Statewide Crime Victimization Survey and Performance Measurement

The State Justice Statistics (SJS) Program is designed to maintain and enhance each state's capacity to address criminal justice issues through collection and analysis of data. The SJS Program provides support to each state to coordinate and conduct statistical activities within the state, conduct research to estimate impacts of legislative and policy changes, and serve as a liaison in assisting BJS to gather data from respondent agencies within their states.

Under this award, the Maine Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) plans to conduct projects under the following 2011 SJS themes: Data Collection and/or Research Examining a Special Topical Area and Performance Measurement. The SAC plans to conduct a survey to study the impact of substance abuse on state and local public health systems. The report will mainly focus on illegal alcohol, drug offending, and recidivism trends. Findings from the report will shed light on the state's drug problem and help policymakers in Maine target, address, and reduce activities involving illegal alcohol, drug offending, and drug addiction in the state.

The SAC also intends to develop and disseminate a juvenile justice data book to aid the state in measuring trends in crimes committed by juveniles. The data book will be published and provided to state agencies, coalitions, and community groups for use in developing best practices and public policy for the state.

CA/NCF