This brief informational publication highlights some programs that are geared toward maximizing resources for the development of stronger and safer communities by supporting efficient data accessibility and usage.
This publication highlights some programs supported by the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI). JRI enables programs in which state leaders work with experts to conduct agency-spanning data analysis for the development and implementation of unique solutions to address the complicated criminal justice challenges faced by policymakers today. The programs highlighted here are also aimed at maximizing resources to develop stronger and safer communities. The publication provides background information about federal support for JRI, followed by a description of several JRI-supported state-driven solutions to criminal justice challenges which include: Justice Counts, a nationwide initiative to improve the accessibility and usability of criminal justice data; Lantern, which shortens the time between data entry and meaningful data analysis, allowing for the appropriate personnel support to reduce the likelihood of recidivism; Resident Corrections Data Analysts Initiative, which places data analysts in residence at state departments of corrections’ research or IT departments; Virtual Academy for Corrections Analysts, which involves setting standards for and improving analytical capacity to enable more informed planning and decision-making at the agency and state levels; and National Guidelines for Post-conviction Risk and Needs Assessment, which provides direction and prioritizes accuracy, fairness, and transparency in the communication and use of risk and needs assessments.