Analysis Area 1: Detail the impact and cost/benefit of Iowa Department of Corrections’ (IDOC) revocation-reduction efforts on public safety by determining how violations, revocations, and offending patterns by people on community supervision changed during the pandemic and estimating the impact of that change on public safety. The cost/benefit of the revocation-reduction efforts will be assessed by working with IDOC to estimate a cost of the revocation-reduction efforts in terms of staffing, caseloads, and other related costs, then balancing those costs against the impact on public safety.
Update: CSG Justice Center staff continued conversations with a contracted research consultant and IDOC research staff to verify our understanding of the data that were shared by IDOC as well as finalize our research plan and data analyses in anticipation of the final presentation of findings and recommendations in October. In several of these conversations, CSG Justice Center staff noted some unusual trends across several measures (e.g., a sudden drop in reports of violations for a given month). Because CSG Justice Center staff initially received the case-level sample from IDOC via two separate data queries, it appears that slightly different sample parameters may have been used for each. Thus, after combining both sets of data, CSG Justice Center staff noticed sharp declines in counts across several key variables around the time that the first sample ended and the second began. For this reason and through discussion with the IDOC research team, CSG Justice Center staff decided it would be best for IDOC to re-run one data query for the entire sample timeframe. Additionally, CSG Justice Center staff finalized several research analytic files used for descriptive statistics and regression analysis to explore the relationship between revocation-reduction efforts and public safety outcomes. These files were then used to analyze trends, comparing pre- and post-March 2020 rates, and ultimately create data visualizations for the final presentation.
CSG Justice Center staff also completed a draft of an interactive map that plots client risk and need along with resource availability across Iowa. Using data from a variety of sources, this map explores the spatial relationships of client risk/need (measured as the rate of people on supervision levels 4 or 5 by county), a county’s urban/rural classification, a county’s race and ethnicity demographics, as well as locations of both IDOC- and Department of Public Health-provided resource locations to better understand the spatial relationship between client demographics, client needs, and resource availability. Finally, CSG Justice Center staff continued adding to and maintaining an internal private website to compile descriptive findings, data visualizations, and pertinent notes on data interpretation, limitations, and next steps.
Analysis Area 2: Evaluate the implementation of recent IDOC efforts to reduce revocations; estimate their impact on community-based corrections officers’ ability to supervise effectively, case management activities, officer and supervisee needs, and utilization of community-based services and programs; and identify which efforts to keep (and which to adjust or modify).
Update: CSG Justice Center staff vetted and finalized recommendations with Iowa stakeholders in preparation for the final presentation. CSG Justice Center staff also finished drafting recommendation slides to include in the final presentation.
Analysis Area 3: Connect with criminal justice stakeholders (law enforcement, courts, community-based corrections, etc.) and review available data to better understand larger criminal justice responses and changes implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Update: CSG Justice Center staff have continued to connect with stakeholders to vet recommendations and received approval from BJA on the final presentation
Research Monthly Status:
CSG Justice Center staff continued conversations with a contracted research consultant and IDOC research staff to verify our understanding of the data that were shared by IDOC as well as finalize our research plan and data analyses in anticipation of the final presentation of findings and recommendations in October. CSG Justice Center staff also finalized several new research analytic files used for descriptive statistics and regression analysis to explore the relationship between revocation-reduction efforts and public safety outcomes based on updated data provided by IDOC. These files allow for analysis of trends through December 2021. CSG Justice Center staff also continued adding to and editing data visualizations and findings in the slide deck for the final presentation while also maintaining an internal private website to compile descriptive findings, data visualizations, and pertinent notes on data interpretation, limitations, and next steps.
Research Monthly Log:
CSG Justice Center staff finalized an interactive map that plots client risk and need along with resource availability across Iowa. Using data from a variety of sources, this map explores the spatial relationships of client risk/need (measured as the rate of people on supervision levels 4 or 5 by county), a county’s urban/rural classification, a county’s race/ethnicity demographics, as well as locations of both IDOC- and Department of Public Health-provided resource locations to better understand the spatial relationship between client demographics, client needs, and resource availability. CSG Justice Center staff will finalize this map once it is shared with IDOC staff and district directors for additional feedback. Finally, CSG Justice Center staff continued to build research findings into a larger narrative that pairs with the project’s qualitative work for the final presentation in October (for example, exploring the average time from offense to disposition, before and after March 2020, to better understand changes in court proceedings across the state).
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