Ordering Data

Special Order Projects

Most users find their information needs are met with TRAC's on-line services. But if you have a very specialized need, TRAC also undertakes projects by special order:

Special analyses. Specialized compilations and tabular analyses can be prepared to a user's specifications from TRAC's existing knowledge bases. Charges vary depending upon work involved.

Web tables and dynamic query tools. For individuals who prefer to receive their special orders via the web, individualized web sites can be prepared presenting the results of a special analysis. In addition, dynamic query tools can be provided to allow users direct access to their specially created databases for their own analyses. For example, using TRAC's criminal enforcement databases, separate tables can be prepared covering referrals, prosecutions, referrals not prosecuted (declined), convictions, not convicted, and sentencing. The detailed referral-by-referral tabular tables can include hot links to the actual statutory law for the lead charge, as well as built-in links to descriptive information about each field and the codes used. A sample detailed table of convictions and a sample table of referrals declined for 1995 covering the Northern District of New York (Syracuse) can be viewed on-line.

TRAC Knowledge Bases. TRAC focuses on federal government staffing, spending and enforcement activities. On federal enforcement, data on criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement are available. You may find a review of TRAC's quick start guide helpful in providing an overview, as well as links to more detailed descriptions of TRAC data.

As a sample, below is a description of TRAC's criminal enforcement information.

      TRAC's Criminal Enforcement:

Detailed information on criminal enforcement for an individual federal judicial district is currently available electronically for fiscal years 1986 through 2001, and then monthly for more recent periods. Fiscal 1974 - 1985 data are also available by special order. This information is available on both a summary and a referral-by-referral basis. For each referral federal prosecutors record 81 fields of information. Key fields include:

  • date the referral was received
  • date prosecution was filed
  • federal judicial district
  • referral (investigative) agency (list of available agencies)
  • lead charge (US Code Title and Section)
  • Justice program category (list of categories available classifying offense such as tax fraud, local official corruption, financial institution fraud, etc.)
  • Attorney General priority (national, district, local, not a priority)
  • disposition type and reason (codes indicating both types of disposition (declination, prosecuted and found guilty, etc.) and reason or nature of disposition (declined because of weak evidence, lack of prosecutorial resources, found guilty by jury trial, etc.))
  • disposition date
  • initials of assistant U.S. Attorney handling the referral
  • initials of judge handling the case
  • prison sentence in months
  • probation sentence in months
  • fine amount in dollars
A complete list of the 81 "detail" information fields contained in these referral-by-referral detail files can be viewed on this Web site. Note that the names of defendants are not included. The Justice Department withheld this information.

Also available, are a series of summary files on each federal judicial district providing comparative counts, rates, and ranks on how each district compares on a large number of criminal enforcement indicators from the time it takes to prosecute a case, to the average prison sentence. A list of the 80 "summary" information fields contained in these summary files can be viewed on this Web site. The Data Dictionary for Summary Files is also available on-line. Additional summary files are available which provide detail by lead charge, program, and investigatory agency.

Placing Special Orders

Placing an order. To receive a price quote for specialized work , email trac@syr.edu or call (315) 443-3563.

Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, Syracuse University
Copyright 2002