u.s. Department of Justice 

Bureau of Justice Statistics 

% 

Justice expenditure and employment in the U.S., 1979 

December 1980, BB-18a, NCJ-73288 

Preliminary report 

The 1979 survey of public expenditure 

and employmentfor civil and criminal justice 

activities in the United States showed that 

expenditure in Fiscal Year 1979 amounted 

to $26 billion, an increase of $1.8 billion 

(7.4 percent) over Fiscal Year 1978. 

Increases in direct expenditure occurred at 

all levels of government, with State 

governments registering a 9.8 percent 

increase over 1978, followed by local 

governments (up 6.8 percent) and the Federal 

Government (up 4.7 percent). Over half, 

$14 billion, of the Nation's total justice 

expenditure was for police protection, and 

close to one-fourth, $6 billion, was for 

corrections. The balance was distributed as 

follows: $3.4 billion or 13.1 percent for 

judicial activities, $1.7 billion or 6.4 percent 

for prosecution and civil legal services, $0.6 

billion or 2.3 percent for public defense,l 

and $0.5 billion or 1.8 percent for other 

criminal justice activities. 

All six of the major justice functions 

included in the survey showed increases: 

:~ 100 

Public defense expenditure led with a 13.6 

percent increase, followed by legal services 

and prosecution (up 13.1 percent), judicial 

(up 10.5 percent), corrections (up 8.6 percent), 

other criminal justice (up 7.0 percent) and 

police protection (up 5.3 percent). 

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~ I'\. As shown in table A, overall justice 

I "' expenditure in the United States rose 146 

percent from 1971 to 1979 (without adjustment for inflation). The rate of increase 

from 1978 to 1979,7.4 percent, was the 

. lowest registered since 1971 when the survey 

_was initiated. During the 9-year period, 

the State governments showed the largest 

percent increase injustice direct expenditure 

(174 percent), followed by the Federal 

Government (169 percent) and local 

governments (131 percent). 

lOver two-fifths of this amount consisted 

of payments by the Federal Government 

to the Legal Services Corporation for 

counseling indigent persons in civil matters. 

In October 1979, there were 1,175,520 

justice employees on a full-time equivalent 

basis. As seen in table B, this was only 1.6 

percent more than in October 1978, the 

smallest gain recorded injustice employment 

for all governments since 1971. While State 

government full-time equivalent employment 

increased by about 5 percent, the estimate of 

full-time equivalent employment at the local 

government level was onlyO.3 percent higher 

than the estimate for the previous year. 

Fec!erlll full-time equivalent employment 

declined by 0.5 percent. 

During the 1971-79 period, there was a 

36 percent increase in full-time equivalent 

justice employment in the United States. 

While this cumulative increase was shared 

by all levels of government, the State 

governments have experienced the largest 

increase--59 percent, followed by the Federal 

Government with an increase of 33 percent, 

and local governments with an increase of 

29 percent. 

As in the past, local governments accounted 

for more expenditure and employment in the 

civil and criminal justice field than the 

Federal and State governments combined. 

Of the Nation's $26 billion expenditure for 

criminal justice purposes in 1979, 59 percent 

was expended by local governments. In 

addition, 63 percent of total civil and 

criminal justice full-time equivalent employment was in local justice activities. Reflecting 

the fact that law enforcement is essentially a 

responsibility of local governments, $10 

billion (64.8 percent) of their direct expenditure and 488,878 (65.6 percent) of their fulltime equivalent employment were for police 

protection activities. 

State governments spent close to half 

(47.5 percent) of their $7.3 billion direct 

expenditure in the corrections field. In 

addition, 49.2 percent of their full-time 

equivalent justice employment was in correctional activities. 

Table A Total justice direct expenditure and percent change, 

by level of government, fiscal years 1971 to 1979 

Year Total Federal State wcal 

Amount (millions of dOllars) 

1971. •••••.•.••••••••.•.•.••. 10,517 1,215 2,681 6,621 

1972 ••.•••••••••••••••••••.•. 11,732 1,502 2,948 7,281 

1973 ..•••••••..•••••..••...•. 13,007 1,651 3,304 8,052 

1974 •••••..•..•••••••••.••••. 14,842 1,859 3,900 9,092 

1975 •.•..••••.•••••••••.••... 17,249 2,188 4,612 10,449 

1976 •...•••.••••••.•••••••••• 19,681 2,450 5,204 12,027 

1977 .••••••••••...•.•••.••••• 21,574 2,779 5,812 12,983 

1978 •••••.••••••.•••••.•••.•• 24,132 3,122 6,688 14,322 

1979 •.•••••.•••••••••••••••.• 25,917 3,269 7,346 15,302 

Percent increase or decrease (-) 

- 1971 to 1972 •••••••..•.•..••• 11.6 23.6 10.0 10.0 

1972 to 1973 ................. 10.9 9.9 12.1 10.6 

1973 to 1974 •••••.••••••••... 14.2 12.6 18.0 12.9 

1974 to 1975 .••.•••••••••..•. 16.2 17.7 18.3 14.9 

1975 to 1976 •••••.•••.••••••. 14.1 12.0 12.8 15.1 

1976 to 1977 •••••.•..•.•.•.•• 9.6 13.4 11.7 7.9 

1977 to 1978 .•.••..•.•••••••. 11.9 12.3 15.1 10.3 

1978 to 1979 .•••••••••••••••. 7.4 4.7 9.8 6.8 

1971 to 1979 •••.•.•.•.•••.•.. 146.4 169.1 174.0 131.1 

Note: Because of rounding, detail may not add to total. 

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Survey methodology 

The data in this report were collected by 

the U.S. Bureau of the Census for the Bureau 

of Justice Statistics using two collection 

methods: Field compilation and mail canvass. 

Data collection was performed between 

October 1979 and June 1980 in accordance 

with definitions noted below. Response for 

field-compiled units was 100 percent; for 

mail canvass units: 91 percent. 

Data were collected for the Federal, 

State, and county governments, all 

municipal governments (and townships 

in the New England and Middle Atlantic 

States) having a 1977 population of 1 0,000 

or more, and for a sample of the remaining 

municipalities and townships with a 1977 

population of less than 10,000. Local 

government totals are then:fore subject to 

sampling error. 

The data in this report are preliminary 

and subject to change. A more complete 

discussion of data findings and survey 

methodology will be contained in the forthcoming issue of Expenditure and Employment 

Data for the Criminal Justice System, 1979. 

Data in that report will be presented in greater 

geographical, functional, and financial detail 

for all six categories of justice activity: 

Police protection, judicial, legal services and 

prosecution, public defense, corrections, and 

other criminal justice activities. 

Definitions of terms 

Expenditure is all amounts of money paid 

out (net of any currecting transactions) other 

than for retirement of debt (including interest), 

investment in securities, extensions ofioans, 

or agency trarsactions. It includes only 

external cash payments and excludes any 

intragovernmental transfers and noncash 

transactions, such as the provision of meals 

or housing of employees. It also includes 

any payments financed from borrowing, fund 

balances, intergovernmental revenue, and 

other current revenue. 

Expenditure is divided into two major 

categories by character: 

1. Direct expenditure is all expenditure 

except that classed as intergovernmental. 

2. Intergovernmental expenditure is 

payments from one government to 

another, including grants-in-aid, shared 

revenues, payments in lieu of taxes, 

and amounts for services performed by 

one government for another on a 

reimbursable or cost-sharing basis (for 

example, payments by one government 

to another for boarding prisoners). 

Full-time equivalent employment is the 

total number of employees discounted by 

applying average full-time earning rates. This 

is calculated by dividing the total payroll 

Table B. Total full-time equivalent justice employees and percent change, 

by level of government, October 1971 to October 1979 

Payroll period Total Federal State Local 

Number of employees 

October 1971 •••••••••••••••• 861,776 77,523 205,859 578,394 

October 1972 •••••••••••••••. 898,305 85,222 216,603 593,480 

October 1973 •••••.•.•••••••• 945,309 87,139 232,299 625,871 

October 1974 •.••..•.•••••.•• 1,011,205 93,755 252,588 664,862 

October 1975 •••.•.•••••••••• 1,050,503 96,136 263,208 691,159 

October 1976 ••••••••.• '" ••• 1,079,892 99,553 272,488 707,891 

October 1977 •••••••••••••••• 1,131,780 100,088 298,571 733,121 

October 1978 •••••••••••••••• 1,157,436 103,678 310,554 743,204 

October 1979 •••.•••••••••••. 1,175,520 103,214 326,670 745,036 

Percent increase or decrease (-) 

October 1971 to October 1972 4.2 9.9 5.2 3.1 

October 1972 to October 1973 5.2 2.2 7.2 4.9 

October 1973 to October 1974 7.0 7.0 8.7 6.2 

Octobel' 1974 to October 1975 3.9 2.5 4.2 4.0 

October 1975 to October 1976 2.8 3.5 3.5 2.4 

October 1976 to October 1977 4.8 0.5 9.3 3.6 

October 1977 to October 1978 2.3 3.0 4.1 1.4 

October 1978 to October 1979 1.6 -0.5 5.2 0.3 

October 1971 to October 1979 36.4 33.1 58.7 28.9 

(full-time plus part-time) by the full-time 

payroll and multiplying the result by the 

number of full-time employees. 

Police protection is the function of 

enforcing the law, preserving order, and 

apprehending those who violate the law. 

Judicial activities encompass all civil and 

criminal courts and activities associated with 

courts. 

Legal services and prosecution includes 

the civil and criminal justice activities of the 

attorneys general, district attorneys, State's 

attorneys, and their variously named 

equivalents; corporation counsels, solicitors, 

and legal departments with various names. 

Public defense includes legal counsel and 

representation in either criminal or civil 

proceedings as provided by public defenders 

and other government programs that pay the 

fees of court-appointed counsel. 

Corrections is that function of government 

involving the confinement and rehabilitation 

of adults and juveniles convicted of offenses 

against the law and the confinement of 

persons suspected of a crime awaiting 

adjudication. Data for institutions witl1 

authority to hold prisoners beyond arraignment 

(usually 48 hours or more) are included in this 

sector. Data for lockups or "tanks" holding 

prisoners less than 48 hours are included in 

"Police Protection." 

Other criminal justice activities include 

expenditure or employment data that are not 

elsewhere classified, that cut across more 

than one category, or that 'are not allocable 

to separate categories, e.g., the operation of 

State criminal justice planning agencies, 

crime cornmissions, etc. 

Table 1. Uistribution of expenditure for the justIce system, 

by level of government, fiscal year 1979 

(Dollar amounts in tllousands) 

- -- _. 

Activity All 

" - Amount 

Federal 

- Percent distribution 

State Local Federal state Local 

govermcntsl Government" governments governmentsl Goverrunent2 governments ,"overnmentsl 

Total justice systema ......... , ..................... 

Direct expenditure •.•.....•.......•...•....•...... 

Intergovernmental expenditure .....•............•.. 

Police protec·;hm3 .••.. '" ...••.•.•....•.•...•.••... 

Direct expendi ture ••...•••.•.....•.••....•...•.••• 

Intergovernmental expenditure .......•...•..•...... 

Judicial 3 ..•....•...•...•...•...........•........... 

Direct expenditure •.....•.•••. , .............•••.... Intergovernmental expenditure •.....••.•..•...•.•.. 

Legal services and prosecution3 ...••..•...•......... Direct expenditure ..••.•.........••. ............. Intergovernmental expenditure ..•....•.....••...... 

Public defense 3 .•....•...•....•.•.•.•••...•......... 

Direct expenditure ...............•.•.............. 

Intergovernmental expenditure ........•...•.......• 

Corrections 3 ..•....••...•.......••••...•..•...•..... 

Direct expenditure .•.••.•••.•....•..•.....•...•... 

Intergovernmental expenditure •••..•.........•....• 

Other criminal justice 3 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

Direct expendi ture .•.....•••..••.........•.....•.. 

Intergovernmental ......•..•.....•.•.•..•..•...•... 

- Represents zero or rounds to zero. 

X Not applicable. . 

25,916,999 

25,916,999 

( 3) 

13,817,073 

13,817,073 

( 3) 

3,388,922 

3,388,922 

( 3 ) 

1,650,739 

1,650,739 

( 3) 

595,198 

595,198 

( 3) 

5,996,332 

5,996,332 

( 3) 

468,735 

468,735 

(3 ) 

3,950,686 8,424,300 15,465,901 

3,269,381 7,346,048 15,301,570 

681,305 1,078,252 320,861 

1,949,899 2,114,545 9,922,896 

1,948,268 1,952,282 9,916,523 

1,631 162,263 110,216 

369,509 1,328,778 1,903,631 

369,509 1,205,866 1,813,547 

- 122,912 102,770 

275,897 455,133 958,088 

265,898 430,337 954,504 

9,999 24,790 4,428 

240,232 125,973 239,086 

240,232 116,041 238,925 

- 9,932 1,916 

392,589 3,777,292 2,198,172 

353,961 3,486,474 2,155,897 

38,628 290,818 77,715 

.722,560 622,579 244,048 

91,513 155,048 222,174 

631,047 467,531 23,816 

'Local governments data are estimates subject to sampling variation; see text for data limitations. 

2Federal Government data nre for the fiscal period beginning October 1, 1978 and ending September 30, 1979. 

(X) (X) 

12.6 28.3 

(X) (X) 

(xl (xl 

14.1 14.1 

(Xl (X) 

(X) (X) 

10.9 35.6 

(xl (x) 

lX) (xl 

16.1 26.1 

(X) (X) 

(X) (X) 

40.4 19.5 

(x) (x) 

(X) (X) 

5.9 58.1 

(X) (X) 

(X) (X) 

19.5 33.1 

(X) (X) 

3The total line for each sector, and for the total Justice System, excludes duplicative intergovernmental expenditure amounts. This was 

(Xl 

59.0 

(X) 

(xl 

71.8 

(x) 

(X) 

53.5 

(x) 

(x) 

57.8 

(X) 

(X) 

'10.1 

(x) 

(x) 

36.0 

(X) 

(X) 

47.4 

(X) 

done to avoid the artificial inflation which would result if an intergovernmental expenditure amount for one government is tabulated and then counted 

again when the "ecipient government (s) ultimately expend (s) that amount. The intergovernmental expenditure lines are not totaled for the same reason. 

Table 2. Distribution of employment and payrolls for the justice system, 

by level of government, October 1979 

(Dollar amounts in thousands) 

All Federal State Activity governments' Government governments 

Total justice system: 

Total employees .•..•.•.•••. " ..•••.•...•• " ....•.. 1,250,100 106,276 338,523 

Full-time employees •.....••.••••••......•...•....• 1,148,858 102,428 321,584 

Full-time equivalent employees •....•.•.•.•......•. 1,175 520 103,214 326,670 

October payroll ••••.•.•..••.•...••.••••...•..•..•• 1,657,397 192,77:> 440,436 

Police protection: 

Teital employees ••.•...••.•••••••.•••••.•••.••..... 699,097 75,519 97,244 

Full-time employees .••..•.•. '" " .•.•.•••••..••... 642,356 72,750 89,020 

Full-time equivalent employees •••..•...•.••....••• 651.,819 73,152 89,789 

October payroll .•••••...••.••••.•.••••.•.•.•...... 970,671 133,516 128,393 

Judicial: 

Total employees .•.••.......••••••••. " ., ...•..•... 169,193 8,153 49,462 

Full-time employees ...•..••.....•.•.•...•.•.•.•... 146,118 8,051 45,672 

Full-time equivalent employees .....•.•..•..•.••... 155,784 8,056 48,171 

October payroll ..•.••....•.•..•..••..•.•••...•.... 192,418 16,108 G8,471 

Legal services and prosecution: 

'fotal employees •.•.•••••....••.••••... , • '" ...•..• 78,072 8,027 20,771 

Full-time employees ..•.••.•...•••••••.•.•....•.... 69,608 7,576 19,244 

Full-time equivalent employees ....•.•..•..• , .••... 73,181 7,824 20,004 

October payroll .•••..•..•.•••••.••.•.•.•.•...•.• ,. 113,637 15,985 31,613 

Public defense: 

Total employees ••••.....••.•.. '" •• " ...•.•••.••.. 9,532 562 3,788 

Full-time employees. " ...••.•.•••.••.•....•..••••. 8,672 498 3,607 

FUll-time equivalent employees ....•.•..•.•.•.•••.. 9,060 520 3,659 

October payroll •••••••••.••........••..•.•...•.•.. 15,229 l,07G 5,855 

Corrections: 

Total employees .•••.••...•.••••.••.•....••.. , ..•.. 284,6G8 12,327 163,014 

Full-time employees .•...••.•• , ••.••••..••••.•.•.•. 272,923 12,087 159,876 

Full-time equivalent employees •••.•..••.• '" ...•.. 276,486 12,088 160,855 

October payroll ••..••.•••.••••••.••.•.... " •.••... 352,973 22.1996 200,502 

Other criminal justice: 

Total employees . ........•...................... I •• 9,538 1,688 4,244 

Full-time employees •.•.••.•••.••.••••••••••••••••. 8,981 1,466 4,lG5 

Full-time equivalent employees •••••••..•.•.•.•.•.. 9,190 1,564 4,192 

October payroll •••••••••..•••••• '" •••••••••. " " . 12,4'11 3,092 5,599 

--~. - .---~~-- -~ 

... ___ ._ .... L.. 

"-, - ('. , 

Local Percent distribution 

governments' Federal State Local 

Government governments governmentsl 

805,301 8.5 27.1 64.4 

724,646 8.9 28.0 53.1 

745,636 8.8 27.8 63.4 

1,024,188 11.3 26.6 61.8 

526,334 10.8 13.9 75.3 

480,586 11.3 13.9 74.8 

488,878 11.2 13.8 75.0 

708,762 13.8 13.2 73.0 

I 

111,578 4.8 29.2 G6.0 

92,395 5.5 31.3 63.2 

99,547 5.2 30.9 33.9 

107,837 8.4 35.G 56.0 

49,274 10.3 26.6 63.1 

42,788 10.9 27.7 61. 5 

45,351 10.7 27.3 32.0 

63,066 14.1 27.8 58.1 

5,182 5.9 39.7 54.4 

4,5G7 5.7 41.6 52.7 

4,881 5.7 40.4 53.9 

8,298 7.1 38.5 54.5 

109,327 4.3 57.3 38.4 

100,960 4.4 58.G 37.0 

103,543 4.4 58.2 37.5 

129,475 6.5 56.8 3G.7 

3,606 17.7 44.5 37.8 

3,350 16.3 46,4 37.3 

3,434 17.0 45.3 37.4 

3,750 24.9 45.0 30.1 ~~~~-.-~-. '--_ . -

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