Federal Justice Statistics Analytic Resorce Center

The Bureau of Justice Statistic’s (BJS) Federal Justice Statistics Program (FJSP) collects, standardizes, and publishes statistics about the federal response to crime and the operation of the federal criminal justice system. BJS seeks an agent to implement the Federal Justice Statistics Analytic Resource Center (FJSARC) project. This project is designed to provide scientific and technical support to BJS for methodological research, statistical analysis, and reporting of findings using data from the FJSP. The FJSP produces annual, cross-sectional data files (Standard Analysis Files, or SAFs), which represent the federal criminal case processing stages from arrest and prosecution through pretrial release, adjudication, sentencing, appeals, and corrections. This collection is also used as the basis to link data files and permit analysis of offender cohorts as they progress through the federal criminal case process. The proposed project will identify and retain the support of substantive and methodological experts as affiliates to assist in project tasks. The two priority areas are 1) demonstrating how the federal data, especially the linked data, can be used to address pressing substantive questions; and 2) assessing the primary shortcomings of the FJSP data for federal criminal justice statistical reporting purposes, and proposing and implementing methodological solutions to address these issues. The successful applicant will provide a well-organized staffing plan that will be responsive to BJS’s changing priorities by adapting quickly to substantive shifts in tasks. The FJSARC will advise and educate BJS staff in methodologies to improve the rigor of measuring the federal response to crime, including identifying and quantifying the impact of gaps in the federal data and forwarding ways to address issues such as selection bias and imputation of missing data. The successful applicant will also employ advanced techniques to analyze longitudinal and cross-sectional data to improve an understanding of the federal criminal case process. BJS is authorized to issue this solicitation under 42 U.S.C. § 3732(c). The successful applicant will receive all relevant SAFs and Dyad Link File data and documentation files developed by the FJSP for project tasks.