Core Capacity Building Project B. Collecting and analyzing data on criminal justice system processes

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 Kansas Sentencing Commission (KSSC) is the designated Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) for the State of Kansas and has been collecting statewide felony sentencing data and probation revocation disposition data since 1996. The data collected by the Commission is used to guide both criminal justice and correctional policy in the state of Kansas. Each year the Commission uses the data collected through journal entries to develop policy aimed at reducing the prison population in Kansas. This requires continuous access to numerous years of data, as well as the need to ensure that all accessed data is up-to-date and accurate.

Under the FY 20 SJS project, KSSC will collecting and analyzing data on criminal justice system processes. The KSSC will enhance its ability to collect, analyze, and disseminate data more quickly by improving the data collection and analysis infrastructure. Specifically, their plan is to implement an electronic system for collecting and organizing data to provide a more secure framework, reduce the number of hard copy journal entries within the office, and ensure that confidential information is secured and accessible. Further, as technology evolves and has evolved, KSSC believes the improved infrastructure will greatly improve the KSSC’s ability to produce high-level policy research using sentencing data collected, maintained, and analyzed by the KSSC research team.

(CA/NCF)