Idaho Sentencing Information Database
This tool will be utilized as an interactive representation of Idaho sentencing information at the aggregate level that will allow users to select a variety of data elements in order to identify common sentencing practices. The Felony Sentencing Committee has direct oversight over the ISID and upon being formed by Judicial Order in May of 2008, were charged to address the following:
- Consider development of a system for collection from and distribution to district judges of data on the sentences that district judges are imposing and factors relevant to the sentence imposed;
- Collect and analyze data on who is sentenced to prison, how that decision is made, how long individuals are imprisoned, who is paroled, and the implications of all of these;
- Review sentencing policies and practices including sentencing mechanics, appellate review, ranges and information by charge, rates of incarceration, prison population, and sentencing commissions;
- Review relevant research on evidence-based correctional practices, sentencing policies and sentencing alternatives including diversion and community-based programs, considering what works in reducing recidivism and national policy initiatives to reduce recidivism;
- Improve the timeliness and quality of information available to judges at sentencing, including information from the Department of Correction as to availability of programming as well as other sentencing information;
- Develop sentencing curriculum materials and forms, in coordination with the Judicial Education Committee, for new judges and all district court judges annually thereafter; and
- From time to time, act as a liaison to the Department of Correction relating to pre-sentence investigations, probation supervision, sentencing alternatives and other sentencing matters of interest to all district judges.
About the Tool
The Sentencing Tool is designed to query data from a static set of statewide District Court-Felony Level sentencing data provided by the Idaho Department of Correction. The following are data elements and their definitions that the user may select to filter the sentencing information:
- Offense: The current charge of an offender where the offender was found guilty.
- Offender Gender: Gender of the offender.
- Age or Birth Year:Either the current age or birth year could be entered as well as a designated year range. 0 could be entered if only the current age is wanted.
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LSI Score:The Level of Service Inventory score is a quantitative survey of offender attributes
and their situations relevant to level of supervision and treatment decisions, utilized by the Idaho Department
of Correction. There are 54 items pertaining to an offender comprised of 10 domains, each with their own score,
and an overall score; below are the ranges of scores by risk level:
- 0-15 Low
- 16-30 Moderate
- 31+ High
- Prior Convictions:If the offender with the current offense had no prior convictions, any prior convictions, 2 or more, or 3 or more.
- Past Years to Include:the number of years of available data to include in the query.
- Alcohol Problem-Ever:Utilizing the Alcohol/Drug Problems Domain in the LSI-R, this question is posed to the offender if they have ever had a problem with alcohol.
- Drug Problems-Ever:Utilizing the Alcohol/Drug Problems Domain in the LSI-R, this question is posed to the offender if they have ever had a problem with drugs. Alcohol Problem-Current:
- Utilizing the Alcohol/Drug Problems Domain in the LSI-R, the interviewer
determines if the offender currently has problems with alcohol based on the following scale:
- 0=a very unsatisfactory situation with a very clear and strong need for improvement
- 1=a relatively unsatisfactory situation with a need for improvement
- 2=a relatively satisfactory situation with some room for improvement evident
- 3=a satisfactory situation with no need for improvement
- 0=a very unsatisfactory situation with a very clear and strong need for improvement
- 1=a relatively unsatisfactory situation with a need for improvement
- 2=a relatively satisfactory situation with some room for improvement evident
- 3=a satisfactory situation with no need for improvement
Once the variables are selected, the data will be presented in a table format below, known as Results. The information will auto-populated with every choice the user makes during the query. The user will also be able to Create a Report based on the selected variables, that identifies when the report was run, the filtered elements, and a graphical representation of the information.