Smart Suite Partner Resources

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11990/10093

This collection contains non-Smart Suite Academy resources produced by Smart Suite Academy partners, including reports, webinars, and other items.

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 27

Adult felony arrest and papering rate analysis (2019-2022)
(District of Columbia Sentencing Commission, 2023) District of Columbia Sentencing Commission
This Issue Paper examines felony arrest and prosecution trends in the District of Columbia between 2019 and 2022, by geographic location. During this timeframe, the Commission received data from a total of 21,725 adult felony arrests. Prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USAO) or the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia (OAG) initiated court cases in D.C. Superior Court in 62% of those arrests (when prosecutors initiate a case, the case is often referred being “papered”). The remaining 38% of arrests were “no papered” meaning that the prosecuting authority (USAO or OAG) elected not to immediately file charges in Superior Court related to the arrest. The analysis presented in the Issue Paper will explore the arrest, papering, and conviction rates within each of the eight District of Columbia neighborhood Wards and will also examine these trends for the most frequently charged (at the arrest level) non-Drug offenses. [Author Introduction]
Qualitative research to inform criminal justice policy and practice part two
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 44738) Brownstein, Henry H.
This two-part webinar series features Dr. Henry H. Brownstein and focuses on the use of qualitative research to inform criminal justice policy. Dr. Brownstein is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University. Part 2: Qualitative Methods to Inform Criminal Justice Policy and Practice To contribute to public policy and practice, researchers must participate in what can be called a marketplace of claims where they compete and collaborate with advocates representing a variety of interests, politicians, government officials, practitioners, and even other researchers. This session will include a presentation and discussion of how qualitative research can inform criminal justice policy and practice. Examples will be presented from earlier qualitative studies that have provided information to policymakers and practitioners.
Qualitative research to inform criminal justice policy and practice - Part one
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 44761) Brownstein, Henry H.
This is the first of a two-part webinar series featuring Dr. Henry H. Brownstein, which focuses on the use of qualitative research to inform criminal justice policy. Dr. Brownstein is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University. Session 1: Qualitative Methods for Social Research Social research is intended to help us to conceptualize and analyze our experience of social life so that we can describe, understand, and explain it as it is presented to us in a form that we recognize as empirical reality. Whereas quantitative methods attend to social phenomena as objects that can be measured and emphasize experimentation to eliminate plausible explanations, qualitative studies attend to social phenomena as subjects and emphasize methods that seek meaning in symbolic representations including, for example, words and images. This session will include a presentation and discussion of qualitative methods as an appropriate approach to research considering the historical and theoretical foundation of qualitative research; when and why they are appropriate; specific methods for sampling, data collection, and analysis; and the challenge of validity.
Data for operations I: Program development and performance measurement
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 6/8/2021) Lopez-Howard, Stefanie; Soares, Rafael; Jones, Taylor
This presentation was part of the Justice Research and Statistics Association's Spring Virtual Research Gathering hosted online in June 2021. The presentation by Georgia Statistical Analysis Center staff and the executive director of the Council of Accountability Court Judges describes the development of a funding formula for accountability (problem-solving courts) in Georgia.
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.
Qualitative research methods for policy, practice, and research
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 9/20/2018) 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.
Web resources for identifying effective criminal justice programs: What they offer and how they differ
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 44007) 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.
Building a foundation for analytics
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 8/23/2018) 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.
Survival analysis: An introduction
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 43216) 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
Contemporary issues in risk assessment
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 43153) 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.
Mapping criminal justice data with ArcGIS
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 42901) 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.
JRSA's fall virtual research gathering communicating research results to stakeholders day two
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 44532)
For the second day of the JRSA Fall 2021 Virtual Gathering. winners of the Douglas Yearwood Publication Contest discussed their research. This award recognizes outstanding efforts that inform justice policy. For 2021, the winners were: Statistical/Management Reports in this category present statistical data that identify and describe one or more justice-related issues. This type of report usually includes tables and graphs, with some text that explains and summarizes the data depicted. No Award Given in the Small SAC Category District of Columbia Statistical Analysis Center A Study of the Root Causes of Juvenile Justice System Involvement Kaitlyn Sill, PhD (Large SAC) Research/Policy Analysis Reports in this category pose one or more specific research or evaluation questions and typically employ a specific research design to address the issues raised. They usually involve the collection and analysis of data (either quantitative or qualitative), summarize findings, and offer conclusions and recommendations. Utah Statistical Analysis Center Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) Update, Annual Report to the Legislature – November Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (Small SAC) Illinois Statistical Analysis Center A Preliminary Look at Illinois Arrest Trends During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 Jessica Reichert and Sharyn Adams (Large SAC) Also included at the end of the webinar are updates from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and from JRSA.
JRSA's fall virtual research gathering - Communicating research results to stakeholders day one
(Justice Research and Statistics Association, 44531) Bogenschneider, Karen; Blomberg, Thomas G.
Session 1: Engaging Policymakers: Best Practices from Those Who Study It and Do it Across her career, Professor Karen Bogenschneider has worked with dozens of researchers who are policy-minded and dozens of policymakers who are research-minded. Most recently, she headed up a study that interviewed 225 state policymakers about their research use. Based on her studies and experience, she will discuss the policies and places and people that can frustrate or facilitate research use. She will cover several best practices that researchers can learn to engage policymakers with more surety and success. Session 2: Translational Criminology and Politics This session with Thomas G. Blomberg, Ph.D. will trace the evolution in criminology and criminal justice research to the current translational criminology movement, including the rise of the Making a Difference Movement through evidence-based criminal justice policies and practices. The session will focus on Researcher-Policymaker-Practitioner Partnerships and “Champions” in successfully translating research into evidence-based criminal justice policies and practices.
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.
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.
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.

Browse

Recent Submissions