Project Overview
As noted in Module 1, for various reasons, it is difficult to give an accurate picture of the type and frequency of Organized Crime. Therefore, we will focus on two primary sources, one from our native state, the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, and the other, the FBI. Our working title for this project is “The Nature and Scope of Organized Crime: A State and Federal Comparison.” Basically, we are building a database extracted from Press Releases posted by the Georgia Attorney General’s Office and the FBI’s Organized Crime Division.
Data Sources
One primary source for the case studies will be those posted on the Georgia Attorney General’s Office website, Once you are at the Attorney General’s homepage, you will find a short list of “Key Issues.” Two categories of interest are “Human Trafficking” and “Gang Activity.” Click on “Human Trafficking” or “Gang Activity” and scroll down till you see “Press Releases.” Here is where your data search begins.
The second primary source for case studies will be those posted on the FBI’s Organized Crime Division website, Once there, click on “News,” and you will find a “Press Releases” list. On the right side of the screen, for each Press Release, you will see an indicator, “Read More” click on that link, and you will see the full article.
What you are doing is building a data set based on the press releases from the above sites. Then you will compare the cases.
Process
First, summarize the key points from each case. Some items to consider are the type of offense, the specific statutes that were broken, the number of perpetrators involved, and a list of supporting agencies. If possible, for demographic purposes, note the gender and race or ethnicity of the defendants. If available, record the characteristics of the victims, e.g., the government, individuals, and businesses. If available, note the amount of money involved.An important point in this project is that not all the press releases will describe OC cases. Therefore, students have to make a judgment call on the ones that best fit the project.
How many cases are required? Good question. You should cover at least two calendar years, e.g., June 2022 thru June 2020.
Once you have finished your Case Summaries, then move on to the broader analysis. Run some basic statistics; what was the total number of cases (N=___)? What was the distribution of cases, i.e., the percentage of the cases that involved RICO charges, drugs, money laundering, human trafficking, or crimes of violence? Continue until you reach 100%. How many cases went to trial? How many were resolved via plea bargain? What was the range of sentences?
