Douglas Yearwood Award Winners
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The publications in this collection are winners of the Douglas Yearwood Award, which recognizes outstanding efforts by Statistical Analysis Centers to apply empirical analysis to criminal justice policymaking in the states. There are two award categories: Statistical/Management and Research/Policy Analysis. Each year JIRN recognizes two SACs in each category based on the staff size. One for small SACs with fewer than five full-time staff and one for large SACs.
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Browsing Douglas Yearwood Award Winners by Issue Date
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Item Recidivism by direct sentence clients released from day report centers in 2011: Predictors and patterns(West Virginia Office of Research and Strategic Planning, 1/1/2016) Spence, Douglas H.; Haas, Stephen M.This publication won the 2016 Douglas Yearwood Award in the Research/Policy Analysis category. This study investigates the factors that predict the likelihood that DRC clients will be arrested, booked into jail, or incarcerated within 2 years of release. It also examines the timing of recidivism events during the period after release. The strong relationship between successful program completion, risk scores, and recidivism provides evidence of the impact of DRC programming and the predictive validity of the LS/CMI risk assessment tool. Findings related to the timing of recidivism point to additional opportunities for reducing recidivism rates through the use of targeted post-release supervision strategies. Implications for quality assurance, effective treatment dosage, and adherence to evidence-based practices are also discussed.Item A study of the root causes of juvenile justice system involvement(District of Columbia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, 11/1/2020) Sill, KaitlynThis publication won the 2021 Douglas Yearwood Award for Statistical/Management. The Council of the District of Columbia mandated the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) submit a report to the Mayor and Council on the root causes of youth crime and prevalence of adverse childhood experiences that incorporates results from a voluntary survey of justice-involved youth on their perspectives. The CYJAA specified that the report should examine factors “such as housing instability, child abuse, family instability, substance abuse, mental illness, family criminal involvement, and other factors deemed relevant by the CJCC†(D.C. Law 21-23). In accordance with this mandate, CJCC obtained administrative data1 from multiple sectors on a representative sample of youth enrolled in public schools in the District during the 2016 – 2017 school year and identified who was justice-involved, which was defined as being arrested or petitioned/charged the following year. During the fall of 2018, we conducted surveys and focus groups with DYRS-committed and DOC-incarcerated youth under the age of 21, and, during the spring and summer of 2018, we conducted interviews with youth service providers. This report integrates the results and addresses the following questions: 1. How do justice-involved youth differ from non-justice involved youth? 2. What factors affect the likelihood that youth become involved in the juvenile justice system? 3. How and why do these factors impact youth behavior?Item Statistical transparency of policing report per House Bill 2355 (2017)(Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, 11/25/2019) Sanchagrin, Kenneth; Officer, Kelly; McAlister, Siobhan; Weinerman, Michael; Rau, Courtney; Tallan, Katherine2020 Douglas Yearwood National Publication Award Winner: House Bill 2355 (2017) mandated that by 2021, all Oregon law enforcement agencies must submit data regarding officer initiated traffic and pedestrian stops to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, so the Commission could analyze the submitted data for evidence of racial or ethnic disparities on an annual basis. To accomplish these ends, the Commission, along with the Oregon State Police and the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST), created the Oregon Statistical Transparency of Policing (STOP) Program. This is the second annual report to the Oregon Legislature by the STOP Program examining data received pursuant to HB 2355.Since the passage of HB 2355, the STOP Program developed a standardized method for data collection as well as data collection software offered free of charge to all state law enforcement agencies. As of this time, the STOP Program has received at least one full year of data from the fifty-one largest law enforcement agencies in the state and analyses using those data are presented in this report. In 2021, the STOP Program will report on all Oregon police departments and sheriffs' offices, as required by the Bill.Item Evaluation of the youthful offender system (YOS) in Colorado: Report of findings per 18-1.1-407, C.R.S.(Office of Research and Statistics, Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, 12/1/2014) Miera, Germaine; Flick, Peg; Adams, Christine; Lucero, Laurence; English, KimThis publication won the 2015 Douglas Yearwood Award in the Research/Policy Analysis category. This report represents the fourth evaluation of the Colorado Department of Correction's (DOC) Youthful Offender System (YOS) conducted by the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice. The Division is mandated to evaluate the program semiannually and submit the findings to the General Assembly on November 1 of even numbered years. However, this mandate is not funded by the General Assembly, and evaluations are completed resources become available. The first report, delivered on November 1, 2002, focused on recidivism rates, funding levels, comparisons of legislative intent to actual implementation, and characteristics of the YOS population. The second report, delivered on November 1, 2004, focused on these topics and also attempted to provide information on the perspectives of residents, staff, and administrators involved in the program. The third report, prepared for November 1, 2012, followed a similar approach. Each report included recommendations based on the study findings. The current report reflects data collected during the spring and summer of 2014. The evaluation compares legislative and DOC intent to actual implementation, presents the perceptions of residents and staff on a variety of topics, compares the arrest and conviction histories of youth committed to YOS with those placed in other sentencing options (probation, Division of Youth Corrections, and prison), and analyzes program failure and recidivism rates (refilling and reconviction rates for new felonies).Item Maine sexual assault kit study(Maine Statistical Analysis Center, University of Southern Maine, 12/1/2018) Grey, Alison; Arther, Erika; Tomenko, Viacheslav; Shaler, George; Snell, ElisbaethThis report was one of the winners of the 2019 Douglas Yearwood National Publication Award in Research/Policy Analysis. In 2018, with funding from the Maine Department of Public Safety, the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MECASA) contracted with the Cutler Institute for Health and Social Policy at the Muskie School of Public Service to gather compressive data about sexual assault kits in Maine and to make recommendations for systems improvement. The Cutler research team employed a mixed-methods approach to gather comprehensive data about the current status of SAKs in Maine; the challenges and successes of processing and storing SAKs in Maine; and nationally recognized best practices that Maine may already follow or might adapt. Researchers conducted online surveys of law enforcement agencies, hospitals, Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFEs), and prosecutors. The research team also conducted four focus groups with sexual assault support center advocates, law enforcement officers, and SAFEs, and interviewed key stakeholders in Maine. The research team also conducted a comprehensive literature review and selected three states for additional interviews. The research confirms that Maine has achieved key successes in the management of sexual assault kits, specifically, the provision of victim-centered, trauma-informed care, in addition to standardized, accredited practices, and dedicated resources at the Crime Lab.Item Recidivism in Delaware: An analysis of prisoners released in 2012 through 2014(Delaware Statistical Analysis Center, 12/1/2018) Huenke, AndrewThis publication won the 2019 Douglas Yearwood Award in Statistical/Management. This legislatively mandated report explores the required recidivism measure of rearrest, reconviction, and recommitment for 2014 prison release cohort. It also provides a detailed methodology on how these three categories are measured. As in previous reports, only Delaware recidivism events are utilized to calculate these rates. Since the inception of the report, three-year cumulative recidivism rates have remained consistent. Rearrest rates have ranged between 72-77%, reconviction rates between 67-74%, and recommitment rates between 63-69%. Since the 2011 release cohort, all three measures of recidivism have been at the lower end of those ranges, with the 2014 release cohort having the lowest recidivism rates in the seven years measured (72.8% for rearrest, 67.6% for reconviction, and 63.5% for recommitment).Item Statistical transparency of policing report per House Bill 2355 (2017)(Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, 12/1/2021) Oregon Criminal Justice CommissionThis publication won the 2022 Douglas Yearwood Award for Research/Policy. House Bill 2355 (2017) mandated that by 2021, all Oregon law enforcement agencies must submit data regarding officer-initiated traffic and pedestrian stops to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, so the Commission could analyze the submitted data for evidence of racial or ethnic disparities on an annual basis. To accomplish these ends, the Commission, along with the Oregon State Police and the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST), created the Oregon Statistical Transparency of Policing (STOP) Program. This is the third annual report to the Oregon Legislature by the STOP Program examining data received pursuant to HB 2355.Item Oregon public safety task force report per House Bill 2238 (2017)(Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, 12/4/2020) Budbill, Bridget; Winerman, MichaelThis publication won the 2020 Douglas Yearwood Award for Research/Policy Analysis. In 2017, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2238, which reconvened the Public Safety Task Force. The Legislature charged the Task Force with studying security release in Oregon, with a focus on reducing racial and ethnic disparity in pretrial incarceration. Under that broad charge, the Legislature included three specific areas of focus: (1) repealing statutes authorizing security release in favor of courts, or another entity with delegated authority, making release decisions; (2) utilizing pretrial release risk assessments; and (3) methods of reducing failure to appear at court hearings.Item Long-term recidivism of Washington sex offenders(Washington Office of Financial Management, Statistical Analysis Center, 2/1/2020) Washington Office of Financial Management, Statistical Analysis CenterThis publication won the 2020 Douglas Yearwood Award in Statistical/Management. Many recidivism studies in criminal justice use three- or five-year follow-up periods to assess the rate at which past offenders return to the system. A recent Bureau of Justice Statistics study called into question whether this period was sufficient to capture the full scope of recidivism, showing long-term arrest trends continuing into the ninth-year post-release from prison. In this report, the Washington Statistical Analysis Center applies this question to sex offenders, using data from the Washington State Patrol's Criminal History Records to analyze arrests in a cohort of sex offenders over fifteen years. Sex offenders who registered between the years 2000 and 2003 were re-arrested at a rate of over 50% by the end of the fifth year and 61% by the end of the fifteenth year. Less than a quarter of this cohort was responsible for nearly 80% of the arrests that occurred over the study period. Younger sex offenders and those with a higher risk level were re-arrested at higher rates (77% for each group), and those with the highest risk level maintained higher arrest rates through the ninth-year post-registration. While cumulative re-arrest rates continued to climb through the fifteenth year of the study, the relative risk of arrest for the sex offender cohort dropped below the public average risk (2.68% chance of arrest) by the ninth year. It is thus possible to observe continued trends in re-arrest beyond the fifth year, but the additional risk to public safety appears to vanish around the tenth.Item The Ohio crime victimization survey, 2016(Ohio Department of Public Safety, Office of Criminal Justice Services, 2016) Wedd, Alan; Nicholson, KristinaThis publication won the 2017 Douglas Yearwood Award in Statistical/Management. The Ohio Crime Victimization Survey (OCVS) was developed by the Ohio Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) to address the known gaps in traditional law enforcement reporting systems. It is designed to collect victimization data related to crimes against persons, crimes against property, and cybercrime. Data from victimization surveys can be used to estimate the frequency of crime, understand why crimes are not reported to law enforcement, and determine the demographic characteristics of crime victims. These data are designed to supplement data that are reported to law enforcement in order to provide a more complete understanding of crime in Ohio. The survey is based on a sample of 1,152 Ohio residents age 18 and older who had lived in their current zip code for at least one year to participate in the survey.Item Bias and hate crimes in Maine: Reconciling reported and investigated crimes(Maine Statistical Center, University of Southern Maine, 2022-05) Brintlinger, Hannah; Shaler, George; McDevitt, JackThis publication won the 2022 Douglas Yearwood Award for Research/Policy. The Maine Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) worked with several criminal justice stakeholders across the state to determine arrest rates and outcomes for hate and bias crimes in Maine that were reported by law enforcement to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Uniform Crime Report (UCR) program from 2008 to 2017. Hate and bias-motivated crimes in Maine that were reported to the FBI’s UCR program decreased by 49% from 2008 to 2017. The Maine SAC requested arrest data from all local law enforcement agencies that reported at least one hate or bias incident to the FBI during the study period. The Maine SAC then submitted data requests to the Maine Attorney General’s office to ascertain whether a civil order was filed under the Maine Civil Rights Act for the hate and bias crimes reported during the study period. Similar to the request sent to the Attorney General’s office, the Maine SAC sent each District Attorney’s office a request asking for information about any criminal proceedings brought against the accused. Data from these three sources were then merged to determine outcomes (i.e., did an arrest occur, were civil orders filed, and was the case accepted for criminal prosecution) for each incident. A total of 445 hate and bias crimes in Maine were reported to the FBI from 2008 to 2017. Of these crimes, the Maine SAC was able to compile outcome information for 414 cases for this study. This outcome information is generally not available in states across the country. This report summarizes the findings.Item Offending Patterns Among Domestic Violence Offenders in Idaho(Idaho Statistical Analysis Center Planning, Grants, & Research Idaho State Police, 2022-08-01) Rodgers, Kourtnie; Strauss, ThomasThis publication won the 2023 Douglas Yearwood Award for Research/Policy Analysis. In an effort to better understand offending patterns among Idaho’s domestic violence (DV) offenders, the Idaho Statistical Analysis Center (ISAC) analyzed criminal history record data from the Idaho Criminal History Repository (ID CHR; housed at the Idaho State Police’s Bureau of Criminal Identification). Individuals were selected into the study sample if they had at least one domestic violence arrest or disposition in their Idaho criminal history record. If the individual did have such an arrest or disposition, their entire criminal history record was included. The resulting data set included 56,010 individuals who had a domestic violence arrest or disposition in the state of Idaho between January 1st, 1988, and March 16th, 2022 This report is intended to answer four research questions about those offenders. Key results are presented here, organized by research question.Item Illegal Gun Carrying: Motives, Consequences, and Illinois Arrest Trends(Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, 2022-08-01) Reichert, Jessica; Gilbreath, Jaquelyn; McGuirk, MorgnThis publication won the 2023 Douglas Yearwood Award for Statistical/Management. Gun violence is a persistent and concerning issue across the country and the state of Illinois. In communities with high levels of gun violence, individuals may carry guns for protection. These individuals may never intend to, or actually, fire them; however, if arrested for possession, they may face a felony conviction. We summarized literature on why individuals illegally carry guns, how they obtain them, and the criminal legal ramifications they may face. In addition, we examined Illinois gun-related arrest data collected between 2012 and 2021. The findings revealed firearm possession arrests more than doubled during that period. In 2021, Black men in their 20s and arrested in Chicago with previous arrests on their records comprised the majority of the nearly 16,000 individuals arrested for a firearm-related offense. Community investment, diversionary criminal justice programming, and evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment may reduce crimes related to illegal gun carrying.Item Crime Victimization in Idaho: An Overview of Available Data(Idaho Statistical Analysis Center Planning, Grants & Research Idaho State Police, 2022-08-01) Rodgers, Kourtnie; Strauss, ThomasThis publication won the 2023 Douglas Yearwood Award for Statistical/Management. The Idaho Statistical Analysis Center (ISAC) partnered with researchers from the Department of Criminal Justice at Boise State University (BSU) to investigate victimization data in the state of Idaho. BSU and ISAC sought to report on the status of victimization data in the state, as well as examine data regarding risk and protective factors that may impact victimization. ISAC developed a data dashboard, available to the public through the Idaho Victimization Clearinghouse at BSU, to display data concerning various types of victimization in Idaho as well as data regarding services that have been provided to victims in the state. This report provides an overview of Idaho’s victimization data and discusses gaps in these data recommendations for improvement.Item Funding Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services in Georgia: A Data Driven Approach(Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, 2023) Lopez-Howard, Stefanie; Bhatia, Bharat; Davis, Jemale; Nahar, NasmunThis publication won the 2023 Douglas Yearwood Award for Research/Policy Analysis. In the SFY 2022 Georgia budget conference bill (HB 81), the General Assembly instructed the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) to “engage stakeholders to evaluate the current funding formula for domestic violence shelters and sexual assault centers and study the merits of an updated formula that takes into account many of the factors involved, including but not limited to: number of services provided, number of bed nights provided, area poverty level, service area, and area population.” (212.5) The Council presented various options for using the suggested factors and a suggestion that prior to creating a funding formula, we should establish the cost of providing domestic violence and sexual assault services. The key questions we seek to answer in this brief are: 1. What is the state’s role in funding domestic violence and sexual assault services? 2. How should the state determine the cost of providing basic services for domestic violence and sexual assault services? 3. What factors should go into a funding formula?Item Unsealed fate: The unintended consequences of inadequate safeguarding of juvenile records in Maine(Maine Statistical Analysis Center, University of Southern Maine, 3/1/2017) Hawes, Susy; King, Erica; Sanchez, Mara; Shaler, GeorgeThis publication won the 2017 Douglas Yearwood Award in the Research/Policy Analysis category. Since 1919, when the state's juvenile delinquency code was enacted, Maine's justice system has recognized the difference between youth and adults by emphasizing treatment and rehabilitation for young people in the justice system. This approach is supported by a large and growing body of adolescent development and brain science research that finds fundamental, biologically-based differences between youth and adults. If the goal of a separate justice system for youth is to provide the tools and opportunities for young people to change, it is antithetical that the very involvement with the system could create unanticipated, lasting consequences. Unfortunately, studies across the country are finding just that; limited safeguarding of juvenile records stemming from involvement in the juvenile justice system puts individuals at risk of facing collateral consequences, including difficulty obtaining employment and housing or serving in the military. This report explores the extent to which this issue is occurring in Maine by detailing what statutes say, what practices look like and what the implications are for individuals in Maine with a juvenile record. The goal of this report is to provide policy makers, the public and juvenile justice system practitioners with research about what those closest to the system understand about how records are handled and accessed, the impact of juvenile records and what improvements could be made that are consistent with the rehabilitative and public safety goals of the juvenile justice system in Maine.Item Criminal justice consensus cost-benefit working group final report(Vermont Center for Justice Research, 4/1/2014) Schlueter, Max; Weber, Robin; Bellas, Marcia; Morris, William Travis; Lavery, Nathan; Greenewalt, NancyThis publication won the 2014 Douglas Yearwood Award in the Research/Policy Analysis category. Over the last two years, the Vermont Center for Justice Research has been working with the Legislative Joint Fiscal Office to develop a Vermont-specific cost-benefit model using the PewMacArthur Results First approach. This project had the following goals: 1) determine the costs of the criminal and juvenile justice system, including costs to victims; 2) develop Throughput Models of the criminal justice system to identify how cases proceed through the system and to serve as a tool to assess the costs of policy changes; 3) analyze the cost benefits of the Bennington County Integrated Domestic Violence Docket Project using the Results First Model; 4) assess the quality of justice data collection systems for the purpose of conducting costbenefit analysis; and 5) investigate the need for and the most appropriate entity within state government to manage an ongoing criminal justice cost-benefit model.Item Prison program utilization and recidivism among female inmates in New Mexico(The University of New Mexico, Institute for Social Research, 5/1/2015) Denman, Kristine; Ochoa, Erin M.; Ibarra, Sonya; Lambros, Allyson; Maestas, ThomasThis publication won the 2015 Douglas Yearwood Award for Research/Policy Analysis. This study examined the effectiveness of prison programming among women released from the ew Mexico Women’s Correctional Facility (NMWCF) in 2009. There were 436 women released in 2009, and this report includes data for 426 of these women. The authors focus on the 2009 release cohort tracked through December 2013 to ensure ample time to assess recidivism. While there have been some changes in programming over time at the NMWCF, these have been minor, particularly among programs that offer lump sum awards/earned credit. To determine whether participation in prison programming is effective. Two aspects of in-prison programming are of particular interest. First, although there is an effort to ensure that prisoners are accessing programming that it appropriate for them, programming provided within the NMCD, including the NMWCF, is not matched to offenders’ risks and needs in a systematic way. Thus, the first question addressed by the authors is what is the relationship between the characteristics of women inmates and their program utilization? We explore which programs female inmates participate in, their completion rates, and which characteristics are associated with program utilization overall and by type of program. We were particularly interested in the relationship between identified criminogenic needs and measures of risk with program participation. Second, while there has been some assessment of recidivism for some programs offered within NMCD, this has been limited. Thus, the next question we address is what is the relationship between the types of in-prison programming and success post incarceration? Using various measures of recidivism, we examine the recidivism rates of women who participate in programming compared to those who do not. Further, we explore the characteristics associated with recidivism and assess whether program participation significantly deters reoffending.Item Idaho criminal justice needs assessment: A survey of criminal justice practitioners and community leaders(Idaho Statistical Analysis Center, 5/1/2020) Strauss, Thomas; Swerin, Danielle; Kifer, MistyThis 2020 Douglas Yearwood National Publication Award-Winning report in Research/Policy Analysis presents results from a survey of criminal justice practitioners and community leaders undertaken to evaluate the state of the justice system in Idaho and identify areas in need of additional resources. Topics include current data and crime trends in Idaho and reported needs identified by employees in law enforcement, the adult court system, corrections, juvenile justice, victim services, government leaders, and community leaders. Significant needs identified include mental health services, drug treatment services, re-entry support, rural area services and funding, domestic violence prevention and interventions, workforce training, and increased salaries.Item Idaho criminal justice needs assessment: Survey of criminal justice practitioners and community leaders(Idaho Statistical Analysis Center, 5/1/2020) Strauss, Thomas; Swerin, Danielle; Kifer, Misty2020 Douglas Yearwood National Publication Award Winner in the Research/Policy Analysis category: This needs assessment report presents results from a survey of criminal justice practitioners and community leaders to evaluate the state of the justice system in Idaho and to identify areas in need of additional resources. Topics include current data and crime trends in Idaho and needs reported by professionals in law enforcement, adult court system, corrections, juvenile justice, victim services, government leaders, and community leaders. Major needs reported include mental health services, drug treatment services, re-entry support, rural area services and funding, domestic violence prevention and interventions, and workforce training and increased salaries.