Core Capacity and Special Emphasis SAC Proposal: Michigan Statistical Analysis Center 2017

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 Michigan Justice Statistics Center (MJSC) is located in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. On October 1, 1993, the Executive Order 1993-18 created MJSC and designated Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice to operate the center and carry out the duties of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting criminal history data; producing reports; and providing information to policymakers and the public. The Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) is led by the SAC Director who also serves as the principal investigator and project director for this grant.

Under this award, the SAC will conduct activities under the following Core Capacity areas: Carrying out research using incident-based crime data that are compatible with the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS); Measuring criminal justice system performance; and, Other capacity-building project identified by the SAC, as well as Special Emphasis area: Conducting targeted analysis that use the state’s criminal history records. Under the Core Capacity area, the SAC plans to use NIBRS data to better understand patterns of human trafficking in the state of Michigan. This project will involve a comparison of known criminal cases involving human trafficking with NIBRS data. The purpose of the project is to inform an individual’s understanding of the state’s human trafficking problem and provide information on whether law enforcement agencies are properly recording human trafficking incidents in the NIBRS system. The second project is a continuation of research on Byrne/JAG multi-jurisdictional enforcement activities. This project involves research to align performance measures with the strategic plan of the State Administering Agency. Each of the evaluation studies will include a technical report.

The Special Emphasis project activities build on the state’s Secure Cities Initiative and will leverage policy-relevant research underway in Detroit. The first activity involves a study of co-offending shooting networks. This study will integrate criminal history records with the social network analyses in order to identify risk factors for both individuals and co-offending networks for involvement in future shootings. The second activity will involve an evaluation of the individual-level effects of Detroit Ceasefire. Integrating criminal history records for a treatment and control group of probationers and parolees will allow for a rigorous assessment of participation in Detroit Ceasefire. The criminal history data is essential in order to develop a propensity-based comparison group and to have complete data on subsequent offending patterns. Based on current program participation, the SAC estimates approximately 450-500 Ceasefire clients with similar numbers in the comparison group will participate in the study. Survival analysis techniques with outcome measures based on prevalence, incidence, and seriousness of re-offending will be conducted. Findings for both activities will be published in a technical report and presented at research conferences. Funds are also requested for the SAC Director’s travel to attend the National Criminal Justice Association Annual Forum.

(CA/NCF)

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