“We Don’t Track That:” Strategies for Using Administrative Data from Jails

• In Event: Turning Administrative Information into Useable Data: Lessons from the Field with the Crime and Justice Institute

Abstract

What can we do when the variables essential to our research questions have not been consistently collected by practitioners? It is rare to find the exact information needed to answer our research questions. In this session we discuss how to design flexible research plans, select useful variables, address messy datasets, and strengthen data infrastructure going forward. From what data to request to identifying proxies, researching in the field requires the CJI data team to combine statistical skills with detective work. To promote sustainability, we work with our partners to encourage best practices for data collection, analysis, and transparency. Finding the data necessary to answer core research questions can pose just as many challenges as analyzing.

Authors

• Rachel Schmidt, Crime and Justice Institute

• Jordan Holsinger, Crime and Justice Institute