Learning about Statistical Analysis Centers: Alt-Academic Data, Collaboration, and Careers
Sat, Nov 15, 11:00am to 12:20pm, 2, Dogwood – Second Floor
There are currently 53 Statistical Analysis Centers (SACS) across the American states and territories that collect, analyze, and distribute valuable criminal justice data and research. Despite the wealth of knowledge and experience that can come from SACs, there is little awareness in academia of the opportunities these SACs may provide. This panel will focus on research activities in four SACs to elucidate how SACs can provide criminal justice research opportunities for those in academia, as well as those who are interested in transitioning into an alt-academic career.
Panel presentations:
DCJS Justice Lab: Using Research and Evidence to Inform Justice Policy
An initiative of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), the Justice Lab leverages the expertise of DCJS staff and other state agency partners who understand policy and practice; data maintained by agencies; and their data collection systems. The lab uses this subject-matter expertise to analyze and seek to answer questions about the impacts of adult and youth justice policies in New York State and builds upon the agency’s commitment to promoting evidence-based policymaking to improve the justice system. The Justice Lab provides opportunities for academic and non-academic affiliates to participate as Research Partners and/or Review Panel members based on subject matter expertise, analytic expertise, or lived experience. Projects include: an outcome analysis of alternative to incarceration and re-entry programming; an examination of the intersection of violent victimization and violent offending; and an analysis of “high utilizers” in the justice system to inform efforts to reduce frequent involvement in the justice system.
The Kansas Sentencing Commission Electronic Journal Entry Application (KSApp)
The Kansas Sentencing Commission (KSSC) collects data for adult felony convictions across all 105 counties in Kansas. This data is utilized to make informed evidence-based criminal justice policies. Currently data is collected via paper journal entries for both the initial sentencing hearing, as well as from probation violation hearings. These two databases include over 900 combined variables specific to jurisdiction, offense types, and demographics. At present, the manual entry of this data requires the work of three full-time employees to sort through and enter data from each journal entry, which are often littered with mistakes. However, the KSSC recently partnered with Domo Inc, to develop the Kansas Sentencing App (KSApp) to provide practitioners the ability to complete journal entries via an online portal that will not only reduce practitioner error but will also streamline data collection. This new process will allow the KSSC to improve its data collection, as well as its data analysis to make better policy recommendations. The application also includes data visualization tools that makes the data produced by the KSSC more readily available and more easily digested by the public. This presentation will demonstrate the improved data collection and analysis that resulted from this endeavor.
ISAC and Boise State: Playing to our Strengths to Inform Policy and Practice in Idaho
The Idaho Statistical Analysis Center (ISAC) and the Department of Criminal Justice at Boise State University’s School of Public Service have a long history of working together to advance knowledge, policy, and practice in Idaho’s justice system. The two entities have worked collaboratively on large research projects, serve on many of the same state-level working groups and committees, and leverage each other’s strengths to inform and improve their own work. Additionally, both past and present ISAC staffers have simultaneously served as professors at Boise State. This session will detail the relationship between ISAC and Boise State, highlight examples of how the work being done by both entities compliments the other, and demonstrate how applied and academic researchers can work together to improve state- and local-level justice system policy and practice.
The DC SAC: Collaboration and Partnerships
The District of Columbia Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) is housed within the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC). CJCC is an independent agency that serves as a forum for identifying challenges and generating solutions to enhance public safety and the fair administration of justice for District of Columbia residents, visitors and justice-involved individuals. Hosting the SAC within CJCC supports policy applications of the SAC’s research and data analysis, as CJCC members are policymakers and agency heads. The members share their questions and evidence needs with CJCC, and are the key parties for putting research implications into legislation and practice. CJCC’s independence and reputation for objectivity supports take-up of the SAC’s research. These advantages convey in their partnerships with academics. CJCC contracts with independent researchers to develop a continuum of care for District youth; create a collaborative case management practice for crossover youth; evaluate hospital-based violence interrupter services; and conduct focus groups with system-involved and at-risk youth to understand drivers of community violence. The CJCC also work to recruit new staff from universities, not only from criminology departments, but also from sociology, public health, statistics, and law. Applied researchers benefit from the CJCC structure, which tightly marries together research and its policy implementation.