Federal Justice Statistics Program Data Linking System

• NCJ Number: 239536
• Author(s): Jessica A. Kelly
• Date Published: August 2012
• Length: 73 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2010-BJ-CX-K079
• Agencies: BJS-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Technical)

Annotation

This technical report describes the methodology of the Federal Justice Statistics Program (FJSP) dyad linking system.

Abstract

This technical report describes the methodology of the Federal Justice Statistics Program (FJSP) dyad linking system. The FJSP dyad linking system provides a method of linking records across data sources and tracking person-cases through the stages of the federal criminal justice system. The report is designed for users of the FJSP dyad linking system as well as a more general audience interested in data linking methodologies. General background information about the Federal Justice Statistics Program is provided, along with a brief description of an earlier linking methodology. The dyad-based linking methodology is explained in detail, including descriptions of the datasets and variables used in each dyad, and the benefits of using this new approach are discussed. In-depth information about the implementation of the Jaro-Winkler matching algorithm is presented, as are detailed results by year for each dyad, and comparisons to the first generation linking system. Match rates and linking statistics for years 1994-2009 are included in tables and appendices for illustrative purposes.