Using Data to Inform Strategic Planning
The National Criminal Justice Association Strategic Planning Workshop Presented by: Phillip Stevenson, Ph.D. Research Manager, Public Safety Performance Project Pew Charitable Trusts
Goals of this section Using data to understand how the system is working An approach to describing the justice system or the justice problem
Quantitative data
Publicly available data Administrative record data Unpublished agency data Original data collection
Qualitative data
The experiences of criminal justice professionals The experiences of victims and offenders
Goals of this section (continued) Understanding what the data can tell you (and what it
cannot) Correlation and Causation The case for description
Using the data to inform a strategic plan Prioritizing problems Goals, objectives, action steps, performance measures Using the plan to hold the system accountable Making sure the plan doesn’t become a doorstop Using the resources of the state’s statistical analysis center
(SAC) Using existing research capacity and data infrastructure
Describing the system Prevention Treatment Law enforcement Prosecution
Defense Courts Probation Institutional corrections Parole
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges Prevention Data State and county health systems Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Youth surveys Prevention Needs Assessments
Treatment State department of health Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) Substance abuse treatment By type of primary substance By age Treatment capacity
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges State law enforcement agency State UCR reporting
Index Offenses and Arrests
By age, race, sex… Special collections Supplemental homicide Officers killed in the line of duty Sworn and civilian staff
Criminal history repository Arrests
By offense By type (i.e., felony and misdemeanor)
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges Law enforcement Local law enforcement Potentially more variety in offenses Sub-city level data
State and local crime labs Drugs seized
Types and amounts
Drug testing results
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges Offices of Highway Safety or State law
enforcement DUI
arrests DUI-D arrests Alcohol-related crashes FBI, Crime in the United States Comparable data Is
from surrounding states
the value in comparing states’ data?
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges Prosecution and Defense Criminal history records
Case/arrest disposition information Case processing times
Courts Administrative Office of the Courts
Cases filed Felony Misdemeanor Other
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges Probation Administrative Office of the Courts
Number of probationers By type of supervision Standard Intensive Administrative
“County” probation
Staffing levels Additional detail Special populations supervised
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges Institutional corrections State Department of Corrections Capacity Stock Population
Admissions
By offense/crime type By Type Probation/Parole violations
Releases Location
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges Parole Stock parole population Parole violations
New crimes Technical violations
Other health agency data Drug overdoses ED/ER visits for drugs or alcohol Prescription Drug Monitoring Program data Rx Drugs dispensed
Understanding what the data is telling you (and what it is not) What do you know? Correlation vs. Causation
Formal statistical tests
The case for description Tells us the “what” not the “why” Simple measures ≠ Not useful measures Trends over time are incredibly useful
What is missing? Do you care?
Can it be found? Can it be shared? Legally Practically
Using the data to inform a strategic plan Identify priority issues Data
Values and trends help prioritize What is using up resources? What is happening over time?
politics
What do voters and their representatives want To govern is to choose
Set Goals Create Objectives, and action steps
Clearly stated and connected to outcomes
Holding yourself accountable Use the plan to drive action Identify responsible parties for each goal, objective and action step Monitor your plan Measure performance
Identify the measures to be used to assess performance Measure consistently and at regular intervals
Learn Share your wins Adapt to your losses
Using the resources of the state’s statistical analysis center (SAC) Statistical Analysis Centers are units or agencies at the
state government level that use information from all components of the criminal justice system to conduct objective analyses of statewide policy issues. (JRSA) Almost every state has one Most are co-located with the SAA For many, serve as a state-based version of Bureau of
Justice Statistics Many act as data clearinghouses Have their own grant program (State Justice Statistics Grant Program)
Bureau of Justice Statistics Support to the SACs Goals of BJS’ support of SACs “Enhance states’ capabilities to collect, analyze, and interpret data on justice issues relevant to the states and to the nation;” “Provide a mechanism for collaboration among the states and the federal government to collect, maintain, and build data systems having common informational components, and to share statespecific information pertaining to vital justice system data;” Share research, definitions, data collection methods, survey materials and techniques, and data analysis procedures among the states and the federal government, to improve the availability, quality, and comparability of the data, and to reduce the burden on these entities to collect and disseminate this information;” and “Better serve the information needs of the states and federal government by providing a core body of knowledge on the administration of criminal justice in each state.”
State Justice Statistics Grant Program “The emphasis of this year’s SJS program is again on
enhancing the SAC’s capabilities to collect, analyze, and publish statistical data that supports the state’s strategic criminal justice planning needs. Additionally, SACs are strongly encouraged to collaborate with their State Administering Agency (SAA) on developing FY 2015 SJS program projects.”
“This year, BJS will provide funds for (1) core capacity
building projects and (2) special emphasis projects focused on specific capacities. Under the first category, BJS is emphasizing the enhancement of the SAC’s capabilities to collect, analyze, and publish statistical data that supports the state’s strategic criminal justice planning needs.”
Goals of this section Using data to understand how the system is working An approach to describing the justice system or the justice problem
Quantitative data
Publicly available data Administrative record data Unpublished agency data Original data collection
Qualitative data
The experiences of criminal justice professionals The experiences of victims and offenders
Goals of this section (continued) Understanding what the data can tell you (and what it
cannot) Correlation and Causation The case for description
Using the data to inform a strategic plan Prioritizing problems Goals, objectives, action steps, performance measures Using the plan to hold the system accountable Making sure the plan doesn’t become a doorstop Using the resources of the state’s statistical analysis center
(SAC) Using existing research capacity and data infrastructure
Describing the system Prevention Treatment Law enforcement Prosecution
Defense Courts Probation Institutional corrections Parole
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges Prevention Data State and county health systems Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Youth surveys Prevention Needs Assessments
Treatment State department of health Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) Substance abuse treatment By type of primary substance By age Treatment capacity
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges State law enforcement agency State UCR reporting
Index Offenses and Arrests
By age, race, sex… Special collections Supplemental homicide Officers killed in the line of duty Sworn and civilian staff
Criminal history repository Arrests
By offense By type (i.e., felony and misdemeanor)
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges Law enforcement Local law enforcement Potentially more variety in offenses Sub-city level data
State and local crime labs Drugs seized
Types and amounts
Drug testing results
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges Offices of Highway Safety or State law
enforcement DUI
arrests DUI-D arrests Alcohol-related crashes FBI, Crime in the United States Comparable data Is
from surrounding states
the value in comparing states’ data?
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges Prosecution and Defense Criminal history records
Case/arrest disposition information Case processing times
Courts Administrative Office of the Courts
Cases filed Felony Misdemeanor Other
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges Probation Administrative Office of the Courts
Number of probationers By type of supervision Standard Intensive Administrative
“County” probation
Staffing levels Additional detail Special populations supervised
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges Institutional corrections State Department of Corrections Capacity Stock Population
Admissions
By offense/crime type By Type Probation/Parole violations
Releases Location
Identifying and analyzing justice system challenges Parole Stock parole population Parole violations
New crimes Technical violations
Other health agency data Drug overdoses ED/ER visits for drugs or alcohol Prescription Drug Monitoring Program data Rx Drugs dispensed
Understanding what the data is telling you (and what it is not) What do you know? Correlation vs. Causation
Formal statistical tests
The case for description Tells us the “what” not the “why” Simple measures ≠ Not useful measures Trends over time are incredibly useful
What is missing? Do you care?
Can it be found? Can it be shared? Legally Practically
Using the data to inform a strategic plan Identify priority issues Data
Values and trends help prioritize What is using up resources? What is happening over time?
politics
What do voters and their representatives want To govern is to choose
Set Goals Create Objectives, and action steps
Clearly stated and connected to outcomes
Holding yourself accountable Use the plan to drive action Identify responsible parties for each goal, objective and action step Monitor your plan Measure performance
Identify the measures to be used to assess performance Measure consistently and at regular intervals
Learn Share your wins Adapt to your losses
Using the resources of the state’s statistical analysis center (SAC) Statistical Analysis Centers are units or agencies at the
state government level that use information from all components of the criminal justice system to conduct objective analyses of statewide policy issues. (JRSA) Almost every state has one Most are co-located with the SAA For many, serve as a state-based version of Bureau of
Justice Statistics Many act as data clearinghouses Have their own grant program (State Justice Statistics Grant Program)
Bureau of Justice Statistics Support to the SACs Goals of BJS’ support of SACs “Enhance states’ capabilities to collect, analyze, and interpret data on justice issues relevant to the states and to the nation;” “Provide a mechanism for collaboration among the states and the federal government to collect, maintain, and build data systems having common informational components, and to share statespecific information pertaining to vital justice system data;” Share research, definitions, data collection methods, survey materials and techniques, and data analysis procedures among the states and the federal government, to improve the availability, quality, and comparability of the data, and to reduce the burden on these entities to collect and disseminate this information;” and “Better serve the information needs of the states and federal government by providing a core body of knowledge on the administration of criminal justice in each state.”
State Justice Statistics Grant Program “The emphasis of this year’s SJS program is again on
enhancing the SAC’s capabilities to collect, analyze, and publish statistical data that supports the state’s strategic criminal justice planning needs. Additionally, SACs are strongly encouraged to collaborate with their State Administering Agency (SAA) on developing FY 2015 SJS program projects.”
“This year, BJS will provide funds for (1) core capacity
building projects and (2) special emphasis projects focused on specific capacities. Under the first category, BJS is emphasizing the enhancement of the SAC’s capabilities to collect, analyze, and publish statistical data that supports the state’s strategic criminal justice planning needs.”
