Understanding the System: Creating Impact in Wisconsin’s Criminal Justice System
Situation: Criminal justice costs consume considerable state and county resources. Criminal justice professionals have few opportunities to interact, share best practices, and develop solutions that create greater efficiencies and effectiveness. In addition, there are multiple professional and societal perspectives related to root causes of, and responses to, prevention, incarceration, recidivism and after-care. Given the complexity of the issue it is difficult, when operating in isolation, for professionals, agencies, and UW-College – UW-Extension educators to create sustainable impact in this critical area of statewide concern. However, when accessing the process, content and technical expertise of partners and UW-Extension and UW-College educators, there is greater synergy, leverage, and impact to affect and sustain change within this critical area of community and family life. .Inputs / Outputs
Activities Participation / Outcomes – Impact
Short Term Medium Term Long Term
What we invest:
- Resources for surveys, staff, online resources, workshops and community forums
- Substantial In-kind resources from Criminal Justice and Systems Thinking Team members and numerous professional and academic partners.
- Promotion by our partners to increase participation and feedback on projects,
- Promotion by our partners to seek further financial and in-kind resources.
- County and college educator assistance. / What we do:
- Research state and county criminal justice needs and resources
- Convene criminal justice agencies and professionals to participate in the design of an electronic “criminal justice portal”
- Design and deliver dialogue and deliberation forums for professionals
- Design and deliver public awareness materials and events, including televised media / Who we reach:
- UW- Extension educators representing all four program areas
- Criminal justice professionals and related agencies and nonprofits
- UW System academic resources
- County decision and policy makers
- Interested viewers and readers of public awareness materials
- Communities interested in pursuing change in this critical area / What the short term results are:
- UW-Extension and UW-College educators will have an increased understanding of Wisconsin’s criminal justice system and its educational needs
- Criminal justice professionals will have increased awareness of resources and best practices
- Increased public awareness of criminal justice issues and perspectives / What the medium term results are:
- UW-Extension and UW-College educators will design appropriate educational responses based on a thorough criminal justice needs assessment
- Greater awareness of resources will lead to increased utilization of best practices, professional collaborations, and structural policy changes
- Public awareness will lead to a demand for systemic solutions / That the ultimate results are:
- Greater fiscal efficiencies for the state and counties
- Increased collaboration between criminal justice professionals, related agencies, and educators
- Reduction in rates of recidivism, and incarceration
- Legislative policy changes
- Focus and reallocation of resources based on best practices and on gaps
- A living online resource that is used to share knowledge, innovation, impacts
ASSUMPTIONS: EXTERNAL FACTORS:
EVALUATION: Participating counties, criminal justice professionals, and related agencies will report that they 1.) Participated in a needs assessment that actively engaged them, 2.) Were involved in the design of an appropriate and useful electronic portal, 3.) Contributed to the collection of resources and best practices, 4.) Increased their personal and organizational efficiencies and effectiveness by accessing and utilizing resources and best practices, 5.) Participated in effective dialogue and deliberation forums and workshops that led to the development of new collaborations and/or strategies, and 6.) Participated in design and delivery of public education and awareness events and materials..