The Role of Research in Triggering Policy Changes to Combat Inequality

• In Event: Defining, Measuring, and Initiating Progress Toward Greater Equality in Justice and Beyond

Abstract

The Equality Indicators were designed to serve as a guide for policy development and implementation, and for assessing the effectiveness of different initiatives. Measuring specific inequalities, especially over time, gives a clear picture of just how disparate the opportunities and conditions of different people are; thus, it can serve as the basis for programmatic work within city governments, philanthropic organizations, policy think-tanks, communities, and academic institutions. If initiatives have been implemented to tackle specific inequalities, the extent to which they have succeeded in reducing these inequalities can be assessed; where improvements have not been achieved, initiatives can be revised or dropped accordingly. By showing where progress has stalled or where, instead, there has been regress, the Equality Indicators can also show where new initiatives are needed.

Current Equality Indicators policy work has taken on two forms: work with specific government agencies, and free-standing projects in which government and non-governmental partners can be solicited. We will describe how this work has unfolded and give examples of targeted work with the NYPD, MOCJ, and other agencies aimed at reducing Justice inequalities on specific indicators and topics. We will also describe a larger initiative currently underway, which could influence multiple domains.

Authors

• Jocelyn Pak Drummond, CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance

• Victoria Z. Lawson, CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance

• Besiki Luka Kutateladze, CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance

• Michael Jacobson, CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance