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ENSURING THE QUALITY, CREDIBILITY, AND RELEVANCE OF U.S. JUSTICE STATISTICS Panel to Review the Programs of the Bureau of Justice Statistics Robert M. Groves and Daniel L. Cork, Editors Committee on National Statistics Committee on Law and Justice Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS Washington, DC www.nap.edu

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Gov- erning Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance. Support of the work of the Committee on National Statistics is provided by a con- sortium of federal agencies through a grant from the National Science Foundation (No. SES-0453930). The project that is the subject of this report was supported by an allocation from the U.S. Department of Justice to the National Science Foun- dation under this grant. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project. International Standard Book Number 13: 978-0-309-13910-6 International Standard Book Number 10: 0-309-13910-4 Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001; (202) 334-3096; Internet, http://www.nap.edu. Copyright 2009 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America Suggested citation: National Research Council. (2009). Ensuring the Quality, Cred- ibility, and Relevance of U.S. Justice Statistics. Panel to Review the Programs of the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Robert M. Groves and Daniel L. Cork, eds. Committee on National Statistics and Committee on Law and Justice, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sci- ences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the gov- ernment, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. www.national-academies.org

PANEL TO REVIEW THE PROGRAMS OF THE BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS R OBERT M. G ROVES (Chair), Survey Research Center, University of Michigan, and Joint Program in Survey Methodology, University of Maryland W ILLIAM G. B ARRON , J R ., Consultant, Princeton University and U.S. Department of Commerce W ILLIAM C LEMENTS, School of Graduate Studies and Department of Criminal Justice, Norwich University, and Vermont Center for Justice Research PAMELA K. L ATTIMORE,∗ RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina JANET L. L AURITSEN, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Missouri–St. Louis C OLIN L OFTIN, School of Criminal Justice, University at Albany, State University of New York JAMES P. LYNCH, John Jay College of Criminal Justice R UTH D. P ETERSON, Department of Sociology, Ohio State University T RIVELLORE E. RAGHUNATHAN, Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, and Survey Research Center, University of Michigan, and Joint Program in Survey Methodology, University of Maryland S TEVEN R. S CHLESINGER, Statistics Division, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts W ESLEY G. S KOGAN, Department of Political Science and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University B RUCE D. S PENCER, Department of Statistics and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University B RUCE W ESTERN, Department of Sociology, Harvard University DANIEL L. C ORK, Study Director C AROL V. P ETRIE, Senior Program Officer A GNES E. G ASKIN, Administrative Assistant ∗ Resigned from the panel April 2, 2007. v

COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL STATISTICS 2008–2009 W ILLIAM F. E DDY (Chair), Department of Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University KATHARINE G. A BRAHAM, Department of Economics and Joint Program in Survey Methodology, University of Maryland A LICIA C ARRIQUIRY, Department of Statistics, Iowa State University W ILLIAM D U M OUCHEL, Phase Forward, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts J OHN C. H ALTIWANGER, Department of Economics, University of Maryland V. J OSEPH H OTZ, Department of Economics, Duke University KAREN KAFADAR, Department of Statistics, Indiana University, Bloomington D OUGLAS S. M ASSEY, Department of Sociology, Princeton University S ALLY M ORTON, Statistics and Epidemiology, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina J OSEPH N EWHOUSE, Division of Health Policy Research and Education, Harvard University S AMUEL H. P RESTON, Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania H AL S TERN, Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine R OGER T OURANGEAU, Joint Program in Survey Methodology, University of Maryland, and Survey Research Center, University of Michigan A LAN Z ASLAVSKY, Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School C ONSTANCE F. C ITRO, Director vi

COMMITTEE ON LAW AND JUSTICE 2008–2009 JAMES Q. W ILSON (Chair), University of California, Los Angeles (emeritus) P HILIP J. C OOK (Vice Chair), Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy, Duke University DAVID H. B AYLEY, School of Criminal Justice, University of Albany, State University of New York R ICHARD J. B ONNIE, Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy, University of Virginia Law School R OBERT D. C RUTCHFIELD, Department of Sociology, University of Washington S TEVEN N. D URLAUF, Department of Economics, University of Wisconsin–Madison A RTHUR S. G OLDBERGER, Department of Economics, University of Wisconsin–Madison R OBERT L. J OHNSON, Pediatric and Clinical Psychiatry and Director of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, New Jersey Medical School G ARY L A F REE, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland J OHN H. L AUB, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland G LENN L OURY, Department of Economics, Brown University T RACEY L. M EARES, School of Law, University of Chicago T ERRIE E. M OFFITT, Institute of Psychiatry, University of London R UTH P ETERSON, Department of Sociology, Ohio State University R ICHARD R OSENFELD, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Missouri–St. Louis R OBERT J. S AMPSON, Department of Sociology, Harvard University J EREMY T RAVIS, John Jay College of Criminal Justice C HRISTY V ISHER, Justice Policy Center, Urban Institute DAVID W EISBURD, Hebrew University Law School, Jerusalem, Israel C AROL P ETRIE, Director vii

Acknowledgments T HE PANEL to Review the Programs of the Bureau of Justice Statistics of the Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) is pleased to sub- mit this final report on the programs and priorities of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). The work that leads to such a report always repre- sents a collectivity—a devoted and talented staff of the National Research Council (NRC) and a set of volunteers, both panel members and those who met with the panel. Finally, the agency seeking advice from CNSTAT is key to the success of the endeavor. The staff of BJS has been exceptionally receptive to our external review of the agency’s programs. We benefited greatly from the energy and enthusi- asm of BJS Director Jeffrey Sedgwick during the course of our study, partic- ularly given his added responsibilities during the latter half of our work. In January 2008 he took on the duties of acting assistant attorney general for the Office of Justice Programs, the parent division of BJS, while retaining the BJS directorship. He was subsequently nominated as assistant attorney gen- eral in April 2008 and confirmed in October 2008, serving in that capacity until the end of the Bush administration. The other members of BJS’s senior leadership were also unstinting in their support. Deputy Director Maureen Henneberg provided considerable assistance as the lead liaison between BJS and the panel, and BJS Senior Statistical Advisor Allen Beck gave greatly of his time and expertise in interacting with the panel and led a wide-ranging discussion of BJS data collections required by the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Patrick Campbell, special assistant to Director Sedgwick, also partici- pated in the public sessions of the panel’s meetings. Michael Rand, chief of victimization statistics, deserves particular credit for leading a thorough and extremely useful review of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) at the panel’s first meeting. Program managers and BJS staff briefed the panel on their work and fielded numerous questions about their designated subject ix

x ACKNOWLEDGMENTS areas; for this service, we thank Thomas Cohen and William Sabol. More than just cooperation is notable; in its meetings with BJS staff, the panel observed clear devotion among BJS staff to the quality and efficiency of the agency’s statistical activities and a common purpose of serving the country well through its activities. Under a separate contract—but with the intent of supporting our panel’s work—BJS commissioned the Council of Professional Associations on Fed- eral Statistics (COPAFS) to host a dedicated one-day conference on BJS data user perspectives. Through its commissioned papers and its wide-ranging list of approximately 80 participants, the February 12, 2008, workshop pro- vided the panel with a great deal of material to consider in this report. We appreciate the contributions of the authors and presenters of lead papers at the workshop: Lynn Addington, American University; Theodore Eisenberg, Cornell Law School; Brian Forst, American University; and Karen Heimer, University of Iowa. Foremost, though, we thank Edward Spar, COPAFS ex- ecutive director, for his hard work in organizing and convening the session. We greatly appreciate the work of the Justice Research and Statistics Association; its invitation to panel staff to attend the association’s annual meeting in Denver in October 2006 was helpful in structuring the panel’s work. Joan Weiss, executive director of the association, provided helpful comments and suggestions as the panel began its work, and research direc- tor Stan Orchowsky spoke to the panel about the sweep of the organization’s work and its relationship with BJS. Pursuant to the panel’s charge, subgroups of the panel met with a variety of individuals and representatives of interested groups to elicit opinions on the range of BJS programs, the usefulness of BJS data series, and possible ar- eas for change and refinement. To facilitate full and candid discussions, these subgroup sessions were done with the understanding that comments made therein were not intended for direct attribution. We thank those persons who gave generously of their time and expertise to speak to members of the panel: James Boden, chief, Justice Branch, U.S. Office of Management and Budget; Michael Crowley, policy analyst, Justice Branch, U.S. Office of Man- agement and Budget; John Firman, research director, International Associa- tion of Chiefs of Police; Lawrence Greenfeld, senior statistical advisor, Of- fice of the Inspector General, General Services Administration; Chris Koper, deputy director of research, Police Executive Research Forum; Bruce Kubu, senior research associate, Police Executive Research Forum; Shelly Martinez, statistician, U.S. Office of Management and Budget; Bruce Taylor, director of research, Police Executive Research Forum; and Katherine Wallman, chief statistician, U.S. Office of Management and Budget. We gratefully acknowledge the other expert speakers who contributed to our plenary meetings: Kim English, research director, Division of Criminal Justice, Colorado Department of Public Safety; Mark Epley, senior counsel

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi to the deputy attorney general, U.S. Department of Justice; Pat Flanagan, as- sistant division chief, Demographic Statistical Methods Division, U.S. Cen- sus Bureau; David Hagy, director, National Institute of Justice, U.S. De- partment of Justice; Paula Hannaford-Agor, principal court research consul- tant, National Center for State Courts; Douglas Hoffman, director, Center for Research, Evaluation, and Statistical Analysis, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency; Howard Hogan, associate director for demo- graphic programs, U.S. Census Bureau; Krista Jansson, Home Office, United Kingdom; Ruth Ann Killion, chief, Demographic Statistical Methods Divi- sion, U.S. Census Bureau; Cheryl Landman, chief, Demographic Surveys Division, U.S. Census Bureau; Marilyn Monahan, chief of NCVS Branch, Demographic Surveys Division, U.S. Census Bureau; Richard Schauffler, di- rector of research services and director of Court Statistics Project, National Center for State Courts; Jon Simmons, head of research analysis and statis- tics, Crime Reduction and Community Safety Group, Home Office, United Kingdom; and Philip Stevenson, Statistical Analysis Center director, Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. The study director of the panel was Daniel Cork, whose ability to absorb reams of technical, administrative, and organizational information about BJS and the Department of Justice earned the admiration of all panel members. His wisdom in assembling and integrating the writing of panel members and in structuring and writing the report was notable. The panel’s work is conducted in cooperation with the NRC’s Committee on Law and Jus- tice (CLAJ). As senior program officer to this panel, CLAJ Director Carol Petrie helped the panel integrate its work with prior studies and activities of the NRC concerning the Department of Justice. As is true with other CNSTAT studies, our panel benefited greatly from the regular and active participation and engagement in our meetings of Constance Citro, director of CNSTAT. Agnes Gaskin, the administrative assistant, made sure meetings were organized and conducted in the professional manner that CNSTAT always achieves. The Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan hosted two deliberative sessions of the panel at Ann Arbor in June 2007 and August 2008. Deborah Serafin, Rose Myers, and Kelly Smid handled the arrangements for the panel with grace and efficiency. We also appreciate Chris Eskridge, University of Nebraska–Lincoln and ex- ecutive director of the American Society of Criminology, for providing space for the panel to hold a writing and reviewing meeting at the end of the soci- ety’s annual meetings in St. Louis, Missouri, in November 2008. This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with proce- dures approved by the Report Review Committee of the NRC. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that

xii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS will assist the institution in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, ev- idence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the delibera- tive process. We thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report: Eric Baumer, College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University; David Cantor, Statistics Group, Westat, Inc.; Jan M. Chaiken, consultant, Criminal Justice Policy Research Institute, Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University; Kenneth Land, Depart- ment of Sociology, Duke University; Sharon Lohr, Department of Math- ematics and Statistics, Arizona State University; Doris MacKenzie, Depart- ment of Criminology, University of Maryland; Pat Mayhew, consultant, Lon- don, England; Steven F. Messner, Department of Sociology, University at Albany; John V Pepper, Department of Economics, University of Virginia; . James M. Tien, College of Engineering, University of Miami; and Jeremy Wilson, Department of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University. Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive com- ments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before its re- lease. The review of the report was overseen by Alfred Blumstein, School of Public Policy and Management, H. John Heinz III College, Carnegie Mel- lon University, and Philip J. Cook, Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy, Duke University. Appointed by the NRC, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of the report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring panel and the institution. Finally, a personal note of appreciation to my fellow panel members. NRC panels bring together unusually bright and accomplished scholars, de- liberately chosen to have different areas of expertise and different perspec- tives on the focal topic. Our panel was no exception to this rule. The mem- bers were unusually active and contributed greatly to both the interim and final report. While never shy to voice their thoughts, they worked together with respect for each other’s viewpoints and reached consensus on key rec- ommendations with good will intact. I believe they all learned much from each other over the several meetings of the panel and formed intellectual bonds that will survive over time. I thank Bill Barron, Bill Clements, Janet Lauritsen, Colin Loftin, Jim Lynch, Ruth Peterson, “Raghu” Raghunathan, Steve Schlesinger, Wes Skogan, Bruce Spencer, and Bruce Western. Robert M. Groves, Chair Panel to Review the Programs of the Bureau of Justice Statistics

Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations xxi Abstract 1 Summary 5 1 Introduction 23 1–A Charge to the Panel 30 1–B What Is the Bureau of Justice Statistics? 31 1–B.1 Mission-Type Definitions 31 1–B.2 Statistical System Definitions 34 1–B.3 Organizational Definitions 37 1–B.4 Functional Definitions 40 1–C Limitations of the Study 43 1–D Report Contents 45 2 Measurement in the Justice System 47 2–A The “Funnel” Model of Flows in the Criminal Justice System 48 2–B BJS Data Collections in the Context of the Criminal Justice System 51 2–C Gaps in the Coverage of Crime and Justice Statistics 53 2–C.1 White-Collar Crime 56 2–C.2 Civil Justice 60 2–C.3 Juvenile Justice System 63 2–C.4 Drugs and Crime 67 2–D Assessment: Filling the Gaps 71 xiii

xiv CONTENTS 3 Overview of Bureau of Justice Statistics Data Series 75 3–A Victimization 77 3–A.1 National Crime Victimization Survey 80 3–A.2 NCVS Supplements 83 3–A.3 The NCVS “Break in Series” 88 3–B Corrections 91 3–B.1 Prisons 92 3–B.2 Jails 98 3–B.3 Custodial Conditions 101 3–B.4 Capital Punishment 103 3–B.5 Inventory of State and Federal Corrections Information Systems 103 3–B.6 Probation and Parole 104 3–B.7 Recidivism 105 3–C Law Enforcement 106 3–C.1 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics 107 3–C.2 Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies 112 3–C.3 Special-Agency and Service-Agency Censuses 113 3–C.4 Police Traffic Stop Data 119 3–D Adjudication, Prosecution, and Defense 120 3–D.1 National Judicial Reporting Program 122 3–D.2 State Court Processing Statistics 125 3–D.3 National Prosecutors Survey 127 3–D.4 National Survey of Indigent Defense Systems 128 3–E Other Data Collections 129 3–F Assessment of the Portfolio 129 3–F.1 Lack of Longitudinal Series 134 3–F.2 Lack of Conceptual Frameworks 141 3–F.3 Improving Statistical Coverage of the Justice System 152 4 State and Local Partnerships 165 4–A State Justice Statistics: The Statistical Analysis Center Network 166 4–A.1 State Partnerships in the Federal Statistical System 169 4–A.2 Assessment 174 4–B National Criminal History Improvement Program and Related Grant Programs 177 4–B.1 Background Checks and the Development of NCHIP 177 4–B.2 Recent Law and Developments 182 4–B.3 Assessment 184 4–C BJS and the Uniform Crime Reporting Program 185 4–C.1 Overview of the UCR Program 186

CONTENTS xv 4–C.2 BJS Role in UCR and NIBRS 194 4–C.3 The UCR Program and the FBI’s Strategic Priorities 195 4–C.4 Assessment 196 5 Principles and Practices: BJS as a Principal U.S. Federal Statistical Agency 209 5–A Principles of a Federal Statistical Agency 211 5–A.1 Trust Among Data Providers 211 5–A.2 Strong Position of Independence 225 5–A.3 Relevance to Policy Issues 245 5–A.4 Credibility Among Data Users 246 5–B Practices of a Federal Statistical Agency 247 5–B.1 Clearly Defined and Well-Accepted Mission 247 5–B.2 Continual Development of More Useful Data 249 5–B.3 Openness About Sources and Limitations of Data 252 5–B.4 Wide Dissemination of Data 254 5–B.5 Cooperation with Data Users 260 5–B.6 Fair Treatment of Data Providers 260 5–B.7 Commitment to Quality and Professional Standards of Practice 261 5–B.8 Active Research Program 264 5–B.9 Strong Internal and External Evaluation Program 271 5–B.10 Professional Advancement of Staff 272 5–B.11 Coordination and Cooperation with Other Statistical Agencies 273 5–C Summary 275 6 Strategic Goals for the Bureau of Justice Statistics 277 6–A Priority Setting and Constrained Resources 277 6–B Current BJS Strategic Goals 280 6–C Suggested BJS Strategic Goals 281 6–C.1 A Strong Position of Independence 281 6–C.2 Building Statistical Systems and Conceptual Frameworks 283 6–C.3 Improving Coverage of the Justice System 286 6–C.4 Facilitating Access and Improving Dissemination and Outreach 291 6–D Summary 293 References 297

xvi CONTENTS Appendixes 323 A Findings and Recommendations 325 B Summary of Surveying Victims: Options for Conducting the National Crime Victimization Survey 333 C Biographical Sketches of Panel Members and Staff 347

List of Figures 1-1 First page of example from BJS “Bulletin” series of data releases 27 1-2 Bureau of Justice Statistics budget requests to Congress (fiscal years 1981–2009), final total appropriations (1981–2008), and National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) data collection costs (1990–2008) 29 1-3 Bureau of Justice Statistics organizational structure, June 2008 36 1-4 U.S. Department of Justice organizational structure, March 2009 39 2-1 Sequence of events in the criminal justice system 50 2-2 Mapping of Bureau of Justice Statistics data series to sequence of events in the criminal justice system 52 3-1 Module of questions on identity theft in the 2004 National Crime Victimization Survey (part 1) 85 3-2 Module of questions on identity theft in the 2004 National Crime Victimization Survey (part 2) 86 3-3 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics questionnaire, 2003, p. 7 110 3-4 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics questionnaire, 2003, p. 8 111 3-5 Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies questionnaire, p. 1 114 3-6 Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies questionnaire, p. 2 115 5-1 Estimated direct funding levels for principal federal statistical agencies, fiscal year 2008 210 5-2 Review, approval, and dissemination process for BJS survey press releases, 2007 228 5-3 Example summary and links to report and data on Bureau of Justice Statistics website 229 5-4 Excerpt from example Office of Justice Programs press release accompanying new Bureau of Justice Statistics data release 229 5-5 Bureau of Justice Statistics home page, July 2008 258 xvii

List of Tables 3-1 Estimated Funding for Bureau of Justice Statistics Criminal Justice Statistics Program, Fiscal Year 2008 76 3-2 Bureau of Justice Statistics Data Collection History and Schedule, Victimization, 1981–2009 79 3-3 Number of Households and Persons Interviewed by Year, 1996–2006 81 3-4 Estimated Number of Adults Under Correctional Supervision in the United States, 1980–2006 93 3-5 Bureau of Justice Statistics Data Collection History and Schedule, Corrections, 1981–2009 94 3-6 Bureau of Justice Statistics Data Collection History and Schedule, Law Enforcement, 1981–2009 108 3-7 Bureau of Justice Statistics Data Collection History and Schedule, Adjudication, 1981–2009 123 3-8 Bureau of Justice Statistics Data Collection History and Schedule, Criminal History Improvement and Miscellaneous Studies, 1981–2009 130 4-1 National Data Sources Related to Crime Victimization in the United States 197 5-1 Prison Facilities with Highest and Lowest Prevalence of Sexual Victimization, National Inmate Survey, 2007 221 xviii

List of Boxes 1-1 Bureau of Justice Statistics Publications and Data Dissemination Venues 25 1-2 Statutory Functions of the Bureau of Justice Statistics 32 1-3 “Principal Statistical Agencies” and the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy 35 1-4 Organizational Structure of the Office of Justice Programs 41 3-1 Bureau of Justice Statistics Collections on Tribal Justice 78 3-2 The Court Statistics Project and the National Center for State Courts 124 3-3 Congressional Uses of Bureau of Justice Statistics Data 131 3-4 The Federal Justice Statistics Resource Center of the Urban Institute 136 3-5 The Second Chance Act of 2007 156 4-1 State Statistical Analysis Center Network 168 4-2 State Justice Statistics Program Themes, 2008 170 4-3 Information Systems Covered by the Crime Identification Technology Act of 1998 and National Criminal History Improvement Program 180 4-4 Law Enforcement Coverage in the Uniform Crime Reporting Program 187 4-5 Hierarchy Rule for Part I Offenses and Suboffenses, Uniform Crime Reporting Program 190 5-1 Statistical Reporting Provisions of Original and Final Versions of the Prison Rape Elimination Act 215 5-2 Critique of the Reported Rankings in the Prison Rape Elimination Act Inmate Surveys 223 5-3 Excerpts from Travis (2008) Open Letter on an Office of Justice Research 242 5-4 Review Process for an Information Collection by a Federal Agency 263 5-5 Problems in Bureau of Justice Statistics Information Collection Requests 265 6-1 Summary of Recommendations and Commentary on Strategic Goal 1: A Strong Position of Independence 281 xix

xx LIST OF BOXES 6-2 Summary of Recommendations and Commentary on Strategic Goal 2: Building Statistical Systems and Conceptual Frameworks 284 6-3 Summary of Recommendations and Commentary on Strategic Goal 3: Improving Coverage of the Justice System 287 6-4 Summary of Recommendations and Commentary on Strategic Goal 4: Facilitating Access and Improving Dissemination and Outreach 292

Acronyms and Abbreviations AAG assistant attorney general (for the Office of Justice Programs) ACASI audio computer-assisted self-interviewing ACS American Community Survey ADAM Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring program (National Institute of Justice) ADR alternative dispute resolution AO Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts ASJ Annual Survey of Jails BJA Bureau of Justice Assistance (Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice) BJS Bureau of Justice Statistics (Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice) BLS Bureau of Labor Statistics BOP Federal Bureau of Prisons (U.S. Department of Justice) CAPI computer-assisted personal interviewing CATI computer-assisted telephone interviewing CDC U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) CES Current Employment Statistics program (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) CFR Code of Federal Regulations CLAJ Committee on Law and Justice (National Research Council) CNSTAT Committee on National Statistics (National Research Council) COMPSTAT “computerized statistics” or “comparative statistics” (term xxi

xxii ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS used to describe police information system developed in New York, Los Angeles, and other cities) COP community policing or community-oriented policing COPAFS Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics COPS Community Oriented Policing Services (as in the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services in the U.S. Department of Justice) CSLLEA Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies DAWN Drug Abuse Warning Network (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) DEA Drug Enforcement Administration (U.S. Department of Justice) DOJ U.S. Department of Justice DUF Drug Use Forecasting program (historical name for Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring [ADAM] program) FAIR Federal Activities Inventory Reform Act FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation (U.S. Department of Justice) FJSRC Federal Justice Statistics Research Center (Urban Institute) GAO U.S. Government Accountability Office (formerly, General Accounting Office) IACP International Association of Chiefs of Police IADLEST International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training IAFIS Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System ICE U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (U.S. Department of Homeland Security) ICPSR Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research ICR Information Collection Review III Interstate Identification Index JRSA Justice Research and Statistics Association LEAA Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (predecessor to Office of Justice Programs) LEMAS Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics LEOKA Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted MFS Monitoring the Future Survey NACJD National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, University of Michigan) NASDA National Association of State Departments of Agriculture

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS xxiii NASS National Agricultural Statistics Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture) NCANDS National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System NCES National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education) NCHIP National Criminal History Improvement Program NCHS National Center for Health Statistics (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) NCIC National Crime Information Center (Federal Bureau of Investigation) NCJISS National Criminal Justice Information and Statistics Service (historical name for Bureau of Justice Statistics) NCJJ National Center for Juvenile Justice NCJRS National Criminal Justice Reference Service NCRP National Corrections Reporting Program NCSC National Center for State Courts NCVS National Crime Victimization Survey (formerly, National Crime Survey, NCS) NIBRS National Incident-Based Reporting System NICS National Instant Criminal Background Check System NIJ National Institute of Justice (Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice) NIS National Inmate Surveys (data collection for the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003) NJRP National Judicial Reporting Program NLSY97 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 NORC National Opinion Research Center NPS National Prisoner Statistics NRC National Research Council NSDUH National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) NSFG National Survey of Family Growth (National Center for Health Statistics) NW3C National White Collar Crime Center NYRBS National Youth Risk Behavior Survey OJARS Office of Justice Assistance, Research, and Statistics (predecessor to Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice) OJJDP Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice) OJP Office of Justice Programs (U.S. Department of Justice) OMB U.S. Office of Management and Budget ORI Originating Agency Identifier

xxiv ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS PART Performance Assessment Rating Tool PERF Police Executive Research Forum P.L. Public Law PPCS Police-Public Contact Survey (periodic supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey) PREA Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, P 108-79 .L. QCEW Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) rap Record of Arrest and Prosecution (“rap sheet”) RFP request for proposals SAC Statistical Analysis Center SAMHSA Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration SCPS State Court Processing Statistics SCS School Crime Supplement (periodic supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey) SIFCF Survey of Inmates in Federal Correctional Facilities SILJ Survey of Inmates in Local Jails SISCF Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities SISFCF Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities SJS State Justice Statistics SRS Summary Reporting System (of the Uniform Crime Reporting program) SSV Survey on Sexual Violence (data collection for the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003) STRIDE System to Retrieve Information from Drug Evidence (Drug Enforcement Administration) SVORI Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative T-CHRIP Tribal Criminal History Record Improvement Program Triple I Interstate Identification Index; also, III UCR Uniform Crime Reporting program or Uniform Crime Reports USC U.S. Code

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Ensuring the Quality, Credibility, and Relevance of U.S. Justice Statistics Get This Book
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The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) of the U.S. Department of Justice is one of the smallest of the U.S. principal statistical agencies but shoulders one of the most expansive and detailed legal mandates among those agencies. Ensuring the Quality, Credibility, and Relevance of U.S. Justice Statistics examines the full range of BJS programs and suggests priorities for data collection.

BJS's data collection portfolio is a solid body of work, well justified by public information needs or legal requirements and a commendable effort to meet its broad mandate given less-than-commensurate fiscal resources. The book identifies some major gaps in the substantive coverage of BJS data, but notes that filling those gaps would require increased and sustained support in terms of staff and fiscal resources.

In suggesting strategic goals for BJS, the book argues that the bureau's foremost goal should be to establish and maintain a strong position of independence. To avoid structural or political interference in BJS work, the report suggests changing the administrative placement of BJS within the Justice Department and making the BJS directorship a fixed-term appointment.

In its thirtieth year, BJS can look back on a solid body of accomplishment; this book suggests further directions for improvement to give the nation the justice statistics--and the BJS--that it deserves.

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