Collecting Case-Level Misdemeanor Court Data: Findings from a Feasibility Study

• In Event: Disparities in Punishment

Abstract

The Bureau of Justice Statistics, the statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, conducted a feasibility study to assess the availability and quality of case-level data on misdemeanor charges filed in state, county, and municipal courts. The study addresses a substantial gap in criminal justice statistics, as very little empirical information exists about misdemeanor charges filed in courts. BJS selected 27 cities for the study. This presentation discusses the findings of this study, including where case-level data on misdemeanor charges filed in court are maintained, what data elements are available, what was the quality of the data submitted to BJS, and what do the data tell us about who is charged with misdemeanor offenses and how those cases are processed in cities submitting data.

Authors

• Kevin Scott, Bureau of Justice Statistics

• Tom Rich, Abt Associates, Inc.