Ministry of Justice: Data First

Data First aims to unlock the potential of the wealth of data already created by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), by linking administrative datasets from across the justice system and enabling accredited researchers, from within government and academia, to access the data in an ethical and responsible way. The project will also enhance the linking of justice data with other government departments.

By working in partnership with academic experts to facilitate and promote research in the justice space, Data First will create a sustainable body of knowledge on justice system users, their interactions across the criminal, family and civil courts and their needs, pathways and outcomes across a range of public services.

This will provide greater insight to inform the development of MOJ policies and drive real progress in improving social and justice outcomes.

The programme is led by MOJ and funded by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK), an investment by the Economic Social and Research Council (ESRC).

General project information

• Data First user guide (PDF, 951 KB, 36 pages)
• Data First privacy and data protection statement (PDF, 199 KB, 12 pages)

Datasets

• Data First magistrates' court defendant data catalogue (ODS, 815 KB)
• Data First Crown Court defendant data catalogue (ODS, 777 KB)
• Data First prisoner custodial journey data catalogue (ODS, 205 KB)
• Data First Family Court data catalogue (ODS, 98.5 KB)
• Data First probation data catalogue (ODS, 153155 KB)
• Data First criminal courts, prisons and probation linking data catalogue (ODS, 59.1 KB)

Analytical outputs

• Data First: Criminal Courts Linked Data
• Education, children’s social care and offending

Application form

MOJ: Data First, application form for secure access to data