Building a Criminal Justice Data Archive for Australia

This paper will look at the new Criminal Justice Data Archive for Australia, which is being developed as part of the Australian Data Archive. Among the topics covered will be the various types of data being included, and the sources of the datasets. The archive draws on datasets from multiple agencies in both State and Federal jurisdictions, and the paper will discuss the complexities involved in obtaining and delivering data from a range of different government bodies. The new archive is a partnership between the Australian Data Archive and the National Criminal Justice Research Data Network. The paper will discuss the respective roles of the two partners and their expectations from the service. Requirements and arrangements for managing security and access will also be examined. We will conclude by comparing the Australian service with international models, especially the U.S. National Archive of Criminal Justice Data.