Download Crime, Justice & Security Statistics

Bosnia
Statistical Training
Prosecution / Courts
Session 9, November 24 2010
Overview of the Criminal Justice System and
Statistics – Publication of results, Analysis,
interpretation and use
With funding from the
European Union
DEVELOPMENT OF MONITORING INSTRUMENTS FOR
JUDICIAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INSTITUTIONS IN
THE WESTERN BALKANS 2009-2011
Phase three – Training
Publications, Analysis and
Interpretation
1. Some general notions
2. A description of the Dutch
situation
3. A description of the English
situation
4. Discussion on the situation in
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Importance of publicising statistics
The key principles of publishing statistics are that:
• Consider the data user and what they need to do their job
better
• Published statistics must be trusted by their readers
• They also need to be understood clearly
• These principles are not technology or output dependent
• Therefore the statistician must be prepared to repeat
messages and to explain from first principles what the
figures mean
Avoiding political interference
• Justice Statistics should be free from political interference,
this means:
o Statistics should be released to everybody at the same time to avoid
political misuse of the figures or their suppression
o There is a need for a list of contact points where people can ask
further questions about the statistics
o A policy is needed for more detailed release on request: eg to
academics for research including making data anonymous.
• If this is not the case, it is important to work towards this
and build agreements that work towards statistical
independence.
Publications, Analysis and interpretation
A description of the Dutch situation
•
•
•
•
•
Key is the yearly publication with statistics on every part
of the Criminal Justice System
The publication is both by Statistics Netherlands and the
Ministry of Justice Research Department (WODC)
The publication consists of data and ample explanations,
but NO interpretations
The publication is NOT subject to permission of the
Minister of Justice or any other political influence
The publication is available as pdf on Internet (but not in
English)
Publications, analysis and interpretation
A description of the Dutch situation (2)
•
•
•
Tables with statistical data (more than in the book
publication) are available on both Statistics Netherlands
and the WODC website
There is an ‘Information Desk’ where specific questions
(by policy makers, media and general public) are
answered
Raw data for research are available on request (provided
certain conditions regarding privacy are met). This is
extensively used by research institutes, both commercial
and university institutes and the WODC itself.
A description of the
English System
• Statistics are collected by the various agencies:
Police: Prosecution: Courts: Probation, Prisons
• Different ministries supervise the different agencies
and have different priorities for uses and publication
of statistics:
– Home Office (Police, Immigration)
– Ministry of Justice (Courts, Probation, Prisons)
– Attorney General (Prosecution)
• The National Statistics Office plays no real part in
Crime & Justice statistics.
Types of publication - I
• Summary annual document: Criminal Statistics
– http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/criminalannual.htm
– Gives information from each agency and victims surveys
• Topic bulletins:
– Crime Statistics (quarterly and annual)
– Courts Statistics (quarterly and annual)
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/courtstatisticsquarterly.htm
– http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/courtstatisticsquarterly.htm
– Sentencing Statistics (quarterly and annual)
– http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/sentencingannual.htm
– http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/sentencingquarterly.htm
– Probation Statistics
– Prison Statistics
Annual reports
• National and 43 individual areas)
– Police areas
– Prosecution case outcomes
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http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/performance/case_outcomes/
Conditional cautioning outcomes
http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/performance/conditional_cauti
oning/conditional_cautioning_data_Q1_10_11.pdf
Summary CPS case work statistics (annual rfeport)
http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/reports/2009/ar_annex_c.html
Special analyses for policy work
• Police powers and arrests
•
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/arrestsfornotibleoffences.htm
• Prosecutions for Hate Crime (Race, Religion, etc)
•
http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/docs/CPS_hate_crime_report_2008.pdf
• Prosecutions for violence against women
•
http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/docs/CPS_VAW_report_2009.pdf
• Racists incidents monitoring
• http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/docs/rims06-07.pdf
• Public confidence in the courts
• http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/hmcsusersurvey.htm
• Delays at court
• http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/timeintervals.htm
Special analyses for policy work
• Prison population forecasts
•
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonpopulation.htm
• Reconviction Studies
•
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/compendium-reoffending.htm
• Multi-agency work for serious offenders
•
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/mappa-annual-reports.htm
• Youth Justice Statistics
•
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/youth-justice-statistics.htm
• Safety in Custody
•
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/safer-custody.htm
Research into justice system
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Efficiency of a prison CBT programme to reduce offending
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/eval-enhanced-thinkingskills-prog.pdf
Fine payment work study
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/fine-payment-workprocess-study-8-10.pdf
Focus on Resettlement a randomised control trial
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/focus-on-resettlement.htm
Dedicated Drug Courts: Impact evaluation
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/ddc-feasibility-impactevaluation.htm
Study of Court Sentencing and its outcomes
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/study-sentencingoutcomes-pilot.pdf
Publications, analysis and interpretation
Specific remarks and recommendations
•
A general statistical (book)publication is generally the
best way to disseminate basic information on crime and
criminal justice
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•
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We know from customer surveys that paper publication is still
the desired form
There is / should be a clear distinction between ‘giving
the figures’ and ‘interpretation of the results’. A general
statistical publication should not do any interpreation
Avoid different agencies reporting on the same subjects.
There will always be differences, thus having a negative
effect on the credibility
Publications, analysis and interpretation
Specific remarks and recommendations (2)
•
A general publication should be restricted to simple, well
understood indicators. For Prosecution and Courts this
could be:
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Prosecution input
Prosecution decisions
Court input
Court decisions
Sanctions imposed
Number of Prosecutors, judges, other personnel
Preferably by crime type, sex / age group of offender and if this makes
sense also by geographic area
Publications, analysis and interpretation
Specific remarks and recommendations (3)
•
In presenting data over time, changes in the time series
could be attributed to system changes. This should be
clearly commented upon.
Publication should be in the language used by most users
of statistics.
There should be a good commentary on the statistics
A shorter publication in English could be very useful for
other countries to be able to read, but:
•
•
•
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Translation is not easy: More explanation is needed
Publications, analysis and interpretation
Specific remarks and recommendations (4)
•
Dissemination can take the following forms:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Regular publications on paper
Regular publications on Internet
Answering specific requests
Providing raw, individual data
Providing specific analyses of specific policy areas
and problems
The last three need personnel with a good knowledge of
both the Criminal Justice field and Statistics
Publications, analysis and interpretation
Specific remarks and recommendations (5)
About Publication on Internet:
• It is very time consuming:
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Maintaining the web-site
Answering questions that will be asked via the website
In my view it should be used in addition to a
paper publication by:
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Electronic access to the data (e.g. Excel)
Providing more data