In a recently released report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics of the United States Department of Justice, Arizona ranked near the top among the states in terms of the availability of core data elements in its correctional information system. The report, entitled State and Federal Corrections Information Systems, ranked the states according to the availability of data in six priority information areas, including 1) offender profile (offense and sentence information, criminal history, demographics, classification data, and release information), 2) internal order (misconduct and responses, legal proceedings), 3) program effectiveness (program participation, drug and medical testing), 4) public safety (offender registry, crimes committed after release, victim information, employment and residence), 5) recidivism (violations while on release, responses to violations and returns to prison), and 6) operational costs (program management, medical services, facility management).

Among the 40 states which collect and maintain information on released offenders, percent of full data availability was assigned in the areas of demographics, offenses and commitments, releases and public safety, and recidivism and supervision violations. Arizona ranked 1st (tied with five other states at 100%) in the area of demographics, 2 nd (tied with Missouri at 98% and trailing Colorado) in the area of offenses and commitments, 2" (tied with North Carolina at 96% and trailing Colorado and Ohio) in the area of releases and public safety, and 1st (tied with seven other states at 100%) in the area of recidivism and supervision violations.

The following chart compares Arizona's percent of full data availability in each of the four areas with the composite national percentage for each:

Table: Arizona/National Comparison of Correctional Data Availability

Category	Percent of Full Data Availability
	Arizona	National
Demographics	100%	78%
Offenses & Commitments	98%	75%
Releases & Public Safety	96%	66%
Recidivism & Supervision Violations	100%	66%

The information presented in the report was collected during January of 1998 by means of an Inventory Questionnaire distributed to departments of corrections in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The inventory contained 242 questions about data elements and capacities of information systems. Of these, 207 were about offender-based data, 15 were about facilities, and 20 were about capacities to link data. A separate Obstacles Questionnaire collected information on barriers information officials encounter in producing statistical information in response to queries about offenders. This survey was organized into five categories, including institutional and legal, staffing, software, hardware, and data.

Officials in all 52 departments responded to the Inventory Questionnaire and telephone interviews and 51 returned the Obstacles survey.

For further information about the report or to obtain specifics regarding Arizona's correctional information system, please contact the Department of Corrections.

 

 

Updated on August 05, 1999