337/99
Digest 4, the Home Office''s comprehensive guide to information on the criminal justice system, goes live online for the first time today.
Pulling together key information on the criminal justice system, Digest 4 covers a wide range of Home Office and other organisations research and statistics on crime, victims, offenders and offending, pre-court and court action, sentencing, prisons, reconvictions, human resources and expenditure and costs.
Internet publication now means that users will be able to access the more detailed data behind the charts as well as comparable data from previous years.
Announcing the publication of the Digest, Home Office Minister Charles Clarke said:
"Better understanding of the criminal justice system is vital and Digest 4 pulls together a wide range of information which will be useful to professionals, students and the public.
"For the first time we are publishing the Criminal Justice Digest on the Home Office''s website. This will make it easier than ever to find out information on offenders, victims, reconvictions and costs across the individual services. The value of this document is immense."
Paul Wiles, Director of Research, Development and Statistics at the Home Office, said:
"Putting the Digest on the Web opens up new opportunities to change the relationship between government and the public, making this relationship more interactive than ever before.
"Furthermore, we know that placing our research and statistics on the Web means that the work we do is drawn upon by many other countries when they are developing new crime and justice policies."
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
1. You can access Digest 4 on the Home Office website at: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds.index.htm.
2. Previous Criminal Justice Digests were published in 1991, 1993 and 1995.
