Police use computer software such as CompStat to track crimes with great success. Now, two authors are asking when will the courts take advantage of the modern technology available to them to get a more precise reading of what reduces crime.
Amy Bach, who wrote Ordinary Justice: How America Holds Court, suggests that a “justice index” should be implemented, according to an August 16, 2010 Criminal Justice article that covered Bach’s recent op-ed piece in the New York Times. The justice index would gauge how local courts fare on issues such as “cost, recidivism, crime reduction, and collateral consequences.” Importantly, the index also includes discovering if those involved in appearing before the court on a criminal matter lose their job or home afterwards.
Data analysis has been helpful in showing that a particular type of sentencing is more effective in preventing crime, and in the area of measuring successful probation. Judge Steven Alm of Hawaii used available data to conclude that “short, certain” sentences are most effective. UCLA professor, Mark Kleiman, adds to this argument and offers additional supportive data in his book, When Brute Force Fails.
A new era of technological advancement has been available for the asking, and there is mounting pressure from those in the criminal justice field, including the courts, to take advantage of it.
|
|
|
|
