PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH CRIMINAL JUSTICE STATISTICS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE NATURE OF THE SYSTEM ITSELF. POLICE AGENCIES CONCENTRATE ON THE OFFENSE, PROSECUTORS AND COURTS FOCUS ON THE CASE, AND THE CORRECTIONS SYSTEM IS CONCERNED WITH THE INMATE. CASE STUDIES DEMONSTRATE HOW TWO CRIMINAL INCIDENTS CAN GENERATE 11 SETS OF NONCOMPARABLE STATISTICS AS THE ARRESTED PERSONS ARE PROCESSED BY POLICE, PROSECUTOR, COURT, AND CORRECTIONS. AN INTEGRAL PART OF PROMIS IS A SET OF COMMON IDENTIFIERS THAT PROMOTE LINKAGES AMONG THE PROSECUTOR'S FILES AND THE RECORD SYSTEMS OF OTHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES. THESE COMMON IDENTIFIERS ARE THE CRIMINAL INCIDENT IDENTIFICATION NUMBER, ASSIGNED BY THE POLICE AGENCY TO EACH REPORTED CRIME; THE FINGERPRINT-BASED IDENTIFICATION NUMBER, ASSIGNED BY THE POLICE TO EACH ARRESTED PERSON; AND THE COURT DOCKET OR CASE NUMBER, ASSIGNED BY THE COURT TO EACH SET OF CHARGES AGAINST A DEFENDANT. OPERATIONAL APPLICATIONS OF THE IDENTIFIERS AS IMPLEMENTED IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE ARE DESCRIBED, AND RECORDKEEPING ADVANTAGES ARE POINTED OUT. PROMIS' ABILITY TO COUNT AND TRACK BY CRIME, CASE, AND DEFENDANT ACROSS AGENCY LINES PROVIDES A MEANS FOR OBTAINING SYSTEMWIDE STATISTICS THAT ARE COMPARABLE, UNAMBIGUOUS, AND USEFUL. FOR OTHER ISSUES IN THIS SERIES, SEE NCJ 44750-44757 AND 44759-44770.