There are three key reasons why the completeness, consistency, and accuracy of state criminal record repositories could be suspect-
- Timeliness of Receiving Arrest and Disposition Data
- Timeliness of Entering Arrest and Disposition Data into the Repository
- Inability to Match Dispositions with Existing Arrest Records
The basis for these concerns is supported by documented facts provided by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Every two years the DOJ's Bureau of Justice Statistics releases an extensive Survey of State Criminal Record Repositories. The latest survey, released December 2015 and based on statistics complied as of Dec 31, 2014, is a 117-page document with 36 data tables. Below are some eye-catching facts reflected from the current Survey:
- 8 states report 25% or more of all dispositions received could NOT be linked to the arrest/charge information in the state criminal record database. 14 states don't know how many dispositions they have that cannot be linked. (Table 8a)
- 20 states have over 3 million unprocessed or partially processed court dispositions, ranging from 200 in Michigan and North Dakota to over 1 million in Nevada. (Table 14)
- 11 states report at least a 50 day backlog between the time when a felony case is decided and when the record is entered in that state's criminal history database. 18 states do not know how long the delay is. (Table 14)
To view or download a recently posted article with some eye-opening individual state stats from several of the Tables visit the BRB Knowledge Center.
The entire 117-page DOJ survey is available at
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bjs/grants/249799.pdf.
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