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 Phase I project. Building on data and results from Phase I, Phase II examines ways to target reentry services to maximize program efficacy and reduce recidivism.
Racial Disparities and Prosecutorial Discretion
Prosecutors play a central role in punishment outcomes and exercise a wide degree of discretion. They do so with little oversight as to the equity and fair treatment of defendants. Drawing on administrative data, case files, and interviews with prosecutors, this project investigates prosecutorial guidelines, evidentiary materials, and other case characteristics to identify the central pathways by which disparities occur.
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.