Data-linkage in the Criminal Justice Field

Data-linkage has been used in many fields including medical. Data-linkage has not been used widely throughout the criminal justice system. The purpose of the study is to find useful ways to use the data linking method and to encourage law enforcement to venture into the method. The problem with this method of research is privacy. Guidelines are enforced and if they are not it could jeopardize the findings (Ferrante, 2009).

Research Design

The design of the data-linkage takes on a qualitative role. The research that will be done will be conducted through observation and through interviews. The information may also be obtained from government data sources. For the criminal justice system to reach out to a new form of research could be highly beneficial for all who are involved. The two biggest positives for the criminal justice system to adapt to the data-linkage method is saving money on research and conserving privacy. One system that is currently in action is referred to as INOIS or integrated numerical offender identification system. This system is being used in Australia at the moment. The crime research center and the government departments work together to link together different forms of data on criminals. The data includes records from police offender records, court records, prison records, and community corrections. All of the data that is collected has been used in the research for criminal careers and recidivism (Ferrante, 2009).

In the Australian data-linkage system is divided into three sections. The sections are the Crime Research Centre, the BOCSAR NSW, and the Griffith University. Crime Research Centre agency contributes to the data-linkage method through the population based routine. The sections that are involved with the data-linkage include the entire criminal justice system. The BOCSAR agency contributes to the data-linkage method the same way as the Crime Research Centre does, but the routine is cohort. The Griffith University agency participates through the adhoc linkages (Ferrante, 2009).

Several questions may arise as to the effectiveness of the data-linkage method.

· Does the linkage include the disabled offenders? · When comparing arrests, what is the linkage between drunk driving and accidents? · Are there any links to individuals who claim to be insane when he or she commits a crime? · Are there any linkages to the health of imprisoned offenders to the mortality rate? · Is there a link between crime and health, education, child protection, and disability when referring to juvenile offenders?

Findings

The findings of this particular study show that there is potential for the data-linkage method to be used in the criminal justice system in the United States. The cost would be a large advantage for the criminal justice system. The programs that are continuously being cut due to lack of funding may be able to be reinstated. This offers inmates a chance to finish school and try to better themselves for the community instead of being a burden. The individuals who will most likely gain the most will be the immediate beneficiaries of the national data-linkage research (Ferrante, 2009).

The researchers chose to use the medical field also as a success for the data-linkage method. This method allows for more time and more information to be available. The data-linkage method also allows for less cost. When the cost goes down, it opens the doors for more affordable possibilities. In the criminal justice system it is worth the research to see if data-linkage is probable.


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *