In response to the federal Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013 this report is fifth in a series that presents data on deaths that occur during federal arrest, detention, and incarceration in the United States.. This act requires federal law enforcement agencies to report information about the death of any person who dies while detained, under arrest, being arrested, or in the custody of federal law enforcement officers. It describes decedent, incident, and facility characteristics of deaths in federal custody and during arrest by federal law enforcement agencies during Fiscal Year 2022. Homicides accounted for the largest portion (41%) of arrest-related deaths, followed by accidents (28%) and suicides (23%). In arrest-related deaths, 98% of decedents were male, 75% were white, and 53% were ages 25 to 44. In 55% of arrest-related deaths, law enforcement officers were serving a warrant when they made initial contact with the decedent. A violent offense was the most serious offense allegedly committed by decedents in 50% of arrest-related deaths. Decedents attempted to injure law enforcement officers in 35% of arrest-related deaths and discharged a firearm in 38%.

This report uses data from the Federal Justice Statistics Program and other published sources to describe persons arrested and convicted for a federal drug offense involving methamphetamine, cocaine, methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and other amphetamines. It focuses on psychostimulants, including their classification under the Controlled Substances Act (P.L. 91–513), persons arrested for a federal offense involving psychostimulants, deaths due to overdose, and persons sentenced for a federal offense involving these substances. From Fiscal Year 2021 to Fiscal Year 2022, the number of arrests the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made for psychostimulants decreased by 9%, from 15,846 to 14,392. More than half (55%) of the arrests the DEA made in Fiscal Year 2022 were for psychostimulants. Of the 26,233 total arrests by the DEA in Fiscal Year 2022, 8,035 (31%) were for methamphetamine, 5,118 (20%) were for powder cocaine, 1,009 (4%) were for crack cocaine, and 230 (<1%) were for other psychostimulants. DEA arrests for methamphetamine increased from 6,518 in Fiscal Year 2002 to 9,335 in Fiscal Year 2021, then decreased to 8,035 in Fiscal Year 2022.

The mission of the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County Tennessee is to provide interventions that result in positive outcomes for families and children, by addressing family matters with dignity and respect, and when necessary, holding youth accountable in developmentally appropriate ways. To better determine where the Court Services Division should focus its improvement efforts, the Crime and Justice Institute used a systematic, multi-pronged approach to perform a system assessment, including a qualitative assessment and quantitative data analysis. While the proportion of youth with more than one complaint filed in the same year has decreased, most youth cycled through the juvenile court more than once over multiple years. Youth are increasingly being pushed from the child welfare system to the youth justice system, evidenced by an uptick in crossover youth and an increase in the proportion of juvenile court referrals made by social service agencies. Boys, Black youth, and youth experiencing poverty are disproportionately represented among the juvenile court population compared to the Shelby County population overall. Incidents related to complaints involving delinquent allegations are not evenly distributed across Shelby County, indicating a need to target resources and preventative efforts in the geographic areas most impacted. Youth justice systems that rely heavily on surveillance and confinement or mimic the adult legal system can critically deprive young people of healthy adolescent development. Systems like the juvenile court can thrive and produce better outcomes for youth and their families when developmental approaches are incorporated into policy and practice. Such approaches can include accountability without criminalization through restorative practices, increasing alternatives to formal system involvement, establishing individualized responses based on the assessed risks and identified needs, utilizing interventions rooted in knowledge about adolescent development, limiting confinement only when necessary for public safety, and actively and consistently engaging the family.

Ten years ago, nearly all community colleges were using standardized placement tests in English and math to determine whether new students were ready for college-level courses. Students with low scores were placed in developmental—remedial—courses that usually did not count toward college credits. Over a quarter of students entering public community colleges ended up taking at least one developmental course, and historically, the overwhelming majority did not graduate. But large-scale studies showed that these test scores misjudged many students: In fact, many more of them could be moving straight into college-level courses, meaning they were spending time and money on courses they did not need and that were potentially holding them back from earning degrees. A random survey of colleges conducted in 2023 showed that nearly three-quarters were using high school performance to inform these placement decisions. Broadly speaking, those studies have revealed two things: (1) Students make more progress if they get into college-level courses faster and (2) High school grade point average (GPA) is the best predictor of student success in college.

The International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) is designed to measure 8th-grade students’ capacities to use information and communication technology productively for a variety of different purposes beyond basic use of digital technology and consists of two tests, one required, computer and information literacy, and one optional, computational thinking. Thirty-five education systems, including the United States, assessed computer and information literacy in 2023, and 24 education systems, including the United States, assessed computational thinking. U.S. students in public schools with 75% or more of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch had an average CIL score of 440; this was 42 points lower than the U.S. average of 482. Average CIL scores of Hispanic, Black, and White students were 40, 35, and 28 points lower, respectively, in 2023 compared to 2018. Over one-third of students in the United States (37%) agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “I hope that my future job involves programming,” which was lower than the ICILS average of 43%. Among U.S. 8th-graders, higher percentages of students reported learning the following tasks at school than outside of school to a large or moderate extent: use the internet to find information (83% vs. 71%), include accurate references (76% vs. 59%), refine internet searches (72% vs. 65%), and evaluate the reliability of information (71% vs. 61%). In 2023, higher percentages of U.S. 8th-grade students reported using ICT during most, almost every, or every lesson than in 2018 in English language arts (55% vs. 44%), sciences (58% vs. 48%), social studies (53% vs. 45%), foreign language arts (38% vs. 32%), and mathematics (46% vs. 41%).

Exposure to exclusionary discipline has been tied to several deleterious outcomes in adulthood, including contact with the criminal legal system. While this work provides interesting insight into the long-term consequences tied to this form of school punishment, few have attempted to consider whether and how, exclusionary discipline practices, in particular, school suspension and expulsion shape mental health patterning over the life course. Using panel data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, this review contributes to this body of literature by examining whether exposure to school suspension or expulsion shapes depressive symptom trajectories from adolescence to adulthood. Results from our mixed-effects linear growth curve models demonstrate both forms of exclusionary discipline play a significant role in depressive symptom trajectories. We find suspended and expelled youth exhibit significantly higher depressive symptoms in adolescence when compared to their counterparts with no history of suspension or expulsion. Results also show age variation in depressive symptom trajectories by history of exposure to exclusionary discipline. Specifically, results show the depressive symptoms gap between disciplined and non-disciplined youth slightly dissipates as youth age into early adulthood, but as individuals begin to transition out of this stage of the life course, the gap in depressive symptoms widens substantially. Results carry implications for how punitive disciplinary practices in schools shape mental health from adolescence to adulthood.

Veterans owned about 5.4% or 304,823 of the nation’s 5,681,118 employer businesses with at least one paid employee in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 Annual Business Survey. A business is considered veteran-owned if a veteran owns at least 51% of the stock or equity in it. There were also 122,970 firms equally owned by veterans and non-veterans. The Annual Business Survey receives input from employer businesses and uses their responses to produce data on business ownership. Veteran-owned businesses generated $922 billion in revenue, about 5.3% of the total $17.4 trillion of all classifiable employer businesses in 2021. The Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services had the most veteran-owned businesses (52,167) based on two-digit North American Industry Classification System codes, which accounted for 6.1% of all businesses in this sector. Retail Trade (16,655), Construction (15,803), and Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (14,050) were the top sectors owned equally by veterans and non-veterans. In 2021, 92.6% of veteran-owned businesses (282,207) and 84.5% of nonveteran-owned businesses (4,440,456) were White-owned. Black or African American veterans owned about 5.1% (15,417) of firms — the second most common racial demographic in veteran-owned businesses.

Restrictive software licensing practices include vendor processes that limit, impede, or prevent agencies' efforts to use software in cloud computing. Officials from five of the six selected agencies described multiple impacts that they had experienced from restrictive software licensing practices. The agencies impacted were the U.S. Departments of Justice (DOJ), Transportation (DOT), and Veterans Affairs (VA); the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); and the Social Security Administration (SSA). Officials from the remaining agency, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), reported that it had not encountered any restrictive licensing practices. None of the six selected agencies had fully established guidance that specifically addressed the two key industry activities for effectively managing the risk of impacts of restrictive practices. These activities are to (1) identify and analyze potential impacts of such practices, and (2) develop plans for mitigating adverse impacts. Furthermore, of the five agencies that reported encountering restrictive practices, three agencies partially implemented the key activities to manage those restrictive practices and the other two agencies—DOT and VA—did not demonstrate that they had fully implemented either of the activities. Key causes for the selected agencies' inconsistent implementation of the two activities included that (1) none of the agencies had fully assigned responsibility for identifying and managing restrictive practices, and (2) the agencies did not consider the management of restrictive practices to be a priority. Until the agencies (1) update and implement guidance to fully address identifying, analyzing, and mitigating the impacts of restrictive software licensing practices, and (2) assign responsibility for identifying and managing such practices, they will likely miss opportunities to take action to avoid or minimize the impacts. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended the agencies assign responsibility and update and implement guidance to lessen the effects of restrictions on moving software to the cloud.

When service members leave the military, they become veterans, retaining social identities and policy relevance albeit under a different name and government agency. However, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs lacks the statutory authority to provide care or benefits for the bulk of veteran families. While the agency has a great deal of information about enrolled veterans, little is known about veteran households. The authors of this report attempt to fill that gap by analyzing data from the American Community Survey, providing valuable context for understanding the social and economic resource environment of veterans and identifying potential gaps and needs compared with non-veteran families. Veteran households, defined as those in which either the head of household or spouse (if present) is a veteran, account for around 11% percent of all households in the United States. Veteran households are more likely to be headed by a married or partnered couple than non-veteran households. Nearly 10% of marriages involving at least one woman veteran are same-sex marriages (i.e., two women), compared with 0.4% of marriages involving at least one man veteran. A slight majority of veteran households do not have experience as an active-duty household (i.e., the couple married after the service member[s] left the armed forces). The composition of the military service member and veteran populations is becoming more demographically diverse: Approximately 17% and 40% of post-2001 service members and veterans are female and non-White, respectively. Veteran households have a distinct advantage over non-veteran households (via larger income) and are somewhat better protected against potential employment shocks.

During 2022, about one in five adults age 18 and older experienced any symptoms of anxiety (18.2%) or symptoms of depression (21.4%) in the past 2 weeks. The severity of symptoms differed by sociodemographic and geographic characteristics. The percentages of adults with mild, moderate, or severe symptoms of both anxiety and depression were highest among adults ages 18–29 and decreased with age and were higher among women than men. Asian non-Hispanic adults were least likely to experience moderate and severe symptoms of anxiety and depression compared with the other race and Hispanic-origin groups examined. In addition, the percentage of adults with any symptoms of anxiety and depression was highest among those with less than a high school education and with family incomes less than 100% of the federal poverty level and was higher among those living in rural areas. A significant increase was seen in the percentage of adults with anxiety symptoms (from 15.6% to 18.2%) and depression symptoms (from 18.5% to 21.4%) between 2019 and 2022. Increases in symptoms of anxiety and depression were seen throughout the subgroups examined, including adults ages 18–44, Black non-Hispanic and White non-Hispanic adults, adults with a high school education or more, and adults with family incomes of 100% of the federal poverty level or higher, as well as adults from all regions and urbanization levels.

This report presents results from the 2023 National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey, an annual survey of substance use and mental health treatment facilities in the United States. The survey is designed to collect data on the location, characteristics, service provision and utilization of substance use and mental health treatment facilities. Report findings include that private non-profit and private for-profit organizations operated in 91% of substance use treatment facilities, 83% of mental health treatment facilities, and 86% of combined substance use and mental health treatment facilities. Programs specifically tailored for adolescents were provided by 25% of substance use treatment facilities, 38% of mental health treatment facilities, and 51% of combined substance use and mental health treatment facilities. Other tailored programs for specific client categories included, but were not limited to, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer clients (LGBTQ), clients with HIV and AIDS, veterans, and active-duty military clients. For example, 38% of substance use treatment facilities, 36% of mental health treatment facilities, and 48% of combined substance use and mental health treatment facilities offered tailored programs for LGBTQ clients. Designated bed utilization rates for substance use treatment facilities were 96%, mental health treatment facilities were 104%, and combined substance use and mental health treatment facilities were 122%. Approximately 92% of private and 75% of public substance use treatment facilities accepted cash payment. Private health insurance and Medicaid were accepted at 77% substance use treatment facilities. Cash was accepted at 87% of private and 76% of public mental health treatment facilities. Approximately 83% and 87% of mental health treatment facilities accepted private health insurance and Medicaid respectively.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) paused many drug manufacturer inspections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspections help ensure that the drugs Americans rely on are safe. Since resuming inspections, FDA data show it conducted 621 foreign and 444 domestic inspections in fiscal year 2023, although there were 36% fewer than in fiscal year 2019. This decrease was due in part to reduced investigator capacity, according to FDA. FDA has struggled to retain staff. From Nov. 2021 to June 2024, the vacancy rate among investigators who inspect foreign and domestic manufacturers jumped from 9% to 16%—leading to fewer inspections. FDA said concerns with travel, pay, training, workload, and work-life balance contribute to turnover. For example, investigators can travel up to 75% of the time. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommends that FDA collaborate to develop and implement action plans to address the remaining root causes of investigator attrition that balance inspection needs against the need to retain investigators.