BJS FY 09 Conversion of Criminal History Records into Research Databases

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) seeks a data processing agent through a cooperative agreement to convert criminal history records into research databases to support recidivism studies. This program furthers the Department's mission by enhancing BJS's capability to conduct recidivism studies more efficiently and, therefore, more frequently. For years, BJS recidivism research has utilized data reported manually to BJS by individual state criminal history repositories. This project aims to convert the information recorded on national criminal history records (i.e., "rap sheets" derived from information housed in individual state repositories) into a database supportive of ongoing recidivism research. In addition, as a pilot test of the data conversion process, this project will produce a research database for use in a study of the recidivism of persons released from prison in 2005.