JRI: Helping Law Enforcement Keep Communities Safe

• NCJ Number: 254855
• Date Published: October 2019
• Length: 8 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2015-ZB-BX-K001
• Agencies: BJA-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Technical Assistance); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description; Legislation/Policy Description; Case Study
• Award: Justice Reinvestment Initiative: State-Level Technical Assistance

Annotation

After describing the model used by the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) to help local law enforcement agencies address public safety challenges, ease studies of the application of the JRI model to law enforcement are provided for Arkansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.

Abstract

The JRI was developed and is administered by the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) with support from The Pew Charitable Trusts. JRI provides technical assistance to states in 1) analyzing data and identifying key criminal justice challenges, including violent crime, substance use and mental health disorders, and high recidivism rates; 2) developing policies and practices; and 3) planning budgets accordingly to reduce crime and recidivism, improve responses to behavioral health challenges, and increase public safety. The case studies of the application of the JRI model to law enforcement issues in each of the eight states address law enforcement training needs, crime-fighting strategies, data system upgrades, people experiencing behavioral health crises, and victim services.