NCJ Number
30906
Editor(s)
L OBERLANDER
Date Published
1975
Length
254 pages
Annotation
QUANTITATIVE TOOLS ARE THE DEVICES USED TO CONSTRUCT AND TO ANALYZE SPECIFIC GROUPINGS OF INFORMATION IN TERMS OF QUANTITY OR NUMBERS.
Abstract
THE TOOLS AT THE PRACTITIONERS' DISPOSAL INCLUDE QUANTITATIVE DATA ABOUT CRIME, THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, BEHAVIOR, AND THE ENVIRONMENT, AS WELL AS A WIDE SELECTION OF METHODS FOR ORGANIZING AND ANALYZING THESE DATA. SOURCES FOR A CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING DATA BASE INCLUDE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE ADMINISTRATION AND BUREAU OF THE CENSUS VICTIMIZATION SURVEY; THE FBI'S UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS (UCR), MODUS OPERANDI (MO) FILE, OFFENDER-BASED TRANSACTION STATISTICS (OBTS), AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE DATA ON MANPOWER, COST AND PROGRAM DISCRIPTIONS. AN EXAMINATION OF DATA, MODELS, AND TECHNIQUES FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ANALYSIS LOOKS AT THE PROSECUTION MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (PROMIS), OBTS, AND OTHER STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES AND THEIR LIMITATIONS. ALSO CONSIDERED ARE THE RELATED ISSUES OF DATA RELIABILITY AND DATA PURIFICATION. IN ADDITION, JUSSIM (JUSTICE SYSTEM INTERACTIVE MODEL,), A PLANNING TECHNIQUE FOR ANALYZING THE IMPACT OF PROPOSED SYSTEM CHANGES, IS DESCRIBED AND DISCUSSED. OTHER AREAS COVERED INCLUDE THE USE OF POPULATION DATA (SMALL AREA POPULATION ESTIMATION, COMPUTER MAPPING, AND GEOCODING) TO EXAMINE CRIME DATA AND CRIME PATTERNS, AND TO IDENTIFY PROBABLE CAUSES AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS; METHODS TO DEVELOP AN ANALYTIC UNIT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL; AND CRIME-ORIENTED PLANNING AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT. THIS BOOK IS DESIGNED FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNERS, PRACTITIONERS, AND STUDENTS IN APPLIED OR PROFESSIONAL SETTINGS WITH AN INTEREST IN THE USE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE DATA AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR DESCRIBING, ANALYZING, AND COMMUNICATING A BROAD ARRAY OF ISSUES CONCERNING CRIME AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. IT IS INTENDED THAT IT BE OF PARTICULAR INTEREST AND USE TO STATISTICIANS, OPERATIONS RESEARCHERS, SYSTEMS ANALYSTS, AND THOSE WITH A SPECIAL ROLE IN PLANNING AND EVALUATION AT STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. AN INDEX IS PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) (SNI ABSTRACT)