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Justice Agencies in the United States - Summary Report 1980

NCJ Number
78993
Date Published
1981
Length
76 pages
Annotation
This report is designed as a ready reference for summary data on the number, type, and basic characteristics of Federal, State, and local criminal and civil justice agencies in the United States. Data are based on surveys and censuses conducted between 1975 and 1979.
Abstract

The text begins with a general overview of State and local criminal and civil justice agencies, with summaries of the number of such agencies by type of administration and sector and of changes in the number of these agencies since 1975. A more detailed description of agencies in each justice sector is accompanied by data tables, and a brief description of Federal and Indian tribal justice agencies follows. The methodology section covers the historical development of the list, coverage and classification of agencies, and data limitations. Information on how to obtain the names and addresses of individual agencies is given. The main tables present summary and sector agency counts by State, level and size of government and selected characteristics. Definitions and a user's guide are appended. The report indicates that most justice agencies listed are local government agencies, that almost all general purpose police forces are at the municipal and township levels of government, that there are slightly over 8,000 State and local prosecution and civil attorney agencies, and that most State and local public defender agencies are administered at the county level. In addition, there are over 17,000 courts and related agencies; close to 3,600 State and local government agencies with responsibility for probation, parole, or some combination of the two; and about 3,500 local adult correctional facilities. Most State and local criminal justice agencies that do not fall within a major justice sector are criminal justice planning and statistical agencies. Graphs and extensive tables are provided. (Author abstract modified)