Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Integrated Administrative Data & Criminal Justice Research

  • Published:
American Journal of Criminal Justice Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Using integrated administrative data from criminal justice and social service systems can harness information in meaningful ways that transcend traditional “silos” and allow communities to focus collective attention on important social issues that cross systemic boundaries. Despite recent advances in use of integrated administrative data, practical information to promote adoption by new users is lacking. Here we provide an introduction to potential uses of integrated administrative data for criminal justice researchers, including general benefits of using integrated data as well as implications for innovative research design. We describe a case example of data integration through a state data warehouse for a federally funded project on impact of incarceration on families. The project utilizes data from eight agencies (corrections, juvenile justice, mental health, substance use, social services, health, education, and environmental control) and includes development of an Online Analytical Processing cube. We draw from lessons learned to provide specific recommendations for developing researcher-practitioner partnerships that use integrated administrative data to improve translational criminal justice research and evidence-based practice and policy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allard, T., Stewart, A., Smith, C., Dennison, S., Chrzanowski, C., & Thompson, C. (2014). The monetary cost of offender trajectories: Findings from Queensland (Australia). Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 47(1), 81–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allard, T., Chrzanowski, A., & Stewart, A. (2015). Integrating criminal careers and ecological research: The importance of geographic location for targeting interventions towards chronic and costly offenders. Crime & Delinquency. doi:10.1177/0011128714568187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, C., Penberthy, L., Devers, K., & Holden, D. (2010). Health services research and data linkages: Issues, Methods, and directions for the future. Health Research and Educational Trust, 45(5), 1468–1488.

    Google Scholar 

  • Broidy, L., Stewart, A., Thompson, C., Chrzanowski, A., Allard, T., & Dennison, S. (2015). Life course offending pathways across gender and race/ethnicity. Journal of Developmental and Life Course Criminology, 1, 118–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brownell, M., & Jutte, D. (2013). Administrative data linkage as a tool for child maltreatment research. Child Abuse & Neglect, 37, 120–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan-Sew, S., Sherwood, D., Romney, S., & Reyes, A. (2007). Creating an integrated multi-agency data system to improve program planning and evaluation. Retrieved 3/1/2016 from http://www.tapartnership.org/docs/presentations/socMeetingSummer2007/day3/Creating_an_Integrated_Multi-Agency_Data_System.pdf.

  • Cohen, M., Piquero, A., & Jennings, W. (2010). Studying the costs of crime across offender trajectories. Criminology & Public Policy, 9(2), 279–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doyle, J. (2007). Child protection and child outcomes: Measuring the effects of foster care. American Economic Review, 97(5), 1583–1610.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duran, F., Wilson, S., & Carroll, D. (2005). Putting administrative data to work: A toolkit for state agencies on advancing data integration and data sharing efforts to support sound policy and program development. Farmington: Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, E., Grella, C., Murphy, D., & Hser, Y. (2010). Using administrative data for longitudinal substance abuse research. Journal of Behavioral Health Services Research, 37(2), 252–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glasson, E., & Hussain, R. (2008). Linked data: Opportunities and challenges in disability research. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 33(4), 285–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horner, E., & Cullen, M. (2015). Linking individual Medicare health claims data with work-life claims and other administrative data. BMC Public Health, 15, 995–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hser, Y., & Evans, E. (2008). Cross-system data linkage for treatment outcome evaluation: Lessons learned from the California treatment outcome project. Evaluation and Program Planning, 31, 125–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hua, H., & Herstein, J. (March, 2003). Education management information system: Integrated data and information systems and their implications in educational management. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of Comparative and International Education Society, New Orleans, LA. Retrieved 3/1/2016 from http://www.infodev.org/infodev-files/resource/InfodevDocuments_188.pdf.

  • Jonson-Reid, M., & Barth, R. (2000). From maltreatment report to juvenile incarceration: The role of child welfare services. Child Abuse & Neglect, 24(4), 505–520.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyon, F., Gyateng, T., Pritchard, D., Vaze, P., Vickers, I., & Webb, N. (2015). Opening access to administrative data for evaluating public services: The case of the justice data lab. Evaluation, 21(2), 232–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mumola, C. (2000). Incarcerated parents and their children. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parsons, J., & Sandwick, T. (2012). Closing the gap: Using criminal justice and public health data to improve the identification of mental illness. NY: Vera Institute of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parsons, J., Cloud, D., & Sideman, O. (2016). Justice & Health Connect: A national resource for justice and health data sharing. Retrieved 3/1/2016 at www.jhconnect.org.

  • Pensler, R. (1993). Office for Human Research Protections IRB Guidebook. Washington, DC: USDHHS.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ping Identity (2016). The 4 A’s of cloud identity: Authentication, authorization, account management & audit logging. Retrieved 3/1/2016 from https://www.pingidentity.com/en/resources/articles/authentication-authorization-audit-logging-account-management.html.

  • Piquero, A., Jennings, W., & Farrington, D. (2011). The monetary costs of crime to middle adulthood: Findings from the Cambridge study in delinquent development. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 50(1), 53–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Putnam-Hornstein, E., Needell, B., & Rhodes, A. (2013). Understanding risk and protective factors for child maltreatment: The value of integrated, population-based data. Child Abuse & Neglect, 37, 116–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reidy, M., George, R., & Lee, B. (1998). Developing an integrated administrative database. In M. Little & D. Gordon (Eds.), Exploring Research Methods in Social Policy Research. Aldershot: Ashgate.

    Google Scholar 

  • Revenue and Fiscal Affairs (2013). Health and demographic summary of data. Columbia: SCRFA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, O. (2007). The impact of parental imprisonment on children. Geneva: Quaker United Nations Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roos, L., Menec, V., & Currie, R. (2004). Policy analysis in an information-rich environment. Social Science & Medicine, 58, 2231–2241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sakshaug, J., Couper, M., Ofstedal, M., & Weir, D. (2012). Linking survey and administrative records: Mechanisms of consent. Sociological Methods & Research, 41(4), 535–569.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Somers, J., Rezansoff, S., Moniruzaman, A., & Zabarauckas, C. (2015). High-frequency use of corrections, health, and social services, and association with mental illness and substance use. Emerging Themes in Epidemiology, 12, 17–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, A., Dennison, S., Allard, T., Thompson, C., Broidy, L., & Chrzanowski, A. (2015). Administrative data linkage as a tool for developmental and life-course criminology: The Queensland Linkage Project. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 48(3), 409–428.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Travis, J., McBride, E., & Solomon, A. (2005). Families left behind: The hidden costs of incarceration and reentry. Washington, DC: Urban Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • White House (2016). Building evidence with administrative data. FY2016 Budget & Analytical Perspectives, 65–73. Washington, DC: Office of Management and Budget.

Download references

Acknowledgments

This Project was supported by grant number 2012-IJ-CX-0034 from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in partnership with the SC Office of Revenue and Fiscal Affairs (RFA). Points of view in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of NIJ or RFA.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Social Work, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA

    Dana DeHart

  2. Institute for Families in Society, College of Social Work, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA

    Cheri Shapiro

Authors
  1. Dana DeHart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Cheri Shapiro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dana DeHart.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

DeHart, D., Shapiro, C. Integrated Administrative Data & Criminal Justice Research. Am J Crim Just 42, 255–274 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-016-9355-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-016-9355-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation