Smart Suite Academy

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http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11990/4170

The Bureau of Justice Assistance's (BJA's) "Smart Suite" of programs re-examines every aspect of the criminal justice system to identify what is working in the field to reduce crime and recidivism and make our communities safer. The Smart Suite of programs represents a strategic approach that brings more "science" into criminal justice operations by leveraging innovative applications of analysis, technology, and evidence-based practices with the goal of improving performance and effectiveness while containing costs.

The heart of the Smart Suite is practitioner–researcher partnerships that use data, evidence, and innovation to create strategies and interventions that are effective and economical. This data-driven approach assists jurisdictions to understand the full nature and extent of the crime challenges they are facing and to target resources to the highest priorities.

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 34

Assessing the Effectiveness of Criminal Justice Programs
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 1994-01) Przybylski, Roger; Kirchner, Robert; Cardella, Ruth
This Handbook is designed to aid criminal justice policy makers and program managers in assessing the effectiveness of their programs. In developing the Handbook, an attempt has been made to apply the concepts, principles, and techniques embodied in evaluation literature to fit the characteristics and uniqueness of the vast types of criminal justice programs being implemented across the nation. First, the Handbook proposes general criteria to identify program effectiveness and poses several questions designed to tell a program manager to what extent their program is effective. The second goal is to describe methods on how to translate the general criteria into specific program elements which are necessary to evaluate programs. Finally, specific program examples show how these program elements can be used to measure the extent to which programs are achieving their goals and objectives.
Hiring and Working With an Evaluator
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2001-09) Orchowsky, Stan; Trahan, Merideth; Carson, Taj
Program evaluation is an essential tool for the management of juvenile justice programs. Evaluation can help program managers and staff members understand how their daily activities are related to specific goals and objectives, and how these goals and objectives relate to the juvenile justice problem or need that the program hopes to address. While most program managers are capable of conducting some evaluation activities, managers may want to employ a qualified evaluator to assist them with the process of measuring outcomes or designing an evaluation study that will determine whether they are achieving the outcomes they hope for. The purpose of this briefing is to provide information to juvenile justice program managers about how to go about hiring an evaluator. The briefing discusses how a qualified evaluator can assist a program manager in assessing her/his program’s performance, what characteristics to look for in hiring a qualified evaluator, and how to go about finding such a person
Cost-Benefit Analysis for Juvenile Justice Programs
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2002-05) Aos, Steve
This briefing focuses on how formal cost-benefit analysis can help people make informed decisions about certain aspects of the criminal justice system. Our particular focus is the juvenile justice system, but the techniques described here are applicable to the full range of criminal justice resource decisions. The emphasis is on decisions that affect how money—usually taxpayer-supplied money—is spent in the criminal justice system. Many other types of decisions, of course, are made in the criminal justice system, but formal cost-benefit analysis applies most readily to decisions that must be made about how dollars get spent.
Evaluability Assessment: Examining the Readiness of a Program for Evaluation
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2003-05) Kaufman-Levy, Deborah; Poulin, Mary
Program evaluation is a resource-intense activity that can provide program managers with a great deal of information about how well their programs are operating. Unfortunately it is not uncommon for an evaluator to discover after an evaluation is underway that the program is not ready for it. A program may not be fully operational, for example, or may not be able to handle the data collection requirements of an evaluation. Determining whether a program is ready for an evaluation prior to beginning it can help ensure that precious evaluation resources are used at the most appropriate time.
Is This a Good Quality Outcome Evaluation Report? A Guide for Practitioners
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2011-11) Poulin, Mary; Orchowsky, Stan; Trask, Jason
This guide is designed to introduce and explain the key concepts in outcome evaluation research in order to help practitioners distinguish between good and poor quality evaluation reports. The intent is to help practitioners 1) understand key evaluation terms and designs, and 2) recognize how to identify a well written evaluation report. This guide does not explain how to identify evidence-based programs or “what works.” It is not intended to assist the reader with making overall judgments or determinations about specific programs or program types. More information than is found in one evaluation report is needed to identify whether a program is evidence-based. This guide provides the reader with the basic information needed to identify high quality evaluation reports.
Is This a Good Quality Outcome Evaluation Report? A Guide for Practitioners
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2011-11) Trask, Jason; Orchowsky, Stan; Poulin, Mary
This guide is designed to introduce and explain the key concepts in outcome evaluation research in order to help practitioners distinguish between good and poor quality evaluation reports. The intent is to help practitioners 1) understand key evaluation terms and designs, and 2) recognize how to identify a well written evaluation report. This guide does not explain how to identify evidence-based programs or “what works.” It is not intended to assist the reader with making overall judgments or determinations about specific programs or program types. More information than is found in one evaluation report is needed to identify whether a program is evidence-based. This guide provides the reader with the basic information needed to identify high quality evaluation reports.
An Introduction to Evidence-Based Practices
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2014-04) Orchowsky, Stan
The movement toward the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) has been sweeping the criminal justice community in recent years. The purpose of this briefing paper is to provide policymakers with an introduction and overview of the key concepts and issues associated with the identification and use of EBPs in criminal justice. The briefing provides a brief history of the evidence-based movement, discusses what is meant by evidence and where evidence comes from, identifies sources for information on EBPs, discusses issues associated with implementing EBPs, and addresses the question of what to do when there is no evidence for a particular program or practice.
Implementing Evidence-Based Practices
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2014-12) Przybylski, Roger
This briefing deals with the critically important issue of program implementation. It describes key implementation challenges in the context of evidence-based programs and presents research- based strategies that can be used to facilitate sound implementation in real-world settings. It is designed to help State Administrative Agencies (SAAs) and their grantees achieve positive pro- gramming outcomes and realize the full potential of the evidence-based programs they adopt.
Research Basics in SAKI [Sexual Assault Kit Initiative]: Developing Researcher-Practitioner Relationships
(Sexual Assult Kit Initiative, 2016) Campbell, Rebecca
This webinar provides tips on how to create researcher-practitioner partnerships on the topic of sexual assault reform, including the benefits of adding a research component to your community’s efforts to resolve untested SAKs [Sexual Assault Kits]; strategies for finding a research partner - such as a researcher, professional evaluator, or crime analyst - are also presented. [CVRL Note: This webinar is part of the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Toolkit. The webinar includes practical discussion of which steps to take to start a partnership, assessment, or evaluation; addresses concerns and considerations about research with victim populations; discusses local benefits like improved data collection and national benefits like empirical data and data from different contexts. "What" section includes potential research or data collection topics/goals.] (Author Abstract)
SAK [Sexual Assault Kit] Research: Broadening Our Research Scope
(Sexual Assult Kit Initiative, 2017) Valentine, Julie
This webinar shares information about two ongoing research studies on sexual assault kit submission rates and sexual assault case processing. The findings can be used to improve our understanding of sexual assault, identify victim vulnerabilities, and provide data for the development of prevention strategies. [CVRL Note: this webinar is part of the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Toolkit; the studies took place in Utah demonstration sites: study one linked data from sexual assault examination forms with state crime laboratory data on sexual assualt kit submissions and DNA analysis findings; study two evaluated the impact of sexual assault trauma-informed response training on law enforcement officers and detectives, to understand the experiences of adult crime victims who worked with law enforcement with trauma-informed training, and to test if trauma-informed training improved prosecution rates.] (Author Abstract)
Mapping Criminal Justice Data with ArcGIS
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2017-06-15) Groff, Elizabeth
This webinar is intended to enhance the abilities of those who are less familiar with ArcGIS, or those that could use a refresher. The webinar will introduce ArcGIS and then go through a step-by-step demonstration of how to map Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data.
Building Successful Victim Researcher and Practitioner Collaborations
(Center for Victim Research (CVR), 2018) Murray, Christine
This Center for Victim Research (CVR) tip sheet provides ten tips, or a "roadmap," for fostering collaboration between researchers studying victimization and professionals working directly with victims. The report also includes reasons that collaboration between the two groups is important, such as incorporating front-line knowledge about victims' needs and safety into research questions, improving data collection and analysis, and increasing understanding and credibility of research findings. See also CVR webinar by Dr. Christine Murray on this topic. (CVRL Abstract)
Practitioner Guide for Reviewing Outcome Evaluation Reports
(Center for Victim Research (CVR), 2018)
This handout supplements the Center for Victim Research webinar led by Stan Orchowsky, "Is This a Good Quality Outcome Evaluation Report?" and was adapted from the Justice Research and Statistics Association's guide for victim service providers on this topic. The worksheet can be used as a checklist to review outcome reports' sections and methods. (CVRL Abstract)
Contemporary Issues in Risk Assessment
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2018-02-22) Baldwin, Kevin
Risk assessment within criminal justice settings has recently been a topic of intense interest and scrutiny. Sensational headlines and in-depth investigations have highlighted concerns with the methods and outcomes associated with risk assessment, addressing issues such as the ubiquitous nature of Big Data to the potential impact of risk assessments on racial disparities and mass incarceration. This webinar will provide a comprehensive review of risk assessment in criminal justice settings. We will discuss the purposes and settings of risk assessment, how risk assessments are developed, the types of factors typically included, issues related to accuracy, and the different approaches to risk assessment. We will also spend time discussing how to communicate the results of risk assessments, including a recent proposal to standardize how we do so. We'll also focus on a number of recent controversies in this area, touching on issues of fairness, constitutionality, and bias. Finally, we'll provide a number of recommendations for the responsible development and use of risk assessments in criminal justice settings.
Survival Analysis: An Introduction
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2018-04-26) O'Connell, Daniel
Criminal Justice agencies are often interested in events that occur within specific time frames, or in how long it takes for an event to occur. A prime example is the length of time to recidivism among program participants, and whether the length of time is different for different groups, or whether factors like age, gender, or educational status impact the length of time to recidivate. This webinar will introduce attendees to Survival Analysis; a set of methods that are utilized when the outcome variable is a time measured event. This webinar examines the use of the Kaplan Meier survival function, which graphs survival curves for groups of subjects. More advanced techniques, specifically Cox proportional hazard regression models will be examined, which allow for the estimation of the effects of co-variates on survival time. This presentation is user friendly and focuses largely on how to conduct survival analyses. Presenter: Daniel O'Connell, Ph.D. Senior Scientist, Center for Drug and Health Studies and Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice University of Delaware Moderator: Erin Farley, Ph.D. Research Associate Justice Research and Statistics Association
Smart Suite Overview
(Amol Pavangadkar, 2018-06-18) Amol Pavangadkar
This video provides a brief overview of the Bureau of Justice Assistance Smart Suite Initiative.
Building a Foundation for Analytics
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2018-08-23) Lopez-Howard, Stefanie; Hogans, Joseph; Alam, Tasmia
How can we reduce the time and effort it takes to collect and integrate data from various components of the criminal justice system? What tools are available to help us communicate our analysis results to our stakeholders? Gathering and integrating data from multiple sources can often be the most laborious and time-consuming activity in SAC analysis. The tool you then use to present your analysis can be just as important and impactful as the analysis itself. In this webinar, we'll discuss how to identify and use tools to improve data integration and visualization activities. By the end of the webinar, you will understand the major components of a data management solution and best practices for visual analytics.
Qualitative Research Methods for Policy, Practice, and Research
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2018-09-20) Cotton Bronk, Kendall
How do incarcerated youth experience the criminal justice system? How do they make sense of their experiences in court? In youth detention facilities? In rehabilitation settings? To explore these kinds of questions, we need to use qualitative research methods. Qualitative research methods are an inductive form of research. They allow us to see the world through our participants' eyes, and they generate rich, detailed data. This webinar will provide an overview of the questions posed, the kinds of data collected, and analytic procedures employed in the course of conducting qualitative research methods. In addition, we'll discuss strategies for enhancing the validity of qualitative research findings.
Communicating and Disseminating Research Findings
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2019) Paul, Casey
This webinar provides an overview of how to communicate and disseminate research findings in a variety of ways to a variety of audiences. It focuses on identifying your audience and catering your research reports to that audience. It also explores the various mediums of disseminating research results as well as how to develop a dissemination plan. Learning objectives include: - Defining knowledge transfer, - Determining how to communicate findings by identifying the audience, - Distilling a message, and writing findings in an accessible way, and - Developing a dissemination plan.
Web Resources for Identifying Effective Criminal Justice Programs: What They Offer and How They Differ
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2020-06-25) Myrent, Mark
Researchers, program planners, and policymakers have access to a number of web-based resources that serve as a centralized source of information on what works in criminal and juvenile justice. These resources typically present information on the characteristics and effectiveness of various programs or practices along with a summary of the empirical evidence on their effectiveness drawn from evaluations or meta-analyses. While these resources are valuable tools for identifying not only what works, but also where additional research is needed, a considerable amount of variation exists in the nature, focus, and content of these resources, as well as the criteria and process they use to gauge program or practice effectiveness. These variations are important to know and understand if these resources are to be navigated and used effectively. This webinar is intended to help potential users better understand how several high-profile resources vary in their content and approach for determining what works, including CrimeSolutions.gov, the OJJDP Model Programs Guide, Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development, Campbell Collaboration Library of Systematic Reviews, and the Washington State Institute of Public Policy (WSIPP) Benefit-Cost Results Tables. The webinar explores the nature and content of each resource, as well as the methodologies and criteria each uses to identify what works.

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