Assistance program
Justice Reinvestment Initiative
$180.2 Million committed in FY2018–FY2026
- Agency
- Office of Justice Programs, Justice, Department of
- Assistance
- Project Grants
- CFDA number
- 16.827
- What it does
- Goal: Under the enacted appropriations language, the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI), helps states identify and respond to crime and other public safety problems, explore evidence-based or innovative and cost-saving strategies, and to invest in strategies that can decrease crime and reduce recidivism. Objective: The Justice Reinvestment Initiative currently funds several streams of work: 1) State-based JRI training and technical assistance supports states’ justice system stakeholders and policy leaders as they devise and implement data-driven approaches to reduce crime and recidivism, including operationalizing data results to reduce violent crime and supporting state and local agencies in their efforts to do the same. Under the JRI model, a governmental working group with bipartisan and inter-branch representation analyzes the crime, recidivism, and corrections data, and its associated costs, then develops cost-effective policy and practice options, and implements and measures those changes. 2) Site-based grant awards are made under the “Justice Reinvestment: Reducing Crime by Improving Justice System Performance†grant program, which allows eligible applicants to apply for funding to develop and implement innovative and research-based responses that address a range of criminal justice system problems. Successful applicants are expected to follow the five-step JRI process to meet their objectives: engage stakeholders; analyze data and the current landscape; develop a plan, procedures, and strategies; implement responses; and measure outcomes. 3. “Justice Counts†is a JRI-funded program that provides resources and support to state and local criminal justice agencies to bolster the use of data in policymaking and operational decision-making. The program employs a collaborative approach to develop consensus-driven metrics, a web-based platform for agencies to share their data in line with those metrics, and other associated tools and resources. 4. The Corrections Data Analysts program provides correctional agencies with much-needed analytical capacity and resources to enhance their ability to use data to drive decision-making. The program includes the development of national, virtual academies to facilitate the training and continuing educations of correctional data analysts as well as a resident corrections analysts program in which funded researchers and analysts will work closely with state correctional leaders to produce needed analyses. 5. “The Price of Justice: Rethinking the Consequences of Fines and Fees†program works in partnership with state, local, and tribal agencies to address the use of fines and fees and ensure they are being used in a constitutional and nondiscriminatory way. The purpose of this program is to address common barriers to creating a more equitable justice system by addressing how agencies use and apply fines and fees. Performance Measure 1: Number of jurisdictions that have received technical assistance through JRI; and, Performance Measure 2: Number of policies and practices developed through JRI that have been codified in statute or changed through administrative policy (e.g., regulations, adoption of certain policies, guidelines, or procedures).