JusticeWatch - Civil Rights Accountability

About Our Data

JusticeWatch aggregates data from 19 sources to provide comprehensive coverage of civil rights incidents across the United States. We combine official government data, academic research, news monitoring, and community reports to create the most complete picture possible.

14,500+

Documented Incidents

States & Territories

Data Sources

2013

Data Since

Verification Levels

Officially Confirmed

Data from government agencies (ICE, state DOJs) or verified by multiple independent sources.

Multi-Source

Confirmed by 2+ independent sources (e.g., MPV + news reports).

Single Source

Reported by one credible source, pending additional verification.

Unverified

Community reports or social media posts awaiting verification.

Official Government

Data from federal, state, and local government agencies

ICE Enforcement Statistics

Updates quarterly

Official Immigration and Customs Enforcement data on arrests, detentions, and removals from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Data Quality

High

Records2,500+

Last Validated2026-01-15

Methodology: Administrative records from ICE field offices

Limitations: Limited individual incident detail; aggregate statistics only

Coverage:

Nationwide (24 Areas of Responsibility)

Data types:

ICE arrests

Detentions

Removals

Alternatives to detention

California DOJ OpenJustice

Updates annually

API

Official use of force data from the California Department of Justice, including officer and civilian incidents.

Data Quality

High

Records1,200+

Last Validated2026-01-10

Methodology: Mandated reporting under CA AB 953 and SB 1421

Limitations: California only; reporting compliance varies by agency

Coverage:

California

Data types:

Use of force

Officer-involved shootings

Custody deaths

Bureau of Justice Statistics (DCRP)

Updates annually

Death in Custody Reporting Program data on arrest-related deaths reported by state and local law enforcement agencies.

Data Quality

Medium

Records1,800+

Last Validated2026-01-20

Methodology: Mandatory state reporting under Death in Custody Reporting Act

Limitations: Underreporting acknowledged; not all states fully comply

Coverage:

Nationwide (participating states)

Data types:

Arrest-related deaths

Manner of death

Demographics

Texas Open Data Portal

Updates quarterly

API

Texas Attorney General data on deaths in custody and officer-involved shootings at Texas law enforcement agencies.

Data Quality

High

Records800+

Last Validated2026-01-18

Methodology: Mandated reporting under Texas Government Code

Limitations: Texas only; historical data back to 2016

Coverage:

Texas

Data types:

Deaths in custody

Officer-involved shootings

Use of force

Research Database

Academic and investigative research projects

Mapping Police Violence

Updates every 6 hours

Comprehensive database of police killings in the United States, maintained by researchers and activists. Primary source for fatal police encounters.

Data Quality

High

Records10,000+

Last Validated2026-02-01

Methodology: Media reports, obituaries, public records requests cross-referenced

Limitations: May miss incidents with limited media coverage

Coverage:

Nationwide

Data types:

Police killings

Victim demographics

Agency data

Circumstances

Washington Post Fatal Force

Updates every 6 hours

API

Database tracking fatal shootings by on-duty police officers since 2015, maintained by Washington Post journalists.

Data Quality

High

Records8,500+

Last Validated2026-02-01

Methodology: Verified news reports, police press releases, social media, independent reporting

Limitations: Only fatal shootings (excludes other causes of death)

Coverage:

Nationwide

Data types:

Fatal police shootings

Victim information

Threat assessment

Fatal Encounters

Updates every 6 hours

Research project documenting all deaths involving law enforcement since 2000, including non-shooting deaths.

Data Quality

Medium

Records32,000+

Last Validated2026-01-28

Methodology: Crowdsourced news clipping verified by researchers

Limitations: Includes some unverified reports; race data partially imputed

Coverage:

Nationwide (2000-present)

Data types:

All police-involved deaths

Cause of death

Mental health indicators

ACLED US Crisis Monitor

Updates weekly

API

Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project tracking protests, demonstrations, and civil unrest events across the United States.

Data Quality

High

Records25,000+

Last Validated2026-01-25

Methodology: Trained researchers coding events from media and partner reports

Limitations: Focus on protest events; may undercount routine police interactions

Coverage:

Nationwide

Data types:

Protests

Riots

Strategic developments

Violence against civilians

Stanford Open Policing Project

Updates quarterly

API

Academic research project collecting and standardizing traffic stop data from law enforcement agencies across the United States.

Data Quality

High

Records200M+ stops

Last Validated2026-01-15

Methodology: FOIA requests to state agencies, standardized cleaning pipeline

Limitations: Data availability varies by state; some states exclude key fields

Coverage:

42 states

Data types:

Traffic stops

Search rates

Outcome disparities

Officer data

TRAC Immigration Data

Updates monthly

Syracuse University research center tracking immigration enforcement, detention, and court proceedings using FOIA-obtained data.

Data Quality

High

Records15M+ records

Last Validated2026-01-20

Methodology: FOIA requests to DHS/DOJ, systematic data cleaning and analysis

Limitations: Some data redacted for privacy; processing delays

Coverage:

Nationwide (immigration system)

Data types:

Immigration court cases

Detention statistics

Enforcement actions

Judge decisions

Police Scorecard

Updates annually

Evaluates policing in 16,000+ US police and sheriff departments using metrics on police violence, accountability, and racial disparities.

Data Quality

Medium

Records16,000+ agencies

Last Validated2026-01-12

Methodology: Public records, FBI UCR, state DOJ data, news reports

Limitations: Metrics based on available data which varies by jurisdiction

Coverage:

Nationwide

Data types:

Agency ratings

Use of force

Accountability metrics

Budget analysis

Vera Institute Incarceration Data

Updates annually

API

Research on incarceration trends, jail populations, and criminal justice reform metrics from the Vera Institute of Justice.

Data Quality

High

Records3,000+ counties

Last Validated2026-01-08

Methodology: BJS census data, state DOC records, county jail surveys

Limitations: Annual data with 1-2 year lag; not real-time

Coverage:

Nationwide (county-level)

Data types:

Jail populations

Incarceration rates

Demographic breakdowns

Trends

Legal Records

Court records and legal case tracking

CourtListener

Updates daily

API

Free Law Project database of court opinions and legal cases, used to track civil rights litigation outcomes.

Data Quality

High

Records10M+ opinions

Last Validated2026-01-30

Methodology: Court PACER feeds, direct court partnerships, bulk data downloads

Limitations: Some sealed cases unavailable; settlement amounts often redacted

Coverage:

Federal and state courts

Data types:

Court opinions

Civil rights cases

Police misconduct lawsuits

Settlements

PACER (via RECAP)

Updates real-time (crowdsourced)

API

Federal court electronic records made freely accessible through the RECAP browser extension and CourtListener integration.

Data Quality

High

Records200M+ documents

Last Validated2026-01-30

Methodology: Crowdsourced PACER documents uploaded via browser extension

Limitations: Coverage depends on user contributions; some documents not uploaded

Coverage:

Federal courts

Data types:

Federal filings

Docket entries

Complaints

Settlements

News & Media

Aggregated news coverage from media outlets

Google News RSS

Updates every 15 minutes

Aggregated news from major outlets covering police violence, civil rights, and law enforcement accountability.

Coverage:

Nationwide + Major metros

Data types:

Breaking news

Investigations

Policy changes

Community responses

Local News RSS Feeds

Updates every 15 minutes

Direct RSS feeds from local news outlets in 51 states/territories and 33 major metropolitan areas for hyperlocal coverage.

Coverage:

51 states, 33 major metros

Data types:

Local incidents

Regional patterns

Community impact

Social Media

Real-time monitoring of social platforms

Bluesky Social

Updates every 5 minutes

Real-time monitoring of the Bluesky social network for firsthand accounts and breaking incidents.

Coverage:

User-generated content

Data types:

Witness accounts

Video evidence

Community reports

Reddit Communities

Updates every 5 minutes

Monitoring relevant subreddits including r/news, r/Bad_Cop_No_Donut, r/PublicFreakout, and r/civilrights for incident reports and discussions.

Coverage:

User-generated content

Data types:

Incident reports

Video evidence

Discussion threads

Community Reports

Direct submissions from witnesses and victims

Community Submissions

Updates real-time

Direct reports from witnesses, victims, and community members through our submission form. All submissions are verified before publication.

Coverage:

Nationwide

Data types:

Witness reports

Victim accounts

Documentation

Media uploads

Data Methodology

Deduplication: Incidents from multiple sources are deduplicated using a combination of date, location, and victim information to prevent double-counting.

Geocoding: Incident locations are geocoded using address data to enable accurate map visualization and geographic analysis.

Classification: Incidents are classified into categories (police killing, excessive force, wrongful arrest, ICE enforcement, etc.) based on source data and AI-assisted analysis.

Updates: Data is refreshed continuously. Official sources update every 6 hours, news feeds every 15 minutes, and social media every 5 minutes.

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