Accurate and complete criminal history information is essential to informed decision-making across the justice system. Yet data gaps can make it difficult for judges, court staff, and justice system partners to access the information they need, when they need it.
A 2022 Bureau of Justice Statistics survey found that 27% of arrests nationwide lack corresponding disposition information. Missing or inconsistent information can create challenges for justice system partners, result in additional and unnecessary work for court staff, and ultimately impact the communities courts serve.
The National Open Court Data Standards (NODS) can help courts address these challenges. While NODS was not originally developed to improve criminal history reporting, its standardized definitions and common data framework provide a foundation for more consistent, reliable data exchange.
A new report from the Nationa Center for State Courts (NCSC) and SEARCH, “Advancing Criminal History Reporting Through NODS Implementation, Findings, and Recommendations,” examines how courts can potentially use NODS to strengthen criminal history reporting.
“Courts play a critical role in generating and transmitting case disposition data,” said Shay Cleary, report co-author and NCSC principal court management consultant. “When courts implement NODS, the benefits extend beyond standardized court data to data exchanges, improving the timeliness and completeness of information courts and justice agencies rely on.”
Supported by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, the project’s surveys and focus groups identified adopting NODS data elements as an opportunity to strengthen data quality, increase record completeness, and improve the ability to match individuals across systems.
“For courts, this raises the question of how they can work with agencies such as law enforcement, prosecutors, and corrections to ensure that the required data elements are included, accurate, and consistent throughout the adjudication process,” said Michael Jacobson, information sharing specialist for SEARCH. “NODS and the related data element guides may provide a useful foundation for improving criminal history databases.”
To help learn more about dashboards and NODS, NCSC will present the webinar “Advancing Criminal History Reporting through NODS” on Tuesday, September 8, from 3 to 4 p.m. Attendees will see a demonstration of criminal history reporting dashboards that showcase how courts and justice partners can better assess reporting performance, data quality, and interoperability. To register for the webinar, visit www.ncsc.org and click on “Education &?events.”
Additional resources and guidance supporting NCSC’s strategic agenda priority of using technology to advance innovative solutions for improved court operations and outcomes are available on the NCSC website at www.ncsc.org.
A 2022 Bureau of Justice Statistics survey found that 27% of arrests nationwide lack corresponding disposition information. Missing or inconsistent information can create challenges for justice system partners, result in additional and unnecessary work for court staff, and ultimately impact the communities courts serve.
The National Open Court Data Standards (NODS) can help courts address these challenges. While NODS was not originally developed to improve criminal history reporting, its standardized definitions and common data framework provide a foundation for more consistent, reliable data exchange.
A new report from the Nationa Center for State Courts (NCSC) and SEARCH, “Advancing Criminal History Reporting Through NODS Implementation, Findings, and Recommendations,” examines how courts can potentially use NODS to strengthen criminal history reporting.
“Courts play a critical role in generating and transmitting case disposition data,” said Shay Cleary, report co-author and NCSC principal court management consultant. “When courts implement NODS, the benefits extend beyond standardized court data to data exchanges, improving the timeliness and completeness of information courts and justice agencies rely on.”
Supported by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, the project’s surveys and focus groups identified adopting NODS data elements as an opportunity to strengthen data quality, increase record completeness, and improve the ability to match individuals across systems.
“For courts, this raises the question of how they can work with agencies such as law enforcement, prosecutors, and corrections to ensure that the required data elements are included, accurate, and consistent throughout the adjudication process,” said Michael Jacobson, information sharing specialist for SEARCH. “NODS and the related data element guides may provide a useful foundation for improving criminal history databases.”
To help learn more about dashboards and NODS, NCSC will present the webinar “Advancing Criminal History Reporting through NODS” on Tuesday, September 8, from 3 to 4 p.m. Attendees will see a demonstration of criminal history reporting dashboards that showcase how courts and justice partners can better assess reporting performance, data quality, and interoperability. To register for the webinar, visit www.ncsc.org and click on “Education &?events.”
Additional resources and guidance supporting NCSC’s strategic agenda priority of using technology to advance innovative solutions for improved court operations and outcomes are available on the NCSC website at www.ncsc.org.
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