Juridical and correctional statistics: Problems of comparability and reliability

The article initially presents the value of searching for quantitative data on "social facts". The National Statistical Service is the main source for forensic data. The selection of the source, the choice of a specific chronological range for the study (relating to 1973-1996 statistics) and the specification of the data collected ('offenses', 'perpetrators' and 'convicts') are justified. This study is described as a process of "homogenization" of forensic data aiming at increasing the comparability of the secondary data.

The main part of the article concerns the presentation of the problems (in categories) that came up during the conversion of the source data into "secondary data", the justification of each problem, as well as the way to deal with it through the coding solution.

The conclusions of the article describe the methodological difficulties that arise in comparative studies due to problems regarding the source. It is noted that this study highlights the fact that the volume of information on judicial and penitentiary statistics constitutes an outcome of the institutions that collect them, i.e. police departments, criminal courts, prisons and finally of the National Statistical Service. Therefore, in order to understand criminal statistics and employ it scientifically, we need beforehand to deepen our knowledge on the system that produces it. The present study is also directed to this focus, since it contributes to open access of scholars to reliable and comparable social data.