We invite reporters, researchers and anyone interested in crime data from the FBI and local law enforcement agencies to join The Marshall Project for this webinar, hosted in collaboration with The Journalist’s Resource. The event will include a moderated discussion with a panel of crime data and law enforcement experts who will unpack how to understand and report on crime data as the midterm elections approach.
The panel will discuss how to identify flaws in crime data, interpret trends in the data and fact-check claims from politicians and law enforcement about public safety. The webinar will be recorded and open to questions from attendees. Speakers include:
Jeff Asher, AH Datalytics, co-founder. Asher runs AH Datalytics, a criminal justice data analytics firm, and he is a nationally recognized crime data analyst. He previously served as a crime analyst for the City of New Orleans and publishes a newsletter, Jeff-alytics, that explores the nuances of working with crime data.
Jeffrey A. Butts, John Jay Research and Evaluation Center, executive director. Butts is a research professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice who studies the effectiveness of justice system policies and programs. He has consulted with journalists on the framing and methodology of crime data analysis.
Moderator Jill Castellano, The Marshall Project, data reporter. Castellano reports on the uses and misuses of criminal justice data in American society. Her stories cover crime statistics, policing, the perception of crime and the broader criminal justice system. Prior to journalism, Castellano studied criminology and worked in a crime research lab.
Thaddeus Johnson, Council on Criminal Justice, senior fellow. Johnson is also an associate professor of criminal justice and criminology at Georgia State University, a former law enforcement official in Tennessee, and an expert on policing, crime control and governance equity. His research focuses on police lethality and coercion, street violence, recidivism, algorithmic and predictive bias, and correctional control.
This training event is part of Investigate This!, which shares criminal justice datasets and other investigative resources with journalists and researchers.