Poster #248 - Using Mixed Methods to Standardize Criminal Legal System Measures

• In Event: ASC Poster Session II

Abstract

In interagency meetings and interactions with stakeholders, analysts from various agencies typically present measures like, “the pretrial population detained in the jail” and “average time from arrest to ‘final case disposition’”. While some measures are defined by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and other organizations, tacit knowledge about agency operations and data structures heavily influences how measures are defined, generated, and interpreted in the local context. Conflicts arise when others within and outside of the agency define measures differently, and conflicting figures further erode public trust in police departments, sheriff’s offices, and municipal governments.

As part of larger justice technology modernization efforts in New Orleans, a team of analysts and data scientists is using a mixed method approach to establish standardized definitions and methods for generating legal system measures so that they are uniform across agencies, relevant to our local context, and actionable for decision-makers and stakeholders. This poster presents an overview of our approach and an example, drawn from our efforts to operationalize the terms “pre-acceptance” and “pretrial”, that highlights the challenges and potential for increased knowledge and capacity building in this work. The poster presentation will interest data analysts and users of criminal legal system data products.

Authors

• Theresa McKinney, Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice Coordination, City of New Orleans

• Nathaniel Weaver, Chief Administrator's Office, City of New Orleans