ODPS Office of Criminal Justice Services Policy and Research

Building on the strength of its rigorous and timely research, the Policy and Research Section of the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) identifies criminal justice needs, evaluates the effectiveness of existing programs, and designs innovative initiatives to address the many justice issues affecting Ohio communities. This section provides training opportunities in the areas of grantsmanship, logic modeling, and strategic planning. Ohio’s Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) and the Family Violence Prevention Center (FVPC) are located within the Policy and Research Section.

What is the SAC?

Statistical Analysis Centers (SACs) are units or agencies at the state government level that collect, analyze, and disseminate justice data. They contribute to effective state policies through statistical services, research, evaluation, and policy analysis. There are 53 SACs in the U.S. and its territories. The SACs vary in their placement within the state government structures.

SACs perform diverse roles and activities within their respective states. The primary goal of the Ohio SAC is to collect and distribute criminal justice-related data. The SAC handles a large number of the information requests that OCJS receives. The SAC is also responsible for maintaining and updating Ohio criminal justice statistics and other criminal justice-related research reports and resources on the OCJS web site. The SAC works in conjunction with the OCJS Justice Technology section in making National Incident-Based Reporting System NIBRS/Ohio Incident-Based Reporting System (OIBRS) data available to law enforcement and other entities. Besides its role of making criminal justice data available to the public, the SAC is also involved in program evaluation and research.

What is the FVPC?

The Family Violence Prevention Center (FVPC) at OCJS was established to provide support services to address this serious crime. The Center serves as an information clearinghouse for public and private organizations and individuals throughout Ohio that strive to prevent family violence and provide assistance to victims. Its goal is to provide leadership for coordinated state and local efforts to reduce and prevent family violence in Ohio.

To learn more about the FVPC, please go to the The Family Violence Prevention Center page.