Statistical Analysis In Criminal Justice Research

Abstract

The use of statistics and statistical analysis on crime and criminal justice is critical in order for governments to be effective in implementing anti-crime programs and protect the well-being of the population and assess the social impact of public expenditures and policies. In an increasingly globalized and interconnected world, in the age of cybercrimes even, the collection of reliable and comprehensive criminal justice statistics cannot be understated. Countries collect huge amount of data pertaining to crimes, criminal profiles and related socio-economic, political and geographic profile of different communities and the country as a whole in order to sustain its respective criminal justice system. In many cases, the governments undertake extensive research using quantitative or qualitative techniques or both in order to generate the data. During the research process, statistical analysis is required to transform all these data into useful information for effective criminal justice decision-making as well as policy research.