Criminal Justice Statistics in the Netherlands Paul Smit

Criminal Justice Statistics in the Netherlands Paul Smit WODC Ministry of Justice the Netherlands

Criminal Justice Statistics • • The Dutch Criminal Justice System Organisation of the Dutch Statistics Characteristics of the Dutch Statistics Future Developments

Types of Crimes Police committed registration (Victim Surveys) Crimes Misdemeanors (criminal) Misdemeanors (administrative) Prosecution / Courts

Types of Crime (* 1, 000) Crimes Police committed registration (Victim Surveys) Prosecution / Courts Crimes 4, 000 1, 400 240 Misdemeanors (criminal) - (500) 180 Misdemeanors (administrative) - 9, 200 -

Types of Crime (* 1, 000) Crimes Police committed registration (Victim Surveys) Prosecution / Courts Crimes 4, 000 1, 400 240 Misdemeanors (criminal) - (500) 180 Misdemeanors (administrative) - 9, 200 -

The Dutch Criminal Justice System • Separate Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Internal Affairs • 25 highly autonomous police regions • Prosecution plays central role • Only professional judges, no jury or lay judges

Organisation of the Dutch Statistics • An independent and powerful Statistics Netherlands (CBS – Central Bureau of Statistics) was originally the only provider of statistics. • Computerized registration systems: more timely, detailed (and reliable? ) data provided by ministries (and other organisations) themselves • Changing role CBS: – Surveys – Combining data from different areas

CBS Victim Surveys POLS • Annual • Face to Face Ministry of Justice Min Int. A. • 20 k sample Police Monitor Safety Mon Police registr. Police suspects Pros. input Pros. decisions Court decisions Reconviction Prison pop. • Bi-annual • Telephone • 90 k sample

CBS Ministry of Justice Police Monitor Victim Surveys POLS Police registr. Police suspects CBS Police statistics Safety Mon HKS System Court decisions Reconviction Prison pop. Surveys Aggregate data Pros. input Pros. decisions Min Int. A. • Each police region their own systems for registration ! Individual (case) data

CBS Ministry of Justice Min Int. A. Police Monitor Victim Surveys POLS Safety Mon Detailed information on Police registr. CBS Police criminal cases, offenders, HKS System statistics acts, convictions, Police suspects sentences etc. Slightly less information as OMData, but now: Unique offenders! Pros. input Pros. decisions CBS Court Statistics Court decisions Reconviction Detailed registration of prosecutor decisions and Prison pop. court cases by the prosecutor’s office OMData OBJD

CBS Ministry of Justice Police Monitor Victim Surveys POLS Police registr. Police suspects CBS Police statistics Safety Mon HKS System Surveys Aggregate data Pros. input Pros. decisions Individual (case) data CBS Court Statistics OMData CBS Prison Statistics TULP OBJD Court decisions Reconviction Prison pop. Min Int. A.

CBS Ministry of Justice Police Monitor Victim Surveys POLS Police registr. Police suspects Safety Mon CBS Police statistics HKS System CBS Court Statistics OMData CBS Prison Statistics TULP Pros. input Pros. decisions OBJD Court decisions Reconviction Prison pop. Min Int. A.

Characteristics of the Dutch Statistics • No link between police statistics and prosecution / court statistics • Counting units are complicated, in this regard voegingen (combining cases) is particularly problematic • Statistics are Criminal Code oriented: – Offence type can change – No link with crimes as seen by public (or policy makers) • Hardly any victim data

Future Developments • • One comprehensive Victim Survey Extending OBJD with execution data Linking Police and Court Statistics Linking with the CBS “Social Statistical Dataset”

CBS Ministry of Justice Police Monitor Victim Surveys POLS Police registr. Police suspects Safety Mon CBS Police statistics HKS System CBS Court Statistics OMData CBS Prison Statistics TULP Pros. input Pros. decisions OBJD Court decisions Reconviction Prison pop. Min Int. A.

CBS Ministry of Justice Victim Surveys Integrated Comprehensive Victim Survey Police registr. Police suspects CBS Police statistics HKS System CBS Court Statistics OMData Pros. input Pros. decisions Court decisions OBJD Reconviction Prison pop. CBS Prison Statistics TULP Min Int. A.

CBS Ministry of Justice Min Int. A. Victim Surveys Integrated Comprehensive Victim Survey Police registr. Police suspects CBS Police statistics HKS System CBS Court Statistics OMData Link with other social statistics Pros. input Pros. decisions Court decisions OBJD Reconviction Prison pop. CBS Prison Statistics TULP