Rap Sheets in the Real World: Transforming Operational Criminal History Records into Datasets Suitable for Research

• In Event: Improving Criminal Justice: Forensics, Statistics, and Sanctions

Abstract

Criminal history records can be a valuable source of data for measuring criminal offending. However, there is limited research examining the quality and completeness of these records for research purposes, particularly at the national level. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) has improved the methods by which it collects, processes, and analyzes criminal history records for statistical and research purposes. This presentation will discuss BJS’s recent work to assess and document criminal history record quality, completeness, and variations and the resulting impact on BJS’s recidivism estimates. This includes BJS’s work to assess the completeness of criminal history records when compared to external data sources, the variations in state reporting practices, the changes that occur within state and federal repositories to existing records over time. BJS will share its approach for documenting these considerations and review reports that implement this methodology. Implications for researchers using criminal history record data will be discussed.

Authors

• Matt Durose, Bureau of Justice Statistics, USDOJ

• Mariel Alper, Bureau of Justice Statistics, USDOJ

• Joshua Markman, Bureau of Justice Statistics, USDOJ