WHAT IS THE OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND STATISTICS

The Office of Research and Statistics (ORS) consists of a group of professional researchers and exists within the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) in the Department of Public Safety (CDPS) to fulfill a number of DCJ’s statutory requirements, described below. These mandates include the administration of a statistical analysis center (SAC) supported in part by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to facilitate the exchange of data and information.

According to C.R.S. 24-33.5-503, the ORS has the following mandates:

(a) In cooperation with other agencies, to collect and disseminate information concerning crime and criminal justice for the purpose of assisting the general assembly and of enhancing the quality of criminal justice at all levels of government in this state;
(b) To analyze this state’s activities in the administration of criminal justice and the nature of the problems confronting it and to make recommendations…;
(e) To do all things necessary to apply for, qualify for, and accept…state, federal, or other funds made available to improve the administration of criminal justice, court systems, law enforcement, prosecution, corrections, probation and parole, juvenile delinquency programs, and related fields;
(f) To administer a statistical analysis center for the purpose of collecting and analyzing statewide criminal justice statistics;
(m) To provide information … concerning population projections, research data, and other information relating to the projected long-range needs of correctional facilities and juvenile detention facilities …;
(o) To develop in consultation with the sex offender management board and the judicial branch the risk assessment screening instrument…;
(p) To implement, in consultation with the Judicial branch… the sexually violent predator risk assessment screening instrument.
(s) In consultation with the state economist, report every five years to the judiciary committees of the senate and the house of representatives, or any successor committees, recommendations for changing the value-based crimes based on inflationary changes during the previous five years;
(t)To analyze the data from the state board of parole [regarding parole decision making] and to provide training to the board…regarding how to use the data to facilitate decision making;
(u) To analyze the amount of fiscal savings that House Bill 10-1352 as generated over the prior fiscal year, reporting annually to the joint budget committee;
(v) To provide to the judiciary committees of the senate and the house of representatives, or any successor committees, a status report on the effect of parole outcomes and the use of moneys allocated pursuant to House Bill 10-1360;
(w) To develop the administrative release guideline instrument for use by the state board of parole;
(x) To develop the Colorado risk assessment scale for use in parole decision making;
(y) To develop, in cooperation with the department of corrections and the parole board, a parole board Action Form;
(z) To provide training on the Colorado risk assessment scale and the administrative release guideline instrument (see section 17-22.5-404(2)(c).

Meet the ORS staff.