The Authority's Research and Analysis Unit has amassed a large amount of data measuring the extent and nature of drug and violent crime in Illinois and the impact these crimes have had on the criminal justice system. To put this information into the hands of Illinois' criminal justice policymakers in a useful summary format, the Authority's Research and Analysis Unit has developed statistical profiles of the criminal justice system in Illinois. It is hoped that these statistical reports will be valuable in providing policymakers with an overview of activities across the components of the justice system (law enforcement, courts and corrections) and provide perspective by including trends. While the data presented in these statistical reports are by no means inclusive of all indicators, they do provide a general overview of crime and the criminal justice system's response. In addition, these data are readily available and consistently defined through existing statewide data collection mechanisms.