Data Analysis in Criminal Justice and Criminology: History, Concept, and Application breaks down various data analysis techniques to help students build their conceptual understanding of key methods and processes. The information in the text encourages discussion and consideration of how and why data analysis plays an important role in the fields of criminal justice and criminology. The book is divided into three units. Unit 1 discusses how data analysis is us

"New to this edition is the accompanying CD that contains five criminal justice data sets. Students use the data sets to answer the questions in end-of-chapter exercises and data analysis sections. These hands-on, real-world activities provide a variety of opportunities to use statistical tools and understand their applicability."--Back cover.

This book offers a practical guide and resource for those in law enforcement who analyze crime. The target audience is those new to crime analysis, however many resources are presented that should be useful to more experienced crime analysts as well. Chapter 1 provides an introduction of crime analysis, including the challenges involved in defining crime analysis and the reasons for analyzing crimes. The basic types of crime analysis used in most local law enforcement agencies are described, and the authors point out that most agencies are moving toward tactical and strategic methods of crime analysis. Chapter 2 focuses on the tools of crime analysis. Computer skills are an important component of crime analysis, as demonstrated by the many Internet links provided as resources throughout the book. The importance of knowing the law, the investigative process, and modern policing strategies are also underscored in chapter 2. Linkage analysis, statistical analysis, profiling, and spatial analysis are also addressed in this chapter. Chapter 3 describes the stages of crime analysis: evidence collection, collation, analysis, dissemination, feedback, and evaluation. The Intelligence Cycle of crime analysis is also briefly presented. Chapter 4 turns to a discussion of geographic information systems analysis. Creating crime maps and mapping other data for crime analysis is reviewed and points on privacy issues are offered. Chapter 5 presents many of the crime analysis products available for purchase, including a description of the types of administrative crime analysis reports, intelligence analysis products, and a listing of resources for crime analysis products. Chapter 6 offers advice for the new crime analyst, while chapter 7 discusses the creation of a crime analysis unit. Policies and procedures for such a unit are reviewed and the marketing and funding of a crime analysis unit are discussed. The authors describe how to Measure the success of a crime analysis unit and share crime analysis success stories. Chapter 8 moves into a discussion of education and training resources, including training options for those in law enforcement and education and training offered by colleges and universities. Finally, chapter 9 presents resources for the new crime analyst, including agency resources, publications, and Internet sites.

Criminal Justice 101: A First Course is an introductory level book intended for beginning criminal justice students. It provides students with a practical, reader-friendly experience and we present and explain our materials, as much as possible, in an easy-to-read, conversational style. The fundamentals and basic tenets of criminal justice are explored in 12 chapters (easily covered in one semester) and we avoid the sometimes lengthy and oftentimes cumbersome information that is prevalent in so many other publications. Our text also attempts to eliminate the unnecessary legal formulations and esoteric terminology that the beginning criminal justice student may not always need. The book provides basic and fundamental information that can easily be absorbed by the beginning criminal justice student in one semester. It is our intent to provide a book that will engage students, rather than burdening them with information that may, at times, be overwhelming and unnecessary at the introductory level.

Statistics for Criminal Justice and Criminology in Practice and Research—by Jack Fitzgerald and Jerry Fitzgerald—is an engaging and comprehensive introduction to the study of basic statistics for students pursuing careers as practitioners or researchers in both Criminal Justice and Criminology programs. This student-friendly text shows how to calculate a variety of descriptive and inferential statistics, recognize which statistics are appropriate for particular data analysis situations, and perform hypothesis tests using inferential statistics. But it is much more than a "cook book." It encourages readers to think critically about the strengths and limitations of the statistics they are calculating, as well as how they may be misapplied and misleading. Examples of statistics and statistical analyses are drawn from the worlds of the practitioner as well as the policymaker and researcher. Students will also gain a clear understanding of major ethical issues in conducting statistical analyses and reporting results, as well as insight into the realities of the life of researchers and practitioners as they use statistics and statistical analyses in their day-to-day activities.