Collecting Standardized Data in a Decentralized Criminal Justice System

• In Event: International Criminal Justice Data: Global Trends in Guidelines and Reform

Abstract

In the United States, there are thousands of law enforcement agencies, courts, and correctional institutions under various federal, state, and local government authority. This makes the United States criminal justice system one of the most decentralized systems in the world. With a decentralized system, data standardization is essential for providing national and comparable statistics. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and publishing national statistics on crime, victims, offenders, and the operation of the justice system. This presentation will discuss BJS’ role in collecting statistics for the U.S. and as a focal point for data reporting to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The presentation will also highlight how BJS collects and standardizes data to produce national statistics that align with global best practices.

Author

• Shelley Hyland, U.S. DOJ Bureau of Justice Statistics