Justice Reinvestment

The Urban Institute and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) have released a policy brief titled The Justice Reinvestment Initiative: Experiences from the Local Sites. The brief summarizes an interim assessment of the progress and activities of the 17 local sites currently engaged in justice reinvestment. The sites include counties in California, Oregon, Wisconsin, Colorado, Ohio, Texas, Kansas, Indiana, Florida, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

To help Georgia implement the policies contained in HB 1176, which contains many of the policies recommended to the legislature by the Georgia Special Council for Criminal Justice Reform. Technical assistance will begin with strategic planning to help the state and relevant agencies identify goals and priorities, and it will result in an implementation plan. By working with the state to develop an implementation plan, Vera will be able to facilitate Georgia’s application for seed funding from BJA to jumpstart some justice reinvestment policies.

On December 6, 2013, the JRI Steering Committee approved South Dakota’s application to participate in Phase II of JRI, following an assessment by Vera. Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed JRI legislation, SB 70, in February 2013. Vera is working with the Governor’s office to develop performance measures, create an implementation plan and provide implementation assistance to the Unified Judicial System, the Department of Corrections and the Department of Social Services.

To help South Carolina implement the policies contained in Omnibus Crime Reduction and Sentencing Reform Act of 2010 (S.1154). Technical assistance has begun with strategic planning to help the relevant agencies identify goals and priorities. Vera has worked with many state agencies to build a case (budget and plan) for the use of supplemental (pass-through) BJA funds. The technical assistance includes helping the state measure the fiscal, population and public safety impacts of the JRI policies.

Louisiana Sentencing Commission recommended a collection of bills that were passed by the Louisiana Legislature and signed by Governor Jindal in 2012. Vera will provide technical assistance by working with state stakeholders to develop an implementation plan, a performance measures dashboard, and proposal for BJA funding assistance. Technical assistance will also include monitoring these activities and addressing additional technical assistance needs as they arise.

To provide research, writing and data support to Delaware's Justice Reinvestment Task Force. The TA is designed to help the Task Force analyze key data, identify the drivers of the prison and corrections population, and to use that information to develop policy options to reduce cost and prison and corrections populations.