What’s your problem?

In the matrix below are questions about indicators that shape efforts to improve justice and safety in many countries. We’ve grouped these questions into four domains – sense of safety, response to crime, coordination across agencies, and pretrial detention - although the specific challenge in each country is as distinct as the answers and indicators being developed. 

  • Click each box to read an account of the indicators under developmentSubmit your own question about indicators here



Sense of Safety



Response to Crime




Justice Agencies




Pretrial Detention



Can better support for witnesses and victims also improve public confidence in the justice system?

Does greater attention to speed in prosecution interfere with other objectives in the justice system as a whole?

How can measures of the length of stay in pretrial detention shape solutions to prison crowding?



Does the sense of safety in public improve at equal rates for men and women?

Can law enforcement actions be more effective and at the same time improve police-community relations?


Sierra Leone

Can the results of surveys of public safety help leaders in the justice sector evaluate and improve the performance of individual institutions?

Does a decrease in the amount of time it takes to prosecute major offenses improve the quality of justice overall?

Can data on prison population dynamics help identify the sources of and potential remedies to prison crowding?

New Guinea

Can trends in firearm crime serve as an indicator of public safety?

Does the growth of private security contribute to improved public safety?

Can an indicator of respect between formal and informal court systems encourage better justice in both?



How can the quality of court responses to violence against women be captured to prioritize future improvements?

How can a police service encourage greater speed in investigation, without compromising quality?

Can backlog be reduced without prioritizing and privileging some cases over others?




How can measures of performance for individual prosecutors advance strategic goals for justice and the rule of law?

Can surveys of public safety and perceptions of the police be used to encourage better police service in diverse communities?


  • Submit your own question about indicators here