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 Idaho Statistical Analysis Center (ISAC) is located within the Idaho State Police since its inception in 1978. The ISAC has been tasked to provide statistical, analytical, planning, evaluation, and technical support to state, local, and national criminal justice agencies. Additionally, the ISAC collaborates with the Idaho Criminal Justice Commission (ICJC), the ICJC Research Alliance Subcommittee and other state level research working groups to ensure research projects pursued are relevant to policymakers in Idaho.
Under the core capacity project, the ISAC will work to increase the access to statistical data on its website as well as measure several components of all the crime types in the state. Once completed these efforts will be accessible and published on its website for public use. In previous years, the ISAC has provided data for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant strategic plan. However, the data has been limited to data from the Idaho Incident Based Reporting System (IIBRS). Using police reported data is beneficial but only provides information on one component of the criminal justice system. Within the past few years, the ISAC has worked to expand access to data from different parts of the criminal justice system. Since 2013, the ISAC has worked closely with the Idaho Supreme Court to receive information on all criminal court cases in Idaho. This information has been used in intimate partner violence and drug trends reports, and most recently in analysis of law enforcement assaults and arrest related deaths. Within the last year, the ISAC has received and used Idaho Department of Corrections data for the Latinos and Crime in Idaho report. In addition, the Idaho Department of Corrections and Idaho Department of Health and Welfare are also partners in the data sharing project with the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections.
With funding in FY 2017, the ISAC will partner with the ICJC to create a secure central repository with online analytic capability in order to provide maximum dissemination for the complex data provided by the ICJC system partners. The ICJC is comprised of a variety of statewide members from three different branches of government and the community. While the entire Commission will add value to this project, the efforts of the Department of Correction, Idaho State Police, Department of Juvenile Corrections, Office of Drug Policy and the Commission of Pardons and Parole will directly impact the ability for the ISAC to achieve its goals. The ISAC can use data from all aspects of the criminal justice system to identify gaps and issues. The goal is to gain a more complete knowledge of the performance of the Idaho criminal justice system by analyzing data from law enforcement, the courts, prison, juvenile corrections, probation and parole, victim services, and services for substance abuse treatment and behavioral crisis center statistics. This holistic view of Idaho's criminal justice system will allow Byrne Justice Assistance Grant funds to be targeted to areas where it is needed most.
(CA/NCF)
Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law.
