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Montenegro Statistical Training

This training session provides an overview of the criminal justice system and how statistics are used and organized in the context of prosecution and courts. Explore the role and organization of prosecution and courts and understand the different types of offenses. Gain insights into the flow of cases and the use of statistics in monitoring and research.

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Montenegro Statistical Training

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  1. MontenegroStatistical Training Prosecution / Courts Session 2, February 2, 15.15 – 16.30 Overview of the Criminal Justice System and Statistics - Introduction DEVELOPMENT OF MONITORING INSTRUMENTS FOR JUDICIAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INSTITUTIONS IN THE WESTERN BALKANS 2009-2011 Phase three – Training With funding from the European Union

  2. Context The first step in organizing statistics is to identify the organizational structure (of both the Criminal Justice System and the Statistics) and to identify the use and users of the statistics

  3. Role and organization of Prosecution and Courts • Has a large influence on the statistics. • Becomes very clear when looking at different jurisdictions • Two examples:

  4. Germany and the Netherlands • Year 2003, per 100,000 inhabitants • ‘Convicted’ includes all case ending decisions where offender received a ‘penalty’ (e.g. Strafbefehl, Dutch ‘transactie’)

  5. Germany and the Netherlands • Year 2003, per 100,000 inhabitants • ‘Convicted’ includes all case ending decisions where offender received a ‘penalty’ (e.g. Strafbefehl, Dutch ‘transactie’)

  6. Role and organization of Prosecution and Courts • Function/role can be different for different types of offences • As a consequence organization of statistics can be different. • The Neth: three types: Administrative offences / misdemeanors / crimes • Montenegro? (discussion)

  7. Types of offences, the Netherlands • Legally: Offences are divided into crimes (misdrijven) and infractions / misdemeanors (overtredingen) • Procedural law and registration practices suggest another categorization:

  8. Category A Misdemeanors Category B Crimes Category C

  9. Almost all traffic offences: speeding, traffic light etc. These are handled administratively Misdemeanors (admin)Wet Mulderzaken Category A Misdemeanors Category B Crimes Category C

  10. Misdemeanors (admin) Misdemeanors Economical and environmental misdemeanors Category B ‘Crimes’Rechtbankzaken Crimes Category C All crimes: all theft, all violent crime etc. also some traffic offences (DUI)

  11. All other misdemeanors (driving without insurance, being drunk and disorderly etc.) Misdemeanors (admin) Misdemeanors Category B Misdemeanor (other) Kantonzaken Crimes ‘Crimes’

  12. Misdemeanors (admin) Misdemeanors Misdemeanors (other) Crimes ‘Crimes’

  13. Role and organization of Prosecution and Courts • Function/role can be different for adults and juveniles • As a consequence organization of statistics can be different. • The Neth: Hardly any differences • Montenegro? (discussion)

  14. Role and organization of Prosecution and Courts • Does the Prosecution get their cases always and only from the police? • Has the Prosecution Service monopoly in prosecuting cases? • The Neth: also other investigative agencies. Prosecution Service has monopoly • Montenegro? (discussion)

  15. Role and organization of Prosecution and Courts • Does the Prosecution get their cases always and only from the police? • Has the Prosecution Service monopoly in prosecuting cases? • In general, what is the flow of a ‘case’ through the system • The Neth: also other investigative agencies. Prosecution Service has monopoly • Montenegro? (discussion)

  16. Role and organization of Prosecution and Courts • Can police/prosecution impose sanctions? Or only courts? In theory or in practice? • The Neth: Police only in practice, Prosecution can and does in a large number of cases. • Montenegro? (discussion)

  17. Role and organization of Prosecution and Courts • Are cases with no offenders part of the workload of the prosecutor? • The Neth: No • Montenegro? (discussion) • Is there only one jurisdiction? • The Neth: yes; US, Germany: No • Montenegro?

  18. Role and organization of Prosecution and Courts • Is there a centralized register of criminal records? • The Neth: Yes. • Montenegro? (discussion)

  19. Organization of Statistics ‘Data Monitoring’ has three aspects: Operational informationThe actual data for handling a specific crime/case Management InformationData to monitor the performance of the organizations StatisticsData for research and Policy Although, ideally, these will be feed from the same source of data the use and the users are completely different I will talk about statistics, unless specifically mentioned otherwise

  20. Organization of Statistics • To improve the value of crime and justice statistics, there is a need for their collection, analysis and publication to be co-ordinated across agencies. • If this is done common classifications, collection procedures and IT systems can be used • Good statistical practice can be shared • Messages produced by the statistics can be shared between agencies • There can be a common approach to analysis • There can be a common approach to publication, which will enhance the usefulness of statistics and their existence can become more widely known to the public.

  21. Possible role of the Central Statistics Office (CSO) • The Central Statistical Office (CSO) is the place where statistical experience is concentrated in many countries. • It therefore could have a central role in the development and the collection of crime and justice statistics • The CSO can assist • To facilitate discussions on common issues • To share good practice between justice agencies • To develop statistical capacity in the different justice agencies • If the CSO cannot undertake this role for any reason, then one of the agencies should take the lead, e.g. a statistical unit in the Ministry of Justice

  22. Pros and cons of a Central Statistics Office (CSO) Advantages: Uniformity Efficiency Seen as more independent Statistics is their core bussiness Linking with other statistics Disadvantages: Timeliness Level of detail Knowledge of the Criminal Justice field

  23. Need for a Statistics Law • A Statistics Law gives the CSO and / or other agencies the right to collect crime and justice data: • Through surveys of individuals and organisations • Through registers kept by agencies • From agency information systems • Many countries already have such a law • If not such a law needs parliamentary authority and to be negotiated through the CSO. • The Law would ensure necessary and useful statistics on crime and justice can be collected, analysed and published. • One of the main advantages is that the privacy issue can be regulated by this law.

  24. Need for a Crime and Justice Statistics Committee • Discussions about common statistics issues should take place in a committee or similar forum • All relevant crime and justice agencies should be represented on this forum • The committee should be properly resourced and chaired at a high enough level for its conclusions to be taken seriously by senior management within the crime and justice agencies • Its role should be closely defined and its progress managed by senior management

  25. Suggestions for routine work of the statistics committee • Committee should meet at least three times a year • Standing items should include reports from each agency of: • Progress on developments in collecting statistics • Progress towards consistency of classifications • Progress on new analyses and publications • Policy Uses made of statistics • Developments in infrastructure, including new members of staff, improved training, new analysis, new IT. • Minutes and papers of meetings should be placed on statistical web sites to encourage openness

  26. Suggestions for less frequent activities of the statistics committee • Conduct a survey of senior managers, to see what statistics would be useful for policy development but not yet available. • Publicise the codes being used by various agencies to demonstrate differences and encourage harmonization. • Invite a senior official, at Judge or Commissioner level to address the statistics committee on his views on statistics. • Examine statistics on crime and justice from other countries should be examined to encourage the development of good practice. • Co-operate with other countries with similar problems in the same region

  27. Statistical Integrity Statistics need to be fit for purpose: to have the following characteristics to satisfy good Statistical Integrity: they need: • to be collected at the appropriate frequency: eg every month • to be ready quickly, otherwise their value declines rapidly • to be internally consistent and to be consistent with previous data. ( eg prosecution output should be consistent with courts input) • Data collection procedures and revisions to these or to previous figures need to be open • To be accessible to the public and the media.

  28. Avoiding political interference • Justice Statistics should be free from political interference, this means: • Statistics should be released to everybody at the same time to avoid political misuse of the figures or their suppression • There is a need for a list of contact point where people can ask further questions about the statistics • A policy is needed for more detailed release on request: eg to academics for research including making data anonymous. • If this is not the case, it is important to work towards this and build agreements that work towards statistical independence.

  29. Use and users of statistics Crime data can be used for different purposes: solving crimes (we know that it is always the husband), preventing crimes (locally as well as more general), policy making, budgetting, informing the general public etc.

  30. Use and users of statistics Management information: Workload and resources in order to optimize processes E.g.: number of cases per staff member (Expected) input, by expected processing time Users: managers

  31. Use and users of statistics Statistics (1), accountability: General information mainly on number of cases / offenders E.g.: Sanctions by crime type Number of prosecutions / convictions by crime type Users: parliament, media, international bodies, general public

  32. Use and users of statistics Statistics (2), research: Specific information for criminal research and policy development E.g.: Reoffending Development of crimes, by crime type Users: policy advisers, researchers

  33. Use and users of statistics Some examples: Monitoring reoffending rates per offender group Forecasting of prison capacity Evaluation of policy measures

  34. MontenegroStatistical Training Prosecution / Courts Session 2, February 2, 15.15 – 16.30 Overview of the Criminal Justice System and Statistics - Introduction DEVELOPMENT OF MONITORING INSTRUMENTS FOR JUDICIAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INSTITUTIONS IN THE WESTERN BALKANS 2009-2011 Phase three – Training With funding from the European Union

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