Pennsylvania’s judiciary Thursday unveiled criminal caseload “dashboards,” the latest in a series of interactive, web-based data visuals that allow the public, court staff and researchers to quickly analyze and interpret data related to criminal cases.
The new dashboards provide a detailed look at statewide criminal caseloads, and an overview of each county’s criminal case activity over the course of a calendar year.
“Dashboards have proven to be valuable resources that continue to help judges and court staffs make informed decisions about court operations. They also make it possible for Pennsylvanians to see the important work being done by the judiciary, and provides this data to the public in an accessible format,” said Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice J. Michael Eakin.
The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts has published annual caseload statistics for years, as a way to: Track changes in caseloads over time; Allocate court resources; and Identify efficient court practices.
“As the public becomes more data savvy, offering a visual interpretation allows access for a broader audience, and continues to position the Pennsylvania judiciary as a recognized national leader in public transparency and data reporting practices,” added Justice Eakin.
There are three caseload dashboards – Statewide, County and Case Type – incorporating data from cases before the Courts of Common Pleas, the general civil and criminal trial courts of Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia Municipal Court.
The new criminal dashboards display the number of new cases filed and concluded annually, by case type, as well as the manner of disposition.
Over the past year, the AOPC has unveiled a variety of dashboards including court financial data on collections and disbursements of fines, fees, costs and restitution; civil caseload statistics; child dependency data; and protection from abuse information.
Dashboard data is presented through static tables and interactive data, allowing users to analyze and interpret court statistics at a glance.
All of the dashboards can be found on the judiciary’s Interactive Data Dashboards webpage.
