Enhancing Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships During a Pilot Randomized Evaluation of a Pre-trial Justice Debt Relief Intervention

• In Event: Local Justice in Practice: How Poverty and Legal Debt Intersect with Justice System Programs and Practices

Abstract

There is increasing evidence that researcher-practitioner partnerships (RPPs) in applied research and evaluation improve the rigor of research and the translation of evidence into practice. These partnerships can be challenging to develop and maintain, however, particularly for complex, long-term field experiments. This study highlights the multifaceted efforts associated with creating, managing, and strengthening RPPs during a multi-year randomized evaluation of a pilot fine/fee-relief intervention in Philadelphia’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) diversion program, a statewide prosecutor-led adult pretrial diversion program. The pilot’s core intervention requires significant coordination among practitioners from multiple court-adjacent entities (e.g., administration, prosecution, defense, treatment and assessment, and community supervision), and screening, consenting, and enrolling study participants adds multiple layers of complexity. Drawing on select data from an in-progress process evaluation, we illustrate the ‘invisible’ work of the evaluation team and their practitioner partners for piloting this intervention. Specifically, we highlight notable challenges and resolutions, partnership benefits and obstacles, and the tangible impacts of these collaborations across multiple domains–including the fine/fee-relief intervention and associated program evaluation. The results lay important groundwork for understanding the practical realities of a focal RPP and provide guidance for others seeking to enhance RPPs in their applied research and evaluation.

Authors

• Clare Strange, Drexel University

• Jordan Hyatt, Drexel University

• Nathan W. Link, Rutgers University-Camden

• Kathleen M. Powell, Drexel University