A Deeper Dive into Racial Disparities in Prosecutorial Outcomes
The purpose of this follow-on project was to dig deeper into two points of prosecutorial discretion—dismissals of filed cases and deferred judgments for defendants—to examine whether the characteristics of defendants or the reasons for the dismissal or deferred judgment differed by defendant race/ethnicity.
Colorado Prosecutorial Dashboards
This project aims to support prosecutors office across Colorado in using data to take proactive, engaged responses to community problems that de-emphasize the use of incarceration, reduce racial and ethnic disparities in justice outcomes, build greater trust through community engagement, and increase prosecutorial transparency and accountability.
Crossover Youth
Crossover youth are the young people with two types of court cases: (1) dependency and neglect and (2) juvenile justice. This project will connect child welfare and court system records to help meet federal reporting requirements and inform state policies and practices aimed at serving crossover youth.
Office of the Respondent Parents’ Counsel: Using Rigorous Evaluations to Inform Strategic Planning
The Colorado Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel (ORPC) provides legal advocacy services to indigent parents involved in child welfare proceedings. The project is evaluating the effectiveness of interdisciplinary teams. This project is also building the internal capacity of ORPC to routinely evaluate the effectiveness of representation models and use evaluation findings to inform strategic planning.
Reentry Systems Mapping Phase II
This project is an extension of the Reentry Systems Mapping project. Building on data and results from the first phase, Phase II examines ways to target reentry services to maximize program efficacy and reduce recidivism.
Racial Disparities and Prosecutorial Discretion
Prosecutors’ ability to exercise a wide degree of discretion has the potential to contribute to equitable—or inequitable—outcomes for defendants. This study analyzed felony cases accepted for prosecution by the Denver District Attorney’s Office to understand the presence and extent of racial and ethnic differences at four key points of prosecutorial discretion. Administrative data was supplemented with qualitative interviews to understand the factors that may be contributing to differences. Next steps will examine outcomes to better understand the context and decision-making processes associated with areas of disparities.
Reducing Recidivism for Justice-Involved Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
TBI, a serious public health issue, often reduces executive function and impulse control which can increase criminal behavior and make it more difficult to successfully complete probation or parole. Approximately 50% of incarcerated individuals have TBI. This project examined the impact of a screening program that offers training and support for probationers identified with a TBI-related cognitive impairment and the probation officers who supervise them.
Rapid Response for Youth Who Run Away from Home, A Pay for Success Project
Youth who run away from home are likely to be involved in the juvenile justice or child welfare systems within one year. This Pay for Success project examined the impact of “rapid responders” on connecting youth and families to evidence-based services that ultimately prevent deeper juvenile justice or child welfare involvement.
Reentry Systems Mapping
Each year, the state of Colorado releases about 9,600 people on parole, many of whom face pressing needs for housing, employment, education, health services, and other stabilization supports as they transition into the community. This project describes the range of available reentry services and provides an overview of the policies that shape them.