You will create four infographics in the course.

An infographic uses visuals – sometimes supported by text – to represent information or data, often with the aim of educating or informing an audience (Easel.ly, “Crash Course in Infographics”).

Infographics are

visual content designed to be perceived as eye-catching and appealing. It’s a combination of words, numbers, pictures, charts, illustrations, even colors – all in order to describe or explain something quickly, clearly, and in extremely effective and engaging way (Easel.ly, “Infographics for Your Classroom”).

As relates to your own life, infographics are a great way to present information and thereby impress your teachers, classmates, and colleagues. The reason I’m having you do infographics isn’t simply to learn about criminal justice. It’s also so you can use infographics in the future and, in doing so, set yourself apart from the competition. 

Making infographics is easy, but making good infographics is less easy. This document will help you learn how to make good infographics and get good grades for your work. Of course, the first time will be the hardest, so make sure you start early and not wait until the last minute. But making good infographics will be a lot easier – and you will get a better grade – if you read all of the information in this document. Be patient; you can do this. To get the highest grade possible, I highly recommend that you reread this document every time you go to do an infographic and submit your answers. 

1. To make infographics, you’ll use Easel.ly.

2. Once you’re at that website, you’ll have to register/sign up, which is free. From then on, you’ll login to use the website to make infographics.

3. Review Crash Course in Infographics.

4. The instructions for each infographic are below. Due dates are listed in the Course Schedule.

5. Follow the Expanded Version of the 13-Step Guide to Building an Infographic, to help you create your infographic.

   • If you need further help creating your infographic, you should do any or all of the following, depending on what is troubling you: 1) if you’re having a hard time using the data analysis tool, go back to the prior week’s instructions for completing the exercise, as it teaches you how to use the tool; 2) if you’re having a hard time creating the infographic using Easel.ly, take another look at the “Crash Course in Infographics”; 3) if you’re still having a hard time with that review A Guide to Making Infographics from Scratch, which also includes helpful videos.

Submission: Once your infographic is complete, you’ll need to: 1) choose“Save” to save your work on the Easel.ly website, and 2) then “Download”. You want to download the “Low Quality” version. Submit the JPG in the appropriate Assignment folder found in D2L.

Grading: Your infographic will be graded using the following rubric.

Crime Infographic

In the Crime exercise, you gained experience using the BJS’s “NCVS Victimization Analysis Tool” (go to http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=nvat). Recall that “[t]his dynamic analysis tool allows you to examine National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) data on both violent and property victimization by select victim, household, and incident characteristics.” 

To create an infographic for crime (more specifically victimization), you will continue using the NCVS Victimization Analysis Tool. You should continue using the information accessed through the Custom Tables page. Your task is to use the analysis tool to figure out the following: 

• As a reporter, what type(s) of victimization do you find most interesting to report? For simplicity, only focus on the most recent year.

• Also, what type(s) of victimization would a general news audience want to know about?

  • As you learned when completing the exercise, the data analysis tool provides information on many types of victimization.

  • It’s entirely up to you which type(s) of victimization to focus on.

  • You can choose to focus on one type of victimization, or more than one type.

• As a reporter, what about victimization do you find most interesting to report?

• Also, what about victimization would a general news audience want to know?

  • As you should have noticed when completing the exercise, the data analysis tool also provides information on how victimization relates to a wide range of variables, including age, ethnicity/race, and much more.

  • It’s entirely up to you which variable(s) to focus on.

  • You can choose to focus on one type of variable or two types, but not more (because the data analysis tool will not let you).

To summarize, your infographic news story should …

1. use the NCVS Victimization Analysis Tool to find information about

2. victimization in the most recent year, and

3. how that victimization relates to one or two variables.

Arrest Infographic

In the Arrest exercise, you gained experience calculating rates using the BJS’s “Arrest Data Analysis Tool” (go to http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=datool&surl=/arrests/index.cfm). Recall that “[t]his dynamic data analysis tool allows you to generate tables and graphs of arrests from 1980 onward. You can view national arrest estimates, customized either by age and sex or by age group and race, for many different offenses. This tool also enables you to view local arrests.”

To create an infographic for arrest, you will continue using the Arrest Data Analysis Tool, more specifically the information accessed through the “Agency-Level Counts” and “Annual Tables” tabs. Your task is to use the analysis tool to figure out the following:

• As a reporter, what arrest rate(s) do you find most interesting to report? For simplicity, only focus on the most recent year.

  Also, what arrest rate(s) would a general news audience want to know about?

  • As you learned when completing the exercise, the data analysis tool provides information on arrest for many agencies.

  • It’s entirely up to you which agency or agencies to focus on.

  • You can choose to focus on one agency, or more than one agency.

  • Note: to determine the arrest rate for the agency/ies you focus on, you will need to use the United States Census Bureau’s QuickFacts tool, www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/00. It will give you the total population for at least a couple different years (e.g., 2010 and 2015), so choose whichever one is closest to this year. 

• As a reporter, what about an arrest rate/s do you find most interesting to report?

• Also, what about arrest rate/s would a general news audience want to know?

  • As you should have noticed when completing the exercise, the data analysis tool also provides information on how arrest relates to age, gender, and race.

  • It’s entirely up to you which variable(s) to focus on.

  • You can choose to focus on one variable, or more than one variable.

  • Note: to determine the arrest rate for a particular age, gender, and race within any given agency, you will need to use the United States Census Bureau’s QuickFacts tool. It will give you the percent of the total population that is of a particular age group, gender, or race. Thus, to determine the population of that subgroup, multiple the total population by the percentage of people in the subgroup. For example, if there are 1 million people in a city, and the census tool tells you that 80% are white, then you would multiple 1 million by .80, which would tell you that 800,000 of the people in the total population are white. Then to calculate their arrest rate, you would follow the instructions for calculating arrest rates found in the exercise instructions.

To summarize, your infographic news story should …

1. use the Arrest Data Analysis Tool to find information to

2. calculate an arrest rate or rates in the most recent year, and

3. show how that rate or those rates relate to one more variables.

Sentencing Infographic

In the Sentencing exercise, you used the BJS’s “Federal Criminal Case Processing Statistics” (go to http://www.bjs.gov/fjsrc/index.cfm). Recall that “[t]he Bureau of Justice Statistics, through its Federal Justice Statistics Resource Center (FJSRC), compiles comprehensive information describing suspects and defendants processed in the federal criminal justice system. The Federal Criminal Case Processing Statistics (FCCPS) tool is an interface that can be used to analyze federal case processing data. Users can generate various statistics in the areas of federal law enforcement, prosecution/courts and incarcerations, and based on title and section of the U.S. Criminal Code. Data are available for the years from 1998 to 2013. This tool includes offenders held for violating federal laws. It excludes commitments from the D.C. Superior Court.”

To create an infographic for sentencing, you will continue using the FCCPS tool. Your task is to use the tool to figure out the following: 

• As a reporter, what sentencing counts – in other words, just the total number of a given sentence (e.g., prison) – do you find most interesting to report?

• Also, what sentencing counts would a general news audience want to know about?

  • As you learned when completing the exercise, the FCCPS tool provides information on many types of sentences.

  • It’s entirely up to you which sentence or sentences to focus on.

  • You can choose to focus on one sentence, or more than one sentence. 

• As a reporter, what about a sentence or sentences do you find most interesting to report?

• Also, what about a sentence or sentences would a general news audience want to know?

  • As you should have noticed when completing the exercise, the FCCPS tool also provides information on how sentences relate to many variables, including age, gender, race, and more.

  • It’s entirely up to you which variable(s) to focus on.

  • You can choose to focus on one variable, or more than one variable.

• As a reporter, sentences over what timespan do you find most interesting to report?

• Also, sentences over what timespan would a general news audience want to know?

  • As you learned when completing the exercise, the FCCPS tool also provides information on how sentences vary from one year to the next.

  • It’s entirely up to you which years to focus on.

  • You can choose to focus on two consecutive years (e.g., 2012 and 2013), or two nonconsecutive years (2003 and 2013).

To summarize, your infographic news story should …

1. use the FCCPS to find information about

2. sentence counts,

3. show how those counts relate to one more variables, and

4. have varied – gone down, up, or stayed about the same – over a certain timespan.

Prison Infographic

In the Prison exercise, you gained experience using the BJS’s “Corrections Statistical Analysis Tool - Prisons” (go to http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=nps). Recall that “[t]his dynamic analysis tool allows you to examine National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) on inmates under the jurisdiction of both federal and state correctional authorities. You can instantly generate tables of numbers and rates of national and jurisdictional statistics, from 1978 to the most recent year that NPS data are available. The web tool includes state-level prisoner data from the 50 state departments of corrections, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and the District of Columbia (until 2001, when sentenced felons from the District became the responsibility of the BOP).”

To create an infographic for imprisonment, you will continue using the Corrections Statistical Analysis Tool - Prisons tool. Your task is to use the tool to figure out the following:

• As a reporter, what imprisonment counts do you find most interesting to report? For simplicity, only focus on the most recent year.

• Also, what imprisonment counts would a general news audience want to know about?

  • As you learned when completing the exercise, the data analysis tool provides information on imprisonment for 1) many jurisdictions and 2) different populations – yearend, admissions, and releases.

  • It’s entirely up to you which jurisdiction or jurisdictions to focus on, as well as which population(s) to focus on.

  • You can choose to focus on one jurisdiction or more than one, and you can choose to focus on one population or more than one.

•  As a reporter, what about imprisonment counts do you find most interesting to report?

• Also, what about imprisonment counts would a general news audience want to know?

  • As you should have noticed when completing the exercise, the data analysis tool also provides information on variable aspects of imprisonment, such as total jurisdiction population, jurisdiction population with sentence greater than 1 year, and much more.

  • You can choose to focus on one variable, or more than one variable.

To summarize, your infographic news story should …

1. use the “Corrections Statistical Analysis Tool – Prisons” tool to find information about

2. imprisonment in the most recent year, and

3. variable aspects of imprisonment.