This article examines the coverage of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) arrest data as of 2016. We use NIBRS and Uniform Crime Report (UCR), Summary Reporting System on persons arrested. We examine the correspondence of arrests measures between the UCR and NIBRS for overall arrests, and arrests by sex, race, and age. We found that NIBRS arrest data are a close match to UCR data overall and the differences across demographic measures are very slight.

Unit non-response is a serious problem in survey research. This article validates the necessity of adjusting for unit non-response in disproportionate stratified sampling designs through the use of sample weights. Using data from the 1958 Birth Cohort study, we demonstrate that sample data which are affected by unit non-response can be a poor representation of population parameters. These non-response effects can be addressed through the application of sample weights.

A growing body of research indicates that the reentry of prisoners back into society is among the most pressing issues facing the criminal justice system. Likewise, research indicates that significant proportions of justiceinvolved individuals are characterized by a much higher prevalence of substance abuse, mental health disorders, and more importantly, the co-occurrence of these phenomena. Individuals with co-occurring disorders have long criminal histories and may even be under the influence of the disorders as criminogenic factors at the time of the commission of a crime. Thus, the effective screening of co-occurring disorders is a necessary prerequisite for both treatments while incarcerated and the development of community-based treatment as part of the reentry process. The present study uses 170 inmates from a county jail that are participating in a focused reentry program to test the criterion validity of the Comprehensive Addictions and Psychological Evaluation (CAAPE) instrument. The results of this study show that there are particular drugs of abuse and specific mental health disorders that are associated with criminal history. More importantly, the results suggest that the subscales of the CAAPE establish a strong connection between the co-occurring disorders and criminal behavior.

This article validates the necessity of adjusting for the design effects in disproportionate stratified sampling designs through the use of sample weights. Using data from the 1958 Birth Cohort study, we demonstrate that complex sampling designs introduce sampling error and even sampling bias into sample data. Such sample data are a poor representation of population parameters. These design effects can be addressed through the application of sample weights.

Although ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was once a common tool for modeling discrete count outcomes in criminology and criminal justice, the past several decades have seen an increasing reliance on regression techniques specifically designed for such purposes. Utilizing a practical example from the 1958 Philadelphia Birth Cohort, this article describes and compares various estimation strategies for modeling such outcome variables, including a discussion of the inappropriateness of OLS for such purposes and specific features of discrete count distributions that complicate statistical inference—overdispersion, non-independence, and excess zeros. Practical advice for selecting an appropriate modeling strategy is offered.