This unit explores the strengths, weaknesses and usefulness of crime and criminal justice data and considers how data should feed into policy and practice. It provides a framework for interpreting crime and justice statistics as well as examining the detailed distribution of crime and punishment.<br/><br/>Topics include sources of data for crime—official statistics and alternatives, including victim surveys, self-reports on offending and other measures; the origins of crime and justice statistics; a framework for interpreting crime and justice statistics; measuring attitudes to crime and justice; statistics on offenders—tracking offenders, recidivism and criminal careers; crime trends and... -- Course Website
