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Restorative Justice Interventions p. 20

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American Correctional Association Corrections Today November/December 2020 Vol. 82, No. 6

Features

20

Restorative justice interventions

By Dennis McChargue, Ph.D., Sandra Pavelka, Ph.D. and Joseph Kennedy, M.A.

35 2020 ACA Election

26

Candidates and voting instructions

Getting back to the basics of self-perception and professionalism By Juanita M. Brunson-Alonso, Ph.D., CJM

Cover photo illustration: Stars background: istock/Omelchenko Andrii; hand: istock/ CarmenMurillo; envelope: Carla DeCarlo

2 — November/December 2020 Corrections Today

Chapters and affiliates

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OFFICERS President Gary C. Mohr, Ohio Immediate Past President Lannette C. Linthicum, M.D., FACP, Texas Vice President Tony M. Wilkes, Tennessee President-Elect Tony C. Parker, Tennessee Treasurer Denise M. Robinson, Ohio Board of Governors Representatives

Elizabeth F. “Beth” Arthur Derrick D. Schofield, Ph.D. Secretary James A. Gondles Jr., CAE, Virginia

EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF James A. Gondles Jr., CAE Managing Editor Floyd Nelson

Associate Editor Alexander Carrigan GRAPHICS AND PRODUCTION STAFF Graphic Designer Carla DeCarlo ADVERTISING AND MARKETING STAFF Director, Conventions, Advertising and Corporate Relations Kelli McAfee Production Coordinator Mary Misisco ACA Executive Office and Directors Executive Director James A. Gondles Jr., CAE Deputy Executive Director Jeffrey Washington Executive Office Director Debbi Seeger senior executive Assistant India Vargas

Article and photo submissions: Managing Editor, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314; email submissions@aca.org. Articles must be in Microsoft Word. Please include all contact information. Unless expressly requested in writing, all photos and artwork submitted become the property of ACA and may be used in future ACA publications. Articles and photos will not be returned unless expressly requested by author. Microfilm: Corrections Today is available for electronic reproduction through ProQuest Information and Learning Co., 300 N. Zeeb Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346; 313-761-4700.

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Statements contained in Corrections Today are the personal views of the authors and do not constitute ACA policy unless so indicated. ACA does not assume responsibility for the content of Corrections Today as submitted by contributors, reserves the right to edit all articles and, if necessary, condense them. The publication of any advertisement by ACA is neither an endorsement of the advertiser nor of the products or services advertised. ACA is not responsible for any claims made in advertisements. Mission statement: The American Correctional Association provides a professional organization for all individuals and groups, both public and private, that share a common goal of improving the justice system. Corrections Today (ISSN 0190-2563, USPS 019-640) is published six times a year in January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/ December by the American Correctional Association, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-224-0000. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA 22314 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Corrections Today, Attn: Membership Department, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314. Subscriptions are included in annual membership dues. Nonmember subscription rates are $25 per year for Corrections Today ($36 value) or $6 per issue. Send change of address notice and a recent mailing label to Membership and Customer Service Department, ACA, 60 days before the actual change of address. ACA will not replace undelivered copies resulting from an address change. Printed in USA. Vol. 82, No. 6. Copyright 2020 by the American Correctional Association.

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Communications and Publications Director Floyd Nelson

Conventions, Advertising and Corporate Relations Director Kelli McAfee Financial Services and Human Resources Director Hok Gao, MBA, CPA, SHRM-SCP Membership and Customer Service Director Roberta Gibson International Initiatives Director Elizabeth Gondles, Ph.D. — Senior Director Office of Correctional Health Director Elizabeth Gondles, Ph.D. — Senior Director Mike Miskell, MPH, MCHES ® — Director Standards and Accreditation Director David Haasenritter Professional Development Director Elizabeth Gondles, Ph.D. — Senior Director Doreen Efeti, MPH, MBA, MCHES ® , DHSc — Director Acting Information Technology Director Hok Gao, MBA, CPA, SHRM-SCP

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Corrections Today November/December 2020 — 3

News&Views

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From Jim’s Desk

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Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

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Juvenile Justice News

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NIJ Update

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77 ACA Featured Departments

Welcome New Members

78

Certification List

80

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Bookshelf

82

Professional Development Update

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Corrections Calendar

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Job Bank

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Index to Advertisers/ Product Index

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The American Correctional Association is fully engaged in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. ACA has taken the lead to provide its members around the world with vital information geared to protecting the health and safety of correctional professionals everywhere. From webinars, produced by ACA’s Office of Correction- al Health, to the latest information that focuses on managing the stress of uncertainty by taking care of you, ACA’s response has been intelligent, knowledgeable and thorough. In an unprecedented display of servant-leadership, ACA has brought together its sponsors, supporters and other correctional organizations to give valuable and much needed resources to those who need it at no charge. To stay abreast of this “emerging, rapidly evolving situation,”we encourage you to visit the ACA website regularly. There you will find online COVID-19 resources, important infor- mation, messages from our leadership and ACA’s “Wall of Honor”which lists chronologically our correctional heroes who gave their last full measure in fighting this insidious virus.

4 — November/December 2020 Corrections Today

The Wall of Honor

A dedication to the corrections professionals who gave their last full measure.

When the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic struck, lives were upended every- where. Some lives were lost and, unfortunately, the loss of life continues to rise daily. Most of us know that it is the “first responders” to whom we owe an unpayable debt. And among those brave individuals, standing front and center, are the proud men and women of corrections. It is with heavy hearts that we join grief-stricken families and loved ones to express our heartfelt sympathies for those who have died be- cause of this insidious virus. Visit www.aca,org to view the most current list of names of the corrections professionals who gave their last full measure.

Visit www.aca.org and click on the “Wall of Honor” spotlight link.

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From Jim’s Desk nEWS&vIEWS

Our “differences”

S ome of my friends are Demo- crats. Some of my friends are Republicans. Some of my friends are “fill in the blank.” With social media heavily in - volved in many persons’ daily routines, with instant texts, emails, tweets, and other forms of media streaming into our lives, it’s no won - der we talk, text, email, Facebook and tweet about our differences. Many (if not most) of our citizens believe the country is more divided than ever. I don’t. In fact, I believe that we just are more expressive, more verbal and more apt to openly “out” our opin - ions so that others know where we stand. Our beliefs are making us feel more divided because of our openness and instant forms of com- munication in my opinion. When Thomas Jefferson was serving as our third president, his opponents were ruthless. Cartoons of his personal life took center stage in some written or printed media. Many Americans hated Jefferson and newspapers that held that opinion were quick to print that hatred. When

Franklin D. Roosevelt was president, my grandmother had a picture of former President Herbert Hoover with black draping over it on one of her walls. Roosevelt had defeated Hoover in the 1932 presidential elec - tion, and my grandmother lost two of her six sons in World War II and blamed Roosevelt for their deaths. Roosevelt himself stated on the radio that his opponents were not happy criticizing just him and his family and were even attacking his little dog, Fala. After former President Richard Nixon’s loss to former Governor Pat Brown in the 1962 California governor’s race, he famously stated in a press conference that the press would not have him to kick around anymore because he was through with politics. Of course, six years later in 1968, he was elected presi - dent of the United States. My take on the “divisions” within our nation is to put it into perspective with our lives today. Cell phones, television, email, Twitter, satellite instant news, computers, transporta- tion, and on and on, has made us

more aware of our differences than at any time in our country’s history. But think about Jefferson’s time: newspapers were for those that could get one and for those that could read. Roosevelt’s time brought radio into American lives. Nixon’s time brought television into our citizen’s lives. And today, President Donald Trump communicates with over 80 million followers via Twitter. Sure, there are extremists on both the left and the right that would like to see open warfare among us. But the vast majority of the red, white and blue are happy to remain partial to the red or partial to the blue, or partial to purple. My take on today’s life in the USA is that we may be more open about our differences, but we still all love our nation and will be there when we all need to be together.

James A. Gondles Jr., CAE ACA Executive Director

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American Correctional Association Special Webinars

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Coronavirus COVID-19: CORRECTIONS

ACA is committed to gathering the most current information regarding Coronavirus COVID-19 and is presenting it for free on our website. These include our ACA webinars on the pandemic and curated information from the CDC and other health organizations. These resources are available so those involved in corrections know how to react and prepare for a pandemic.

Visit www.aca.org to see all of our webinars and resources regarding COVID-19.

Click on the “Coronavirus COVID-19: Corrections” spotlight link.

Continuing Education Credits are available for webinars.

For more information, contact Amanda Miesner at amandam@aca.org or 703-224-0078.

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nEWS&vIEWS

Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

Reaching out over the wall By Hans Hallundbaek and Sharon Griest Ballen

B y definition, a prison is a place of secure confine - ment for those sentenced to a period of separation from society for committing a crime. Only in rare instances does that mean a prison itself is isolated from a surrounding community. In reality, no prison is an island, and the majority of more than 1,800 state and federal prisons in the U.S. are surrounded by vibrant

communities, some even located in heavily populated areas, such a Sing Sing, San Quentin and Attica. On a practical and physical level, all prisons are tied in closely with the community in which they are located, through a host of community-based services, such as transportation, healthcare, mail, in - ternet and water and sewer systems. In addition, the local community

serves as an ideal labor resource pool for recruiting correctional employees. Increasingly, prison administra - tions, while struggling to meet ever tightening budgets, recognize that reaching out over prison walls to the community can assist in fulfill - ing their custodial and correctional responsibilities. However, it some - times takes an extra nudge from an unsuspecting source to open up to such new possibilities and opportuni - ties. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has served as one of those nudges, which at the same time has proven to be an especially serious threat to prison staff and inmates housed in tight quarters. In the fall of 2019, before the emergence of what would become a global pandemic, a town hall meet - ing, entitled “Adopt-A-Prison,” was held in Bedford, NY, a small village in bucolic Westchester County, just north of New York City. That town hall, organized by Interfaith Prison Partnership (IPP), convened over 100 local community members includ- ing representatives from New York state’s Department of Corrections

Photo courtesy Angela James Photography via Sharon Griest Ballen Amy LaManna, superintendent of Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, one of the facilities involved in the Adopt-A-Prison event last fall.

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Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

and Community Supervision (DOCCS); the superintendents from Bedford’s two women’s prisons — Bedford Hills Correctional Facility and Taconic Correctional Facility — along with elected town, county and state officials. The meeting included 18 prison volunteer organizations. The goal was to explore further cooperative efforts between the two women’s correctional facilities and community members. At the time, this seemed like a reasonable task since the two prisons held less than 1,000 women total, and the population of the town of Bedford is about 18,000. The Adopt-a-Prison event was based on the following premises, ac - tions and activities: –– As an interfaith organization, IPP believes that “love your neighbor as yourself” is a verb, not a noun. It is an action item. If we can adopt our highways, why not our prisons? –– IPP organized a meeting with the town supervisor and the superintendents of the two New York State women’s prisons in Bedford, NY. This group met for two years to plan the Adopt- A-Prison program event; –– The town supervisor invited local, county and state elected officials to speak at the event; –– The superintendents invited DOCSS representatives, includ - ing those at the state level, to attend; –– IPP invited 18 different organi - zations involved in prison work, from “Puppies Behind Bars,” a dog-training program; to “Hour Children,” a program to sup - port families during a mother’s

Photo courtesy of Sharon Griest Ballen

Boxes of bars of soap, which were donated by the community for the women in prison, on the porch of the Church House of the Katonah Presbyterian Church, Katonah, NY.

incarceration, including an infant nursery inside the prison, and to help families get back on their feet upon release; –– Each elected official was given two minutes to speak; –– Each of the 18 organizations was given one minute to speak in the form of a “human slide show;” –– Each organization and DOCCS were provided a table set up around the room with their handout materials and a staff person attending the table; –– After the presentations, the at - tendees were allowed free time to go to the tables of the organi - zations that interested them and learn more about examples and choices of ways in which they could each “adopt” their local prisons and the women within. Within four months after this historic town meeting, because of COVID-19, all the promising words of cooperation had to be translated into immediate action. That immediate action started in the form of a recommendation to the Town Board on the part of the town supervisor, Chris Burdick. He found

the Adopt-A-Prison event to be so successful that he initiated the forma - tion of a Prison Relations Advisory Committee (PRAC) to the town of Bedford. PRAC was established by vote of the Town Board in January 2020 as the direct result of the IPP Adopt-A-Prison program in Septem- ber. Burdick asked Sharon Griest Ballen, the program coordinator of the IPP, to chair the PRAC, as she was uniquely positioned to carry for- ward the Adopt-A-Prison work from IPP directly into the work of PRAC. The overall mission of PRAC is to unite those on the outside with The overall mission of PRAC is to unite those on the outside with those on the inside of the prison walls; to “adopt our prisons.”

Corrections Today November/December 2020 — 9

nEWS&vIEWS

those on the inside of the prison walls; to “adopt our prisons.” PRAC is currently comprised of 19 mem - bers who are committed to a closer integration of the community of Bedford with its prisons. As a result of the COVID-19 pan - demic, PRAC went into overdrive, collecting 11,000 bars of non-lye based soap for frequent hand-wash - ing; 10,000 masks; 2,400 wipes to clean the phones after inmate calls; 22 hot plates to allow for cooking on units/social distancing; 1,000 bottles of hand lotion; 1,000 sets of individ - ual plasticware for each woman to have her own set of utensils to wash and reuse; stationary/cards for keep - ing in touch with family, along with a $500 donation from a church for

stamps for the women to be able to post their mail; and countless skeins of yarn for knitting, given that all volunteer programs had been sus - pended for the time being to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The immediate result was grati - tude on the part of the inmates, who felt cared about and remembered by their community in this crisis. However, two unanticipated results surfaced. First, the superintendents reported that the mood inside the prisons changed. The inmates went from feeling terrified of the pan - demic sweeping across the entire prison and killing them all, to feeling hopeful, provided for, and not forgot - ten. As a result, they started treating the corrections officers better, who

responded in kind. It was a domino effect, for when people feel better, they behave better. Secondly, the superintendents became “rock stars” in the commu - nity. The prison walls became more pliable. The superintendents were seen as more caring and dedicated, rather than unknown people behind a scary wall. The superintendents got to know the community and the community got to know them. Trust developed between the prison administration and the community members working with them. The administration felt comfortable reaching out if there was something the women would benefit from the community, knowing that they would not be judged as negligent for not being able to provide the item im - mediately themselves. For example, when no one was able to get masks - as there simply were none to buy - the administration reached out to PRAC, knowing that we had access to mask makers who could supply cloth masks almost immediately. As Burdick stated, “The Prison Relations Advisory Committee has done simply extraordinary work in the short time since the Bedford Town Board created it. Most importantly, PRAC is furthering the positive, constructive relationship between the town and DOCCS in improving the lives of the women incarcerated in the correctional facilities.” These sentiments are further expanded upon by Acting Com - missioner Anthony J. Annucci of DOCCS NY, who said that “while the Department has always priori - tized positive working relationships and maintained open communica- tions with the communities that

Photo courtesy of Sharon Griest Ballen Tanya Mitchell-Voyd, former superintendent of Taconic Correctional Facility, holds bags of hand-sewn children’s masks donated by PRAC.

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Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

surround its correctional facilities, there presently is a burgeoning interest and strong desire by our neighbors to get actively involved and make meaningful contributions in an organized fashion to the lives of those who are incarcerated. The Adopt-A-Facility model can be the vehicle to harness this good will to make transformative changes and reinvigorate principles of hu - manity and community that connect us all.” The story of how DOCCS New York and the leaders of two women’s prisons had the foresight to develop a working relationship with the surrounding community is an inspir- ing tale about finding new ways of thinking about, and creating, solu - tions to solve difficult problems. It is also a story of how compassion for the “other,” coupled with respect for the dignity of all human beings, is a powerful antidote to separation and isolation prevalent in our prison systems. The Adopt-A-Prison program is a great example of how hard work and a cooperative community spirit can lead to powerful results, including saved lives and shared joy of over - coming major challenges. As the nation struggles with the question of a new normal after COVID-19, those of us involved in prison reform and renewal should decide to reread the 2009 book “American Correction” by Todd R. Clear, a distinguished professor at John Jay College of Criminal Jus - tice. In the preface to his seminal work, and throughout the book, the author gives detailed review of the numerous different approaches to correctional systems tried out in

this country since its founding, and clearly advocates for change towards a system reflecting the human values of the 21 st century. In review, it is good to remember that back in 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted a comprehen - sive set of human rights-based rules called the “United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners,” also known as “the Mandela Rules” in honor of the late former-president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. When we relate today’s heated social justice dialogue to our correctional system, we are reminded of the famous Mandela quote, “It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.” The successful outreach program at Bedford Hills and Taconic Cor - rectional Facilities demonstrates that engaging the surrounding commu - nity brings a myriad of benefits, the least of which is an increased mutual understanding and compassion. We believe this pilot program deserves full critical evaluation with the future potential for implementation in other parts of the country. Our preliminary findings show that the Adopt-A- Prison program builds bridges of lifegiving support and understanding needed in communities during these difficult times. Hans Hallundbaek is the director of the Interfaith Prison Partnership. Sharon Griest Ballen is the program coordinator of the Interfaith Prison Partnership and the chair of the Prison Relations Advisory Committee (PRAC) to the town of Bedford.

Statement of Ownership U.S. Postal Service STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION (required by Section 3685, Title 39, United States Code), (1) Title of Publication: CORRECTIONS TODAY. (2) Publication No.: 019-640. (3) Date of Filing: October 1, 2020. (4) Frequency of Issue: 6 times per year. (5) No. of Issues Published Annually: 6. (6) Annual Subscription Price: $35 (7) & (8) Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication/Headquarters of Publisher: 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314. (9) Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher and Editor. Publisher: James A. Gondles Jr. Editor: Floyd Nelson. American Correctional Association, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314. (10) Name and Complete Mailing Address of Owner: American Correctional Association, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314. (11) Known Bondholders, Mortgages, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding One Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: Eagle Bank, 8601 Westwood Center Drive, Vienna, VA 22182. (12) The Purpose, Function, and Nonprofit Status of This Organization and the Exempt Status for Federal Income Tax Purposes: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months. (13) Publication name: CORRECTIONS TODAY. (14) Issue date for circulation data: November/ December 2020. (15) Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average No. of Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: (a) Total Number of Copies (Net Press Run): 9,166. (b) Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (1) Paid and/or requested mail subscriptions: 8,807. (3) Other classes mailed through USPS: 131. (c) Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (sum of (15b1) and (15b3): 8,938. (d3) Free Distribution by Mail (Samples; Complimentary; and other Free): 23. (d4) Free Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or Other Means): 0. (e) Total Free Distribution (sum of (15d3) and (15d4)): 23 (f) Total Distribution (sum of (15c) and (15e)): 8,961. (g) Copies Not Distributed: 165. (h) Total (sum of (15f) and (15g)): 9,126. (i) Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c/15f x 100): 99.7 percent. Actual No. of Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: (a) Total No. of Copies (Net Press Run): 9,200; (b) Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (1) Mail subscriptions: 8,807 (3) Other classes mailed through USPS: 131. (c) Total Paid and/ or Requested Circulation (sum of (15b1) and (15b3)): 8,938. (d3) Free Distribution by Mail (Samples; Complimentary; and other Free): 26. (d4) Free Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or Other Means): 0. (e) Total Free Distribution (sum of (15d3) and (15d4)): 26. (f) Total Distribution (sum of (15c) and (15e)): 8,964. (g) Copies Not Distributed: 165. (h) Total (sum of (15f) and (15g)): 9,129. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c/15f x 100): 99.7 percent. (17) This Statement of Ownership will be printed in the November/ December 2020 issue of this publication. (18) I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete: Floyd Nelson, director, Communications and Publications.

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Juvenile Justice News

CJJA to issue a position on transforming juvenile justice facilities By Michael Dempsey

O ver the last several decades, juvenile justice systems throughout the United States have shifted their approach in working with youth and families in - volved in the juvenile justice system. Many state and county systems have moved away from using an adult cor - rections framework and have been transforming to more treatment-fo- cused and rehabilitative approaches for providing care and treatment for youth the youth entrusted to their care. Emerging research and data have supported these transformation efforts and given rise to improved long-term outcomes. The Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators (CJJA), formerly the Council of Juvenile Correctional Ad - ministrators, upholds that one of the primary responsibilities of juvenile justice agencies and facilities is to ensure the safety of youth, staff, and visitors. CJJA encourages jurisdic - tions to evaluate their systems and to raise the standard for service provision and continuously work to improve overall conditions of con - finement, transforming the culture,

atmosphere and environments and, reducing incidents of violence, isola - tion and the use of restraints. In order to complete the “transfor - mation process,” systems must focus on the most fundamental element

of the juvenile justice systems and reimagine the “purpose” of residen - tial juvenile justice facilities. Doing so, will create more informed, fair, just, equitable, and effective juvenile justice systems.

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Juvenile Justice News

CJJA understands and believes that the key to successfully improv - ing secure and non-secure youth residential facilities, is transforming agency and facility culture. As such, a jurisdiction’s transformation strate - gy must include engaging staff in the process and improving the wellbeing of staff, including psychological and physical wellbeing. Furthermore, it is critical that juvenile justice agencies hire staff who are a good fit for this line of work and whose beliefs align with the agency’s mission to effec - tively serve youth and families. Staff must also be provided with sufficient and effective training and, most im - portantly, the opportunities to further develop their professional skills. CJJA understands and believes that the key to successfully improving secure and non-secure youth residential facilities, is transforming agency and facility culture.

developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed, trauma-re- sponsive, and strengths-based. –– Staff training and development must include adolescent brain development, gender respon - sivity, and cultural awareness training. –– Training and coaching that sup - ports staff in developing healthy professional relationships with the youth they serve. –– Ensuring fair and equitable treatment of youth. –– Implementing nationally rec - ognized crisis prevention and intervention models. –– Strong coordination and inte- gration with communities. –– An established system of con - tinuous quality improvement. Transforming to an ideal system requires mindful consideration of the existing purpose of these facili - ties and the operational practices to better impact youth, families, staff and local communities. Using a holistic approach for improving the continuum of care and services will strengthen positive outcomes for juvenile justice youth. CJJA will submit a position statement on the key principles for transforming juvenile justice to its members for voting and approval in February 2021. Once approved, the position paper will be on our website at http://cjja.net/publications/.

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involvement except when necessary to ensure community safety will increase positive outcomes for youth and families. In addition, CJJA calls upon juvenile justice systems to adopt and implement principles of care as described below. The most effective juvenile justice agencies understand: –– Staff development starts with promoting wellness and work- life balance. –– Leaders must promote health and wellness of staff; provide a foundation of safety; and encourage change opportunities for youth. –– Targeted mental health assess - ments and diagnostics must be used to evaluate risk and ef - fectively address root causes of negative behaviors. –– Assessment and treatment planning must be youth and family-centered. –– Creating safe, therapeutic, and reparative environments will improve outcomes. –– Implementing programming that is research-based and outcome-focused. –– Using approaches when working with youth that are

Michael Dempsey is the executive director of the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators.

CJJA challenges jurisdictions to adopt principles that support keeping youth in their communities when - ever possible. Reducing formal legal

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NIJ Update

The data-informed jail By Joe Russo

Author’s Note: Findings and conclu- sions reported in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. ails are the entry point to the correctional system in the United States. As a critical component of the criminal jus - tice system, jails interface regularly with law enforcement, the courts, and the probation, parole, and prison systems. There are 3,500 local jails and detention centers in the United States, 1 and in 2018, jails held roughly 740,000 individuals on any given day. 2 Recent data suggests that approxi - mately 4.9 million unique individuals are admitted to a jail each year. 3 Because of the size of the jail population and the scope of ser - vices jails provide, a vast amount of critical data are generated by jail systems. Although some jails signifi - cantly leverage these data to inform policies and improve both operations and inmate outcomes, many more do not, for a variety of reasons. It follows that there is much untapped potential for jails to operate in a more data-informed manner. J

and representatives of national as - sociations. This work, sponsored by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), identified a total of 43 needs related to jails’ use of data, with 13 high-priority needs associated with the four following themes: (See Figure 1: Top-Tier Needs.) –– Leadership and Organizational Issues –– Information Sharing –– Data Collection and Analysis –– Applying the Data A fifth theme, Procuring and Implementing a Jail Management System (JMS), related to four of the lower-priority needs, but none of the 13 top-tier needs, the research team determined. The workgroup’s methods and findings, discussed below, sug - gest that organizational leadership is essential to a data-informed jail. Leaders must understand and com - mit to a data-driven decision-making approach, develop and nurture an organizational culture that values data, make the requisite investments in staff and technology, and foster information sharing with relevant justice, public health, and social services organizations.

Why should a jail operate in a data-informed manner? Jails are under constant scrutiny, and taxpayers demand jail services that are both effective and efficient. Jails are complex organizations, and the desired outcomes are much more attainable when data are collected, analyzed, and used to drive decision- making. A data-informed approach can yield benefits in key functional areas such as: –– Development of key perfor - mance indicators and systems for measuring progress. –– Objective evaluation of the impact of policy changes, programs, and innovations. –– Identification of trends, projection development, and planning for future needs. –– Facilitation of information sharing with justice agen - cies as well as public health organizations. To examine this issue, the RAND Corporation in partnership with the University of Denver (DU) analyzed insights from a workgroup of jail administrators, correctional experts,

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NIJ Update

Figure 1: Top-Tier Needs by Category

Category

Issue/Problem

Associated Need

Leadership & Organizational Issues Leadership & Organizational Issues Leadership & Organizational Issues Leadership & Organizational Issues Leadership & Organizational Issues Leadership & Organizational Issues

Jails with cultures that do not value data are missing out on the potential benefits of proactive data collection and analysis.

Develop educational resources and toolkits that help administra- tors understand the benefits they could achieve from proactive data collection and analysis. Incorporate education on the practices and benefits of data management into training for academies, leadership positions, and informal leadership among staff. Create online, self-paced curricula that can be understood by leaders of varying professional backgrounds.

Jails need to create an organizational culture that values data.

Leadership would benefit from improved statistical literacy to better understand the purpose and implications of analysis.

Research and promote effective strategies for identifying and monitoring key indicators.

It can be challenging for administrators to determine what metrics are most appropriate, how to define them, and how to track them. Data may not be captured and managed well when staff don’t understand the importance and purpose of it.

Develop effective strategies (e.g., use cases, documentation of return on investment) to champion data-management objectives and to educate line staff on how data collection contributes to the mission of the jail and affects their day-to-day work. Develop effective strategies (e.g., use cases, documentation of return on investment) to educate administrators on the urgency of maintaining data management staff. Develop effective strategies to assist jails — and the jurisdic- tions they support — in planning for the procurement and implementation of information systems that can be part of an integrated, jurisdiction-wide solution. Research and publish guidance documents targeted to jail ad- ministrators that identify and counter common misperceptions. Develop effective strategies to help diverse stakeholders build trust by identifying and reinforcing shared values and work through any misperceptions or perceived conflicts. Develop guidance documents on risk management strategies for information sharing (e.g., always have a memorandum of understanding, limit scope). Publish guidance on effective strategies to improve the quality of manually entered data (e.g., better training, use of predefined fields in drop-down menus). Conduct research to identify jails that are effectively applying these models and disseminate their successful strategies.

Developing data management staff (e.g., data analysts) has not been an investment priority for administrators.

Many jail management systems cannot easily interface or integrate with other partners’ information systems (e.g., those of the criminal justice system).

Information Sharing

Misperceptions about legal issues associated with data sharing (e.g., the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) prevent agencies from even attempting to share information.

Information Sharing

There is often organizational resistance to sharing one’s own data, even where legal, technical, and security issues with data sharing have been or can be resolved. The general quality (e.g., accuracy and reliability) of data needs improvement.

Information Sharing

Data Collection & Analysis

Many jails lack the kind of data-informed accountability man- agement models used in law enforcement (e.g., CompStat).

Applying the Data

It is very difficult to compare data and metrics between different jails.

Encourage data definitions (e.g., at the national or state levels) for jails to enable better comparison.

Applying the Data

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Nature of the problem

Many jails use obsolete systems built by companies that have gone out of business or coded in defunct programming languages that do not conform to modern informa- tion standards. 6 It is unsurprising, therefore, that county jail data has been described as “often fragment- ed, incomplete, and unreliable.” 7 Furthermore, many jails tend to use data in an ad hoc fashion, focusing on particular issues of importance as they arise rather than leverag - ing these data to operate pursuant to a comprehensive strategic plan. Adding to the challenge is the fact that jail staff are often overworked, and the jails themselves are under- resourced. As a result, there is much untapped potential for jails to become more data-informed. Ultimately, leadership is key to achieving a data-informed jail — one that maximizes the power of information to improve

to generate findings that will inform NIJ’s research agendas moving for - ward. In response to the significant challenges and opportunities dis - cussed above, the data-informed jails research aimed to produce a better understanding of the obstacles jails face in fully leveraging internal and system data to improve outcomes and what is needed to overcome these obstacles. Methodology The RAND-DU team assembled a group of 15 subject matter experts to participate in a two-day workshop. Participants included correctional administrators, researchers, and rep - resentatives from relevant national organizations. Before the workshop, par - ticipants received literature on jail information systems and the benefits of data-informed decision-making, as a resource and discussion guide. During the workshop, RAND-DU staff conducted highly structured exercises with the group to help identify and elicit information about the most pressing problems in jail settings. The group then as - sessed how these problems could be addressed. Discussions focused on several major areas relevant to leadership and organizational issues, procuring and implementing a jail management system, data collection and analysis, data application, and information sharing. From these discussions, the research team identified a set of discrete “needs” — a term used to describe a specific area to be addressed, tied to either solving a problem or taking advantage of an opportunity for better system

Despite the volume of acces - sible data, jails traditionally have not been viewed as information processing organizations. Although there are exceptions, most jails do not consistently operate in a data- informed manner, and therefore cannot fully leverage the power of data to support decision-making, inform policies, and improve both operations and outcomes. For exam - ple, searches for state and local jail data on a data portal in the website of Measures for Justice , an organi- zation that collects, standardizes, and publicizes county-level criminal justice data from across the United States, establish significant gaps in jail performance data available from jurisdictions. 4 Some jails still operate with - out the benefit of an automated information management system. 5

not only operational effectiveness and ef - ficiency, but also inmate outcomes. Research purpose The joint RAND- DU collaboration, “Data-Informed Jails: Challenges and Op - portunities,” is part of a multiyear research effort, the Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative, to identify in - novations in technology, policy, and practice that could benefit the crimi - nal justice sector. 8 The initiative, developed and supported by NIJ, aims

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NIJ Update

Figure 2: Breakdown of Needs by Area

performance. This process yielded a total of 43 needs (see Figure 2). Needs and themes To provide structure to the large set of identified needs, participants ranked each need in terms of expected benefit (relative importance of meet - ing that need) and probability of fully meeting that need. These ratings were multiplied by each other to produce an expected value score, and that score was used to group the needs into top-, medium-, and low-tier priority needs. In the

strategies to demonstrate the relevance of data to staff in specific contexts (e.g., com - municating how analysis of data about assaults on staff can lead to better interventions and improved safety). Better staff understanding of how data efforts relate to the jail’s mis - sion and the staff’s day-to-day work experience may improve the quality of data collection. During workshop discus - sion the participants noted that many jails lack an overarching strategic plan with respect to their data objectives (i.e., what data should be collected and

the way jails perform. Emphasiz - ing the value of data to leadership, one participant quoted his sheriff saying that “vision without data is a hallucination.” To bridge this gap, the participants recommended the development of education and training programs, case studies, and toolkits geared toward administra - tors that demonstrate the benefits and return on investment from effective use of data. Further, the participants recommended the creation of online, self-paced curricula designed to provide jail leaders with a basic level of data literacy. According to the participants, better education is needed to help leaders create and nurture a culture that values data and supports data- informed practices. Staff at all levels should receive training on the im - portance of collecting and utilizing quality-assured information. These values should be reinforced consis - tently through in-service training and regular interactions between staff and supervisors. Further, the participants called for best practices and effective

final analysis, 13 of the 43 identified needs were ranked in the top tier and are listed in Figure 1. The 43 needs fell under five themes: leadership and organizational issues, information sharing, applying the data, data col - lection and analysis, and procuring and implementing a jail management system. The 13 top-tier needs fell under four of those themes — all but procuring and implementing a jail management system. Overall, more than 30% of the needs (and nearly half of the top- tier needs) fell under the theme of leadership and organizational issues. Although many jail administra - tors fully understand and value the power of data-driven approaches to improving outcomes, participants acknowledged that this is not univer - sal. One participant noted that many jail leaders suffer from a “failure of imagination” with respect to how data can support and even transform Organizational and leadership issues

why). Some have not established key performance indicators, so measuring progress toward objectives is virtually impossible. Resources are needed to highlight best practices to help jails create a strategic plan around their data needs. Furthermore, jails need training and technical assistance to help them create an initial plan and evaluate and modify that plan based on emerging needs. Finally, some jail administrators fail to prioritize the need for informa - tion technology and analytic staff, which can significantly limit efforts to become more data-informed. That said, participants readily ac - knowledged that dedicating adequate resources to supporting this function can be challenging, particularly in jails that suffer from chronic under - staffing in security positions. Further, many jails operate under the authority of the county sheriff, and there is gen - erally greater public support for the more visible law enforcement compo - nent of county sheriffs’ offices rather than for their jail operations. 9 It can

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