Justice on the Net.


MENU TITLE: Justice on the Net
Series: NCJRS Catalog
Published: September/October 1996
2 pages
3,181 bytes

JUSTICE ON THE NET

State Information Sources on the Internet

A search of the World Wide Web (Web) a year ago
resulted in few "hits" for State government
agencies and archives. In the interim, there has
been an explosion of information sources at both
the State and local government levels. State
government Web sites can be accessed with the
following address template: http://www.state.xx.us-
-where  xx' is the two-letter U.S. Postal Service
State abbreviation (e.g., http://www.state.nm.us
for New Mexico, http://www.state.id.us for Idaho).
These sites reflect the regional variety and
cultural diversity of the Nation and are
informative and enjoyable to explore.

Those who want to access information more quickly
may prefer sites that consolidate information.
Following are two such sites worth exploring for
justice-related information.

The Virtual Law Library

http://www.law.indiana.edu/law/v-lib/states.html

More than just a virtual law library, this source
points to State governments and services covering
such topics as travel and tourism, legal aid
services, bar associations, offices of State
attorneys general, public safety, courts, and
corrections. The information is organized by State
to facilitate access to the desired information.
Although we were able to locate some State
government agencies (the Kansas State Supreme
Court, for example) that were not yet linked to the
site, the variety and scope of the site is still
impressive.

The Kennedy School of Government Online Political
Information Network

http://ksgwww.harvard.edu/~library/states.htm

Although this site is an excellent source of State
government-related information, it provides
information about local governments, too.
Associations and State "think tanks" are also
represented. One of the more interesting local
sites, "Examples of Local Government Uses of the
Internet," can be found at
http://www.abag.ca.gov/abag/local_gov/examples.
html.

Using NetSearch to locate information resulted in
the identification of several comprehensive and
useful information sources. Yahoo, for example,
provides access to State government information via
list (http://www.yahoo.com/Regional/U_S__States/).
Searches of Lycos and Magellan for "State criminal
justice" produced some interesting finds. Sites
retrieved included a Chicago site on community
policing
(http://www.ci.chi.il.us/CommunityPolicing); a site
under development that will eventually provide
access to a particular State by clicking on that
State's map
(http://sunsite.unc.edu/usa/usahome.html); and a
site that includes an international list of
fugitives (http://www.mostwanted.com). 

Among the online State resources are a directory of
the Clerks of the Court of Louisiana, a colorful
and informative description of travel and tourism
in Idaho, and the New Mexico Office of the Medical
Investigator. Many State library catalogs are
online, and it is possible to find informative
brochures in Acrobat format available for
downloading.