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Accuracy and reliability

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Population and Education, Social Statistics
Iben Birgitte Pedersen
+45 39 17 36 03

ipe@dst.dk

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Recidivism

The statistics on recidivism is based on other of Statistics Denmark's statistical registers where the reliability is considered to be good. However, the number of emigrants is assessed to be under-estimated with 15-20 percentages. The statistics include persons who are registered with a decision in the central criminal register at the time the extract to Statistics Denmark is done. A number of decisions made during the calendar year will happen not to be registered at that time. That implies that the total number of persons in the defined population presumably is under-estimated.

Overall accuracy

The data come from a single total extract from the Central Criminal Register. Both the National Commissioner of the Danish Police and the authorities reporting to the Criminal Register do control to ensure the correctness of the registered data. The statistics include all decisions registered in the central criminal register at the time the extract to Statistics Denmark is done, typically about February 1st following the relevant calendar year. A number of decisions made during the calendar year will happen not to be registered before the time of extraction. That implies that the total number of persons which has received one or several decisions during a year presumably is under-estimated. The exact size is not known but is regarded as limited and of the same extent each year.

Sampling error

There is no sampling errors as the statistics are compiled on the basis of registers.

Non-sampling error

The statistics include all persons who have got one or several convictions which have been registered in the central criminal register at the time the extract to Statistics Denmark is done, typically about February 1st following the relevant calendar year. A number of convictions made during the calendar year will happen not to be registered before the time of extraction. That implies that the total number of persons which has received one or several decisions during a year presumably is under-estimated. The exact size is not known but is regarded as limited and of the same extent each year.

The statistics does not include all fines as minor offences resulting in fines below DKK 2,500 for violation of the road traffic act and fines below DKK 1,000 for violation of the main part of the other special laws are not registered in the central criminal register.

Quality management

Statistics Denmark follows the recommendations on organisation and management of quality given in the Code of Practice for European Statistics (CoP) and the implementation guidelines given in the Quality Assurance Framework of the European Statistical System (QAF). A Working Group on Quality and a central quality assurance function have been established to continuously carry through control of products and processes.

Quality assurance

Statistics Denmark follows the principles in the Code of Practice for European Statistics (CoP) and uses the Quality Assurance Framework of the European Statistical System (QAF) for the implementation of the principles. This involves continuous decentralized and central control of products and processes based on documentation following international standards. The central quality assurance function reports to the Working Group on Quality. Reports include suggestions for improvement that are assessed, decided and subsequently implemented.

Quality assessment

The data come from a single total extract from the Central Criminal Register. Both the National Commissioner of the Danish Police and the authorities reporting to the Criminal Register do control to ensure the correctness of the registered data. The statistics include all decisions registered in the central criminal register at the time the extract to Statistics Denmark is done, typically about February 1st following the relevant calendar year. A number of decisions made during the calendar year will happen not to be registered before the time of extraction. That implies that the total number of persons which has received one or several decisions during a year presumably is under-estimated. The exact size is not known but is regarded as limited and of the same extent each year. The statistics does not include all fines as minor offences resulting in fines below DKK 2,500 for violation of the road traffic act and fines below DKK 1,000 for violation of the main part of the other special laws are not registered in the Central Criminal Register. By studying the development in the number of persons with a decision (typical fines) for violation of the road traffic act and other special laws as police regulation and euphoriants act it has to be considered that the activity of the police in the form of e.g. speed controls or special efforts in the night life by itself can affect the number of convictions. An increase in the number of persons with decision in these areas does not necessarily reflect an increase in the number of persons violating these laws but can also reflect that a greater proportion are discovered and registered. For the reliability of the data from the Population Register please consult the documentation of statistics "Deaths" and "Migration to and from Denmark". For the reliability of the data from the status register of the population's highest education please consult the documentation of statistics "Highest education attained".

Data revision - policy

Statistics Denmark revises published figures in accordance with the Revision Policy for Statistics Denmark. The common procedures and principles of the Revision Policy are for some statistics supplemented by a specific revision practice.

Data revision practice

Only final figures are published and are not later revised.