Statistics for Criminal Justices Research

Statistics for Criminal Justices Research

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Abstract

In the pursuit of criminal justice, scholars and practitioners have always sought to have criminal justice statistics that can facilitate research that will enable them to suggest ways in which crime can be reduced or prevented. The availability of these statistics often calls for concerted effort among stakeholders including state security agencies, policymakers, scholars and practitioners among others. In the United States, different administrations have made effort to ensure that criminal justice statistics are available to relevant authorities. The statistics are of paramount importance to scholars and practitioners since they use the statistics to influence the policy-making process in the effort to have an efficient and effective criminal justice system. This study explores how the criminal justice statistics are collected, calculated and the eventual importance to practitioners and scholars.

Introduction

Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice established in 1967 by President Lyndon Johnson’s administration introduced the idea of composing a federal role in juvenile and criminal justice research, in gathering statistics, in fostering innovation and finding a way to improve criminal justice policy. The idea found its roots in The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. The act required the establishment of a federal office that would allow the research and provide crucial support to local and state criminal justice agencies. This development created a platform for policymakers and justice system leaders to gather necessary information which could later be analyzed in the pursuit of a suitable justice system based on the data collected by the agencies. To the policymakers, justice system leaders, scholars and practitioners, the need to know was a great priority with regard to the wide range of...