1. Serbia Statistical Training
Uses of Statistics on Crime, Justice & Security

2. Summary
Collecting Statistics is expensive. This money will be wasted unless the figures are used properly.
There are three main uses of Statistics on crime, justice and security:
To enable senior officials to manage each agency effectively
To enable agencies to account for their law enforcement to Parliament, the general public and the media.
To ensure that policies cutting across more than one agency are properly considered and evaluated

3. A. Statistics to manage agencies effectively
The following is needed to manage each agency effectively:
Measures of workload and resources, especially personnel
Indicators of work carried out by agency
Indicators of work not carried out: eg crime not solved: cases delayed.
Statistics for each area of the country to show that each area gets its fair share of service.
Mechanism for getting figures to managers in a routine fashion
Statistical training for managers

4. Workload and Resource Statistics
Statistics needed each geographic area
Workload
Resources
Police
Crimes recorded, by type
Traffic incidents
No of police
Cost of police
Prosecution
Cases from police
Cases sent to the court
No. of prosecutors
Cost of prosecutors
Courts
Cases received
Cases disposed of
No. magistrates, staff
Cost of courts
Probation
Probation cases from the courts, by offence
Community service orders
No. probation officers
Cost probation
Prisons
Prisoners in prison, by type
Prisoners on remand
No. prison officers
Cost of prisons

5. Indicators needed by managers
For each geographical area
Indicator
Police
Crime recorded per policeman
Crime solved per policeman
Crimes not solved per policeman
Prosecution
Cases processed per staff member
Cases returned to police per staff member
Cases successful in court per staff member
Courts
Case load per staff member
Fines collected by the court
Average waiting time in prison
Probation
Case load per officer
Cases successfully completed per officer
Prisons
Prisoners per police officer
Overcrowding of prisons

6. Getting statistics to managers
A mechanism is necessary to do this such as a statistical bulletin, briefing note or routine meeting
This will need to be at least monthly
It should be short and include only a brief selection of figures
It also needs a commentary and charts to make the figures easier to read
Managers will need to be trained in the use of figures. They also need to feedback their needs for new figures and different ways of presentation.
Getting statistics to managers is entirely different from publishing the figures to the Parliament and the public which need not be done so frequently .

7. Using Statistics for public accountability
The main customers for statistics are the Parliament, the media, the general public and International bodies
Members of Parliament should have summary figures presented to them in an annual report. This should be easy to read and include commentary and figures. It should be in the most commonly used language
The media need to have summary figures presented to them, probably annually, in easily read form, often at a press conference where questions can be asked.
The general public will generally get their figures via the media. However, some people, such as academics, interest groups and students may need special statistics and should be given access to these through special arrangements.
International bodies such as the EU and the UN usually ask for data in their own questionnaires

8. Types of statistics required for public accountability
Simple summary statistics, in the form of indicators of
performance, should be published to show the
effectiveness of the justice system: eg
1. Police, Prosecutors, Courts
Clear up/complete at least X% of cases reported to them
Complete cases within a particular time
Maintain public confidence
Prisons:
reduce overcrowding:
improve health:
retrain prisoners

9. Setting targets and producing action plans
Public accountability often includes setting an action plan for improvement
Statistics are an essential part of this
Targets can be set for future years based on the indicators of performance set in the previous slide
Regular publication would show whether the targets had been met
It would also be an essential starting point for discussion on the need for resources in different parts of the justice system.

10. Action plan for using Performance measures
Agree in advance which indicators to use
Publish this list, together with a base line of current values of the indicators.
Measure work load of staff on a regular basis
Record measures of success: eg clear-ups: cases finished
Record the main time delays for courts.
Conduct surveys to obtain public confidence measures in current situation and how the situation is developing.

11. C. Using Statistics for policy development
There are several reasons for wanting to change policy:
To save money for the government
To react to social changes (population change, tourism, drugs, terrorism, organised crime.)
To use technical developments more efficiently (fingerprints, DNA, electronic monitoring)
Because police, courts, prisons are getting overwhelmed by burden, with resulting inefficiencies.
To get more control over the CJ process

12. Who starts off case for change
Policy change can be started off by many different areas of the
justice system: eg.
The finance ministry may seek for savings
Politicians and senior officials may wish to pursue legal reform
Operational agencies (police, prosecutor, judiciary, probation, prison) may wish to be more efficient
Public commentators may exert pressure for change
Other countries may seem to be coping better with similar problems
However, Statisticians are central to all this as they have access
to the figures and can see where things are not as efficient as they
might be and can forecast what will happen in the future

13. Examples of possible applications of statistics
Many policy areas cut across different justice agencies and use
statistics to assist in their planning: five examples of uses are
given in the following slides:
Changing remand policies
Reducing delays in justice
Developing sentencing policies
Considering legal aid policies
Other possible uses of statistics are not covered in the slides
Giving police more powers to end cases by giving fixed fines for petty crime.
Reducing offending by working with offenders
Restructuring the justice system

14. I. Using Statistics to change remand policies
High remand population can lead to wastage of resources:
Costs in feeding prisoners many who do not get a prison sentence
Costs if remand period does not count against sentence
Transport costs in taking cases to court, especially for cases that take a long time to finalize.
Long remand periods when prison service not able to start rehabilitation and prisoners get no chance to work or gain skills
Increased difficulties for lawyers to advise their clients on their legal rights

15. Remand: What is needed
Put together police, courts and prison statistics
Numbers in prison:
by age, gender, offence, region
Length of time spent on remand
Estimates of how many do not get prison sentences: maybe a sample survey needed,
Look at those not remanded to see what problems come about:
skipping bail, delays in cases, new crime committed

16. Remand statistics: possible reactions
Accept the current situation and seek for the resources to manage it.
Allow time served on remand to count against eventual sentence.
Allow period before trial to be spent in the community, perhaps under probation supervision or electronic monitoring.
Allow those remanded in prison to start training and rehabilitative work
Introduce a maximum time before trial to encourage agencies to become more efficient in their work in preparing the evidence for trial

17. II. Using Statistics to reduce delays
What impact do delays in the court process have and how can these impacts or delays be reduced?
Is delay a problem with the Court process or resources?
Are other factors involved?
Can other players in the criminal justice system assist in reducing delay?

18. Delay: What statistics are needed
Measure the time from arrest to sentence
Break this down between different stages in the process
Identify the causes of delay and those who might address them
Establish agreed actions between the courts and others

19. Delay: Actions that might result
Elements of the court process could be improved, such as setting court dates more quickly and re-organising the availability of court/judicial resources
Other agencies called upon to help – such as police ensuring defendants turn up at court
Arrangements for producing the prisoner from jail to the court could be improved
New arrangements introduced – support or protection for witnesses

20. III. Using Statistics to develop sentencing policies
Are sentences effective.
What is reconviction rate? What do victims think
What does the public think?
Money can be saved by reducing sentences. (Statistics can estimate this.)
Increased sentences would cost more money ( Again can be estimated)
Sentences could be more similar to those in other countries.
Sentencing guidelines could be issued for magistrates and judges. This would give more control. This occurs frequently in the USA.

21. Sentencing: what is needed
Measure of reconvictions: data base needed
Measures of confidence from surveys
Effect of changes in sentencing: apply new rules to last year’s statistics
Examine guidelines from other countries to see whether these could be fitted into your legislation

22. Example looking at sentencing policy
The UK is concerned with sentences for knife crime. Data is on the web site and the trends in prison numbers is:

23. IV. Using Statistics to consider legal aid policies
In many countries the government pays some defence costs: ‘Legal Aid’
In some countries (EW) LA expenditure is too high.
If more offenders aided legally, perhaps through donor money to start with, then this could pay for itself by reducing the costs of the CJS.
Legal aid could be on arrest as in some countries (eg England & Wales): for court appearance: or for appeal
Some countries have compensation for injury as a result of crime

24. Legal Aid: What is needed
Examine other countries’ rules for legal aid and see how they could be modified for your country
Look at numbers who currently use defence lawyers
Consult lawyers, court staff, offenders, perhaps using a sample survey
Work out impact of changes: length of trials, different guilty rates: different sentences, etc.

25. Conclusions
Statistics can assist in managing criminal justice policies
For each proposed policy change a different set of statistics would need to be calculated
This would need to be supplemented by surveys of opinion.
A base line set of statistics on the current position would be needed
Estimates of potential change can then be made
Researchers can suggest changes that would be possible from their study of work in other countries.