A multi-agency team – including judges, prosecutors, public defenders, mental health professionals and law enforcement – are using data-driven pilot programs to enact criminal justice reforms and improvements.
But the end-results could be a generation away.
The criminal justice improvement group has been meeting for about a year. A national grant funded the pilot program, known as Evidence Based Decision Making, in six counties. The program uses research to guide decisions made across the justice system. The group’s co-chair Justice Steven David says the end goal is a better justice system.
“No adverse public safety consequences and there’s less recidivism,” says David. “The right people are in jail for the right amount of time and the right people getting services.”
David says, in the shorter term, the group is identifying achievable milestones – setting goals for reducing recidivism and directing more offenders to mental health services. He likens their effort to rebuilding a plane while it’s flying…but says having so many different people at the table makes that easier.
“[It’s] based on building relationships and collaboration across branches,” he says. “[We are saying], ‘Oh I see, I understand, now we can…’ ‘But you’ve got to understand my point, okay…’ ‘Well, you know, we can do this better.’”
The group is applying for a second grant to expand the pilot program to more counties.
