistics program.
Access statistics on human trafficking incidents and victimizations in 2022
BJS released Human Trafficking Incidents Reported by Law Enforcement, 2022 – Statistical Tables. This report analyzes the types of human trafficking (labor trafficking and sex trafficking) that occurred in 2022 and provides statistics on the number of incidents and victimizations by type, with breakdowns by sex, age, race, location, and weapon type. It also includes statistics that show incident clearance types, numbers of offenders per incident, numbers of victims per incident, and the relationship of alleged offenders to victims. Findings are based on crime known to law enforcement that was reported to the FBI via the National Incident-Based Reporting System.
New report available on NLEAD records and usage
BJS released National Law Enforcement Accountability Database, 2018–2023. This report describes the purpose for developing the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database (NLEAD), a centralized repository of official records documenting instances of law enforcement officer misconduct as well as commendations and awards to help inform hiring, job assignment, and promotion decisions. It also provides statistics on the NLEAD’s records, the federal law enforcement officers included, and its usage. This is the first annual report, and it covers NLEAD records for events occurring in calendar years 2018 to 2023 and usage of the NLEAD from January 1, 2024 to August 31, 2024.
Launched on December 18, 2023, the NLEAD was established in accordance with Section 5 of Executive Order 14074, Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices To Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety. The Department of Justice’s Justice Management Division was given responsibility for developing and maintaining the NLEAD, and BJS was given responsibility for producing the annual report.
New report presents federal prisoner statistics
BJS released Federal Prisoner Statistics Collected Under the First Step Act, 2024, a report required by the First Step Act of 2018 (FSA; P.L. 115-391). It details select characteristics of persons in prison, including marital, veteran, citizenship, and English-speaking status; education levels; medical conditions; and participation in treatment programs. It also includes statistics BJS is required to report at the facility level, such as the number of assaults on staff by prisoners, prisoners’ violations of rules that resulted in time credit reductions, and selected facility characteristics related to accreditation, on-site health care, remote learning, video conferencing, and costs of prisoners’ phone calls.
Findings in the report derive from data collected by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) and provided to BJS. BJS supplemented FBOP data with data from its 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates and National Prisoner Statistics program’s Summary of Sentenced Population Movement.
Access 2023 NIBRS extract files through NACJD
BJS released the 2023 National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) extract files through the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD). The NIBRS data that law enforcement agencies report to the FBI serve as the principal source of information on criminal incidents and arrests recorded by law enforcement agencies in the United States. BJS developed these extract files to provide user access to NIBRS data that have been reconfigured for use with widely available analytics software. Users can access incident details and explore data on victims, persons arrested, and the police clearance of criminal incidents. BJS supports the archiving of these files through NACJD to facilitate access to the NIBRS data by researchers, academics, students, and the public.
Apply now for the Supervisory Management and Program Analyst position
BJS is hiring a Supervisory Management and Program Analyst, GS-0343-14, for the Planning, Management, and Budget Unit. Job responsibilities include:
- leading the development of the organization's budget formulation documents, including program summaries, agency achievements, and key program priorities
- assessing, monitoring, and overseeing the allocation of programmatic and management and administration (M&A) funds
- developing, preparing, analyzing, and verifying both short-term and long-term budget estimates to support the organization's programmatic objectives and goals
- planning and coordinating the presentation of both annual and long-term budgets for the organization's administered programs.
Applications are due by Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Read the full job description and apply today!
Apply now for the Lead Technical Writer-Editor position
BJS is hiring a Lead Technical Writer-Editor (LTWE), GS-1083-14, for the Communications Unit. The LTWE plays a key role in advancing BJS’s publishing activities. Job duties include:
working with the supervisor to integrate the organization’s strategic plan, mission, vision, and values into the team’s goals and work products, clearly defining project assignments, milestones, and deadlines
- serving as a coach and facilitator to resolve challenges and foster collaboration within the team
- collaborating with the supervisor, other editors, authors, and other reviewers to refine and rewrite content, ensuring clarity and accessibility of complex information, especially for non-technical audiences such as policymakers, practitioners, media, and the public
- establishing and maintaining an efficient workflow for document preparation, review, and approval, collaborating with authors, team members, contractors, reviewers, and stakeholders to promote smooth production of materials.
Applications are due by Thursday, January 9, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET. Read the full job description and apply today!
Youth and the Justice System Webinar
BJS and the National Institute of Justice presented official statistics on youth and the justice system using key data collections administered by the agencies. Presenters covered the latest statistical information on various youth justice topics, including youth victims of violent crime, trends in youth arrest rates, and youth in residential placement facilities. A discussant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention concluded the webinar with insights on these findings from a programmatic perspective.
Access previous Months in Review. Subscribe to JUSTSTATS to receive real-time updates from BJS.