Estimating the Impacts of Proposed Criminal Legal System Strategies-

• In Event: Leveraging Data for Impact: Estimating the Effects of Proposed Reforms and Measuring and Addressing Racial Disparities

Abstract

This panel will provide guidance on how to estimate jail population impacts of criminal legal system (CLS) strategies using relevant local agency data sources, based on the approach CUNY ISLG pursued with Safety and Justice Challenge (SJC) sites. Estimating potential impacts prior to a policy change or implementing a new program is beneficial in several ways: testing assumptions of how impactful a policy or practice change will be and adjusting accordingly; setting realistic goals and impacts to maximize success; examining how projected impacts will either exacerbate or alleviate racial and ethnic disparities; and holding CLS stakeholders accountable in their efforts to reach the proposed impacts. In addition to describing the process for estimating impacts, this presentation will include specific examples to demonstrate how this works in practice. The goal of this presentation is to make available CUNY ISLG’s approach to estimating impacts, and in turn, the development of more realistic, equitable, and data-grounded decisions around policy and practice changes in the criminal legal system.

Authors

• Benjamin Estep, CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance

• Otgonjargal Okhidoi, CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance

• Alexis Peachey, Institute for State and Local Governance (ISLG)