NCJ Number
239000
Date Published
May 2012
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This brief from the Justice Policy Center at the Urban Institute, discusses the importance of developing strategic planning entities within criminal justice systems.
Abstract
The main idea behind justice reinvestment is the use of informed decisionmaking to more effectively and efficiently manage limited criminal justice resources without compromising public safety. Justice reinvestment is a multi-staged, ongoing process that involves the collaboration of officials, policymakers, and other local stakeholders across city, county, and State systems. In order to ensure that the primary mission and goals of the process are met, sites that will be involved in the process should establish a strategic planning entity to direct efforts, track goals, and ensure that the right decisionmakers are involved in reinvestment efforts. This brief discusses the importance of strategic planning entities and why they should be formed at the beginning of the reinvestment process. The brief lists several reasons for forming the entities that include sharing of data across agencies and coordination of health services for offenders among different agencies. The brief also discusses the foundation and organizational structure of strategic planning entities. It is noted that the careful design of the structure and function of the entity will help to ensure that the necessary precursors to justice reinvestment are in place before the reinvestment process begins. Figures, table, notes, references, and worksheet