Reentry Data Capacity

The Improving Juvenile Reentry Programs’ Data Collection, Analysis and Reporting project was launched by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in 2018 to support agency efforts to build reentry data capacity based on research and best practices. PbS partnered with the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ), the developers of the Fundamental Measures, a comprehensive list of model measures, data elements and coding categories for the entire juvenile justice system from arrest through reentry. Together, PbS and NCJJ use their findings, research and experience to offer practical assistance to help agencies increase reentry data capacities.

This intensive technical assistance builds on PbS’ improvement planning model. Agencies begin by setting a vision for their reentry data capacity - what data will help identify factors in successful reentry? Next, an in-depth data capacity assessment is completed to identify strengths and gaps. Comparing that to the data identified by the PbS Reentry Standards and the NCJJ Model Data Project Fundamental Measures, agencies develop goals and action steps to improve their reentry data capacity. PbS and NCJJ meet with the agency team monthly to check in, offer feedback and help guide continued improvement.

Four sites were selected for intensive technical assistance in a competitive process:

• Connecticut Court Support Services Division
• Fulton County, GA, Juvenile Court
• Iowa Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning
• Travis County, TX, Juvenile Probation Department

The project is producing a series of webinars in 2022 that feature panels of professionals from different parts of the juvenile justice system such as judges, probation officers, data analysts, and more.