Identifying Global Data and Standards for the Integrated Criminal Justice Information System for Research Purposes

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.

The Massachusetts Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) is located within the Research and Policy Analysis Division (RPAD). RPAD is a division within the Office of Grants and Research, the arm of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) that serves as the State Administrative Agency for federal criminal justice, highway safety and homeland security grant funds. The Massachusetts SAC in conjunction with RPAD provides public safety and criminal justice research, policy analysis, program evaluation, and information services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The SAC functions primarily as a resource for state and local government representatives. The SAC provides technical and research assistance to the Secretary of Public Safety and Security.

Under this award, the MA SAC will conduct a core capacity and special emphasis project. For the Core Capacity project, the SAC will contract with a vendor (Beyond 20/20) to support EOPSS’ National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and Summary Reporting System (SRS) crime data collection and reporting needs. This collaborative effort will entail developing custom reports and dimensional data cubes that allow for sophisticated dissemination of NIBRS data as well as state specific variants. Beyond 20/20 will develop a user-friendly public website – Theme Oriented Public Site (TOPS) – to promote public engagement and share knowledge and information relevant to the people of Massachusetts. The SAC will design this additional layer to the reporting site for public access. In conjunction with the effort to strengthen data collection in Massachusetts, the Beyond 20/20 platform, NIBRS, and SRS data will be stored in the same location and statewide data will be readily available to the public. By using the TOPS, with a direct link from the new Mass.gov site, users will have the option to choose topics to explore.

Under the Special Emphasis project, the MA SAC will expand on the work conducted under a three year award initiated in FY 2014. As with the FY 2014 project, this project will have a similar purpose, but with more specific goals. While the 2014 project was developed to look at identifying global data and standards for ICJIS platform, the 2017 project will:

1. Focus on houses of correction from the four counties Hampshire, Berkshire, Essex and Middlesex;

2. Select from a group of county corrections criminal justice practitioners to form a Data and Standards Team (the County Team) responsible for identifying and developing common definitions and standards for the data that will become more readily available as a result of these automated data exchanges; and

3. Consolidate and synthesize data to support statewide criminal justice research and data-driven policy decision-making. (CA/NCF)

Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law.

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. The Massachusetts Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) is located within the Research and Policy Analysis Division (RPAD). RPAD is a division within the Office of Grants and Research, the arm of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) that serves as the State Administrative Agency for federal criminal justice, highway safety and homeland security grant funds. The Massachusetts SAC in conjunction with RPAD provides public safety and criminal justice research, policy analysis, program evaluation, and information services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The SAC functions primarily as a resource for state and local government representatives. The SAC provides technical and research assistance to the Secretary of Public Safety and Security. Under this award, the MA SAC will conduct a core capacity and special emphasis project. For the Core Capacity project, the SAC will contract with a vendor (Beyond 20/20) to support EOPSS’ National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and Summary Reporting System (SRS) crime data collection and reporting needs. This collaborative effort will entail developing custom reports and dimensional data cubes that allow for sophisticated dissemination of NIBRS data as well as state specific variants. Beyond 20/20 will develop a user-friendly public website – Theme Oriented Public Site (TOPS) – to promote public engagement and share knowledge and information relevant to the people of Massachusetts. The SAC will design this additional layer to the reporting site for public access. In conjunction with the effort to strengthen data collection in Massachusetts, the Beyond 20/20 platform, NIBRS, and SRS data will be stored in the same location and statewide data will be readily available to the public. By using the TOPS, with a direct link from the new Mass.gov site, users will have the option to choose topics to explore. Under the Special Emphasis project, the MA SAC will expand on the work conducted under a three year award initiated in FY 2014. As with the FY 2014 project, this project will have a similar purpose, but with more specific goals. While the 2014 project was developed to look at identifying global data and standards for ICJIS platform, the 2017 project will: 1. Focus on houses of correction from the four counties Hampshire, Berkshire, Essex and Middlesex; 2. Select from a group of county corrections criminal justice practitioners to form a Data and Standards Team (the County Team) responsible for identifying and developing common definitions and standards for the data that will become more readily available as a result of these automated data exchanges; and 3. Consolidate and synthesize data to support statewide criminal justice research and data-driven policy decision-making. (CA/NCF) Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law.