NCJ Number
202600
Date Published
August 2003
Length
86 pages
Annotation
This document discusses the potential of computerized mapping technologies or geographic information systems (GIS) for justice assistance in Hawaii.
Abstract
Many jurisdictions across the country have adopted GIS technology in order to improve effectiveness across a range of areas, from policing to social service delivery. In the area of justice administration, crime mapping and the spatial analysis of crime are becoming integrated to augment existing information systems and research techniques. The government of Hawaii is interested in using GIS technology to enhance the work of various justice and social service activities. The Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS) is a collaborative information exchange network that spans the continuum of police, prosecutors, family court, and corrections. This information system allows participating agencies to track juvenile offenders and contains hundreds of fields of information, including address information. This study was conducted to identify the potential applications of GIS for law enforcement and youth agencies and to generate a set of reference maps and tables using data contained in the JJIS. The three main objectives of the study were to map JJIS data using GIS technology; identify the relevant applications of GIS for law enforcement and human services agencies; and educate potential users of the capabilities of GIS in the field of criminal justice and youth services. Section 1 of the report provides an introduction to crime mapping and a description of the potential applications of GIS using the JJIS. Crime mapping capabilities are useful for police officers patrolling neighborhoods and investigators trying to solve cases. They have proven useful for law enforcement managers, as well as probation and parole agencies. GIS is useful for policymaking and community organizations because of the strategic planning and policy design. Section 2 presents maps and tables that were generated using GIS technology. These maps include juvenile offense location hot spots, juvenile offenses per capita, average number of offenses per arrestee, and offense locations for one juvenile. 8 figures, 32 tables, 55 maps, appendix