The 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic and Its Corresponding Data Boon: Issues With Pandemic-Related Data From Criminal Justice Organizations. (November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wallace, Danielle; Walker, Jason; Nelson, Jake; Towers, Sherry; Eason, John; Grubesic, Tony H.
• Other Names: Aebi Marcelo F. guest-editor.; Miró-Llinares Fernando guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of contemporary criminal justice. Volume 37:Number 4(2021)
• Page Start: 543
• Page End: 568
• Publication Date: 2021-11
• Subjects: criminal justice systems -- data -- COVID-19 -- pandemic -- pandemic-related data; Criminal justice, Administration of -- Periodicals; Criminal justice, Administration of -- United States -- Periodicals; 364.973
• DOI: 10.1177/10439862211027993
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1043-9862

Abstract

Public organizations, including institutions in the U.S. criminal justice (CJ) system, have been rapidly releasing information pertaining to COVID-19. Even CJ institutions typically reticent to share information, like private prisons, have released vital COVID-19 information. The boon of available pandemic-related data, however, is not without problems. Unclear conceptualizations, stakeholders' influence on data collection and release, and a lack of experience creating public dashboards on health data are just a few of the issues plaguing CJ institutions surrounding releasing COVID-19 data. In this article, we detail issues that institutions in each arm of the CJ system face when releasing pandemic-related data. We conclude with a set of recommendations for researchers seeking to use the abundance of publicly available data on the effects of the pandemic.