AG Launches New Office That Will Publish Criminal-Justice Data

NEW JERSEY — The state launched an Office of Justice Data to centralize the collection, analysis and, ultimately, publishing of criminal-justice and public-safety info. The Office of Attorney General's new department is designed to ensure that policymakers root their decisions in statistical analysis.

It wasn't immediately clear exactly which data the new office would publicize, when it would publicize it or what time frame the information would cover. Patch will update with any response from the Office of Attorney General.

But the office offered a glimpse Monday into some of the info that the new department would collect: data on criminal defendants, asset forfeiture, juvenile justice, suicides within law enforcement, drug-monitoring info and the recruitment of minority officers.

“Data analysis gives us the opportunity to review where we’ve been, understand where we are, and plan for where we want to go,” said Dr. Kristin Golden, who will serve as the department's first chief data officer. “Data are vital to transparency and trust, allowing us to make meaningful assessments of performance and develop more informed policies and practices."

Golden has collected and analyzed data to assess the New Jersey State Police's compliance with its policies and procedures. In her nine years with the Office of Attorney General, Golden also supervised in the development in New Jersey's new Use of Force Dashboard. The dashboard's beta version launched in April, showing use-of-force information from New Jersey's 500-plus law-enforcement agencies.

The Office of Justice Data is also hiring four research scientists, who will work with Golden in analysis efforts and then supervising other staff in carrying out the department's work. See the job posting here.

“We’re committed to making New Jersey a national leader in the collection and analysis of criminal justice data,” Grewal. “To make good policy, we need good data, and the creation of this office reinforces our commitment to evidence-based policymaking. I’m delighted that Dr. Golden has agreed to take on this important new task.”

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