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Welcome to ASA Committee on Law and Justice Statistics

Charge: To provide an interface for the Association with the legal, judicial, and criminal justice communities.

As such, it will:

  • help to disseminate information about legal and justice statistics activities throughout the statistics community;
  • promote the development of quality statistical activities in civil and criminal justice settings;
  • enhance the communication and presentation of statistical evidence in legal settings;
  • consider and report on relevant issues to guarantee the integrity of statistical programs maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice and other appropriate agencies and organizations.

Upcoming webinar: March 13 from 1-1:30pm ET. 
Register here!

Title: The Landscape of Criminal Justice Data

Abstract: Criminal justice research relies on a range of data sources, each offering insight into crime, victimization, law enforcement, and the courts. This talk provides an overview of datasets used in the field, spanning national, state, and local levels. I will discuss major federal sources, including the FBI’s Summary Reporting System (SRS), National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) as well as the Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). In addition, I will highlight city-level open data portals, which provide granular insights into local criminal justice patterns. Finally, I will present a few “specialty” datasets that capture critical aspects of the system, such as North Carolina’s adult conviction records, Florida court data, Pennsylvania Sentencing Commission data, and New Jersey’s use-of-force reporting. By exploring these resources, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the strengths, limitations, and opportunities presented by modern criminal justice data.


Future Activities

The committee welcomes ideas for further activities through communications to its staff liaison, ASA Director of Science Policy Steve Pierson.