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April 6, 2017

DearACJS and ASC Leadership,

We write as members of the board of the Crime and Justice Research Alliance (CJRA), an entity established by ASC and ACJS almost three years ago--the seeds of which were sown over the past decade with consistent organizational and financial support from the past 8 consecutive presidents and executive boards of ASC and ACJS. CJRA aims to promote criminology and criminal justice research that our members produce, emphasize the relevance of our respective associations in CJ policy development at the local, state, and federal levels, and make the case for federal funding and access to data in support of such research.

At current issue is the need for approval of our request to renew the contracts for CJRA’s two consultants, Tom Culligan of the Brimley Group ($40,000/year) and Caitlin Kizielewicz of KIZCOMM ($72,000/year), along with agreement to cover the estimated costs of media workshops and government relations activities such as congressional briefings (~$5,000, to be incurred only upon advanced CJRA board approval). The total requested funding commitment for 2017 from each association is therefore $58,500. Please note that this request reflects no increase from 2016, counter to the budget request that was submitted early this year.

We understand that your board membership changes annually, and write to explain the nature of our request for continued funding in support of the CJRA’s activities as well as to describe the history and activities of the CJRA and its consultants.

In 2009, ASC and ACJS began a partnership called the Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy Coalition (CCJPC) and the two organizations pooled resources to contract The Raben Group in Washington, DC, to assist in developing contacts with key legislators and staff involved in criminal justice policy development, and in disseminating evidence-based research. The CCJPC consisted of four members appointed by ASC and four members appointed by ACJS, and for several years it organized visits by ASC and ACJS members to DC to lobby legislators and their staffs as well as conduct several congressional briefings on issues related to policing and corrections.

In 2013 the CCJPC was renamed the Joint Oversight Committee (JOC), and received a new charge from ASC and ACJS to develop a more formal and permanent mechanism to represent the interests of ASC and ACJS in the policy arena. Like the CCJPC before it, the JOC included four members appointed by ASC and four members appointed by ACJS, and expenses were shared equally by the two organizations. With the blessing of both organizations, the members of the JOC worked to conceive and design what we now call the Crime & Justice Research Alliance.

CJRA was established as an equal partnership between ACJS and ASC, and was formalized in 2014 through the agreement that each association would contribute an equal share towards a new government relations consultant (Brimley Group) as well as development of the Alliance’s website (by FP1 Strategies). In 2015, both organizations shared the costs of $40,000 to the Brimley Group and $4,900 for the website development plus a monthly maintenance ($100/month).

Also in 2015, the ASC board dedicated resources to hire a media relations consultant. While the original plan was to retain a consultant to serve ASC membership alone, the CJRA board recommended that it would make more sense for the consultant to represent the Alliance. We believed it would be most impactful for the two associations to have a single brand in the form of CJRA, and ASC agreed to that approach.

Through a competitive process by which four finalists were vetted by a panel of three CJRA board members along with Ted Gest, Caitlin Kizielewicz, of KIZCOMM, Inc., was hired as of November 1, 2015 as the CJRA media/communications consultant. In 2016, the ACJS board agreed to fund half of the cost of Caitlin’s consulting agreement, at $36,000 (with an annual contract of $72,000).

In her relatively short tenure, Caitlin has a made a considerable mark on the work and impact of the CJRA. She has proactively made over 500 contacts with members of the media on behalf of CJRA; secured close to 300 media placements for ASC and ACJS members; maintained and developed CJRA’s Twitter account; drafted summaries of research and experts to be added to the CJRA website; launched a dozen media campaigns to promote research articles; created a monthly CJRA newsletter; and currently maintains and updates the CJRA website.

The research articles Caitlin promotes come from both associations’ flagship journals: Criminology & Public Policy, Justice Quarterly, and Criminology. Caitlin has coordinated with the editors and publishers of these journals to promote policy-relevant research via press releases, media outreach, and social media dissemination efforts.

Caitlin and Tom Culligan, the Brimley Group representative, work in close partnership to elevate the CJRA and our associations’ knowledge, expertise, and interests. In addition, Tom conducts regular outreach to congressional staff, with a focus on appropriations and justice committees, drafts letters in support of research funding signed by the CJRA, and launched the Ask a Criminologist series of Hill briefings in partnership with the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA). (Please see the attached CJRA Frequently Asked Questions document outlining the composition and activities of the CJRA, the process for selecting CJRA experts, and a detailed itemization of CJRA consultants’ activities and accomplishments.)

We feel that these foundational accomplishments lay a strong groundwork, but to continue to grow CJRA’s recognition and reach among both policymakers and the general public, it is critical that we maintain our efforts in both media and government relations activities moving forward. Full support of these activities from both ACJS and ASC is essential to the ongoing success of the Alliance and the impact we seek in elevating research and evidence in the crime and justice arena and promoting sufficient funding for future research in this space. Indeed, the efforts of CJRA and our consultants could not be more critical given the absence of evidence that has entered the political discourse leading up to and following the November 2016 election and the threats to federal funding for research under the new administration.

We respectfully request that both boards continue support of this important work by voting in favor of renewing both of our consultants’ contracts. We welcome any questions you may have and would invite you to engage with us as a board and/or with individual board members to seek clarification or greater detail.

Sincerely,

Crime and Justice Research Alliance Board

Nancy La Vigne (), Chair (ASC)

Paul Elam (ACJS)

Natasha Frost (ASC)

Marlyn Jones (ACJS)

David Myers (ACJS)

Rick Rosenfeld () (ASC)

Christy Visher () (ASC)

Peter Wood () (ACJS)

John Worrall () (ACJS)

About the Crime and Justice Research Alliance (CJRA): Frequently Asked Questions

How and why did CJRA get established?

In 2009, ASC and ACJS began a partnership called the Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy Coalition (CCJPC) and the two organizations pooled resources to contract The Raben Group in Washington, DC, to develop contacts with key legislators and staff involved in criminal justice policy development, and to disseminate evidence-based research. The CCJPC consisted of four members appointed by ASC and four members appointed by ACJS, and for several years it organized visits by ASC and ACJS members to DC to lobby legislators and their staff as well as conduct congressional briefings on issues related to policing and corrections.

In 2013 the CCJPC was renamed the Joint Oversight Committee (JOC), and received a new charge from ASC and ACJS to develop a more formal and permanent mechanism to represent the interests of ASC and ACJS in the policy arena. Like the CCJPC before it, the JOC included four members appointed by ASC and four members appointed by ACJS, and expenses were shared equally by the two organizations. With the blessing of both organizations, the members of the JOC worked to conceive and design what we now call the Crime & Justice Research Alliance.

CJRA’s new identity was formalized in 2015, upon selection of Tom Culligan of the Brimley Group to fulfill the government relations role, replacing The Raben Group. Public-facing documents on CJRA state that the Alliance “…communicates with the criminal justice research and academic communities about legislative, appropriations and policy developments in Washington, DC” and “…assists policymakers across the political spectrum by summarizing published scholarly articles and identifying expert witnesses to speak to Committees, Members of Congress and Justice Department officials.” Importantly, CJRA presents itself as a non-partisan entity and strives to be a resource to both political parties.

Also in 2015, the ASC executive board recognized that to be impactful in advocating for and elevating our research, a robust communications strategy was needed to complement the government relations activities. ASC therefore funded, and ACJS later contributed equally to, the retention of a media relations consultant. The consultant, Caitlin Kizielewicz of KIZCOMM, was hired through a competitive process conducted by members of the CJRA board.

Shortly thereafter, the CJRA website was established as a centralized resource of authoritative experts and scholarly studies created to provide policymakers, practitioners and the public direct access to relevant research on crime and

criminal justice issues. Its purpose is to establish and promote CJRA’s identity and the field of criminology by providing “…objective research to inform legislators in criminal justice policy and appropriation decisions as well as reporters covering criminal justice topics in the news.”

What is the composition of the CJRA board?

The CJRA is governed by a board consisting of four appointees from each of the two associations, ACJS and ASC. Each appointee serves a three-year term and the chair and vice chair alternate between an ASC and an ACJS appointee. Recently both associations have sought to appoint CJRA board members who serve other leadership roles, such as treasurer and policy committee member, to enhance communications with and understanding of CJRA and bring that information back to the association leadership.

The chair of CJRA convenes monthly board meetings and supplemental ad hoc meetings as needed; sets overall vision and direction of the Alliance with input from board members; directs and supervises the consultants; reviews and nominates experts to be featured on the website; makes recommendations on research to be highlighted in proactive media pitches; and reviews and approves invoices for payment.

Who are the current and past CJRA board members?

The board consists of eight members, four appointed by each association. Current board members are:

Nancy La Vigne (), Chair (ASC)

Paul Elam (ACJS)

Natasha Frost (ASC)

Marlyn Jones (ACJS)

David Myers (ACJS)

Rick Rosenfeld () (ASC)

Christy Visher () (ASC)

Peter Wood () (ACJS)

John Worrall () (ACJS) (ex-officio)

Past board members:

Daniel Mears () (ACJS) (term ended in March 2016)

Joycelyn Pollock () (ACJS) (term ended in March 2016)

Ed Maguire (), Vice Chair (ACJS) (term ended in March 2017)

L. Edward Day () (ACJS) (term ended March 2017)

Laura Dugan () (ASC) (term ended November 2016)

Charles Wellford ( ) (ASC) (stepped down in November, 2015; replaced by N. La Vigne)

What has the CJRA accomplished?

The activities of the CJRA are centered around elevating the research knowledge of ACJS and ASC members, building awareness on the part of both the media and congressional staff that the academy serves as a resource for facts and evidence, and using that awareness to inform policy and build support for federal funding and access to data.

The CJRA is heavily reliant on the media and government relations consultants, as well as on the web presence, which we view as instrumental in affording us both the credibility and access needed to be impactful. The CJRA website is organized around main topic areas, featured experts, and recent news quoting criminologists. It supports both the media relations and government relations functions of CJRA.

Government Relations

It is a key aim of the Alliance to inform policymakers of relevant research and to advocate for sustained or improved levels of federal funding. Tom Culligan of the Brimley group has served as our government relations consultant since 2015 and has provided his ongoing support and expertise to further the aims of the Alliance. Last spring, we launched the ‘Ask a Criminologist’ Series on Capitol Hill with experts and members of the media. Our board members wrote a letter to the House and Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee in support of increased research funding, resulting in a $7M increase for BJS and $4M increase for NIJ.

Government Relations Accomplishments

  • Launched successful “Ask a Criminologist” briefings on Capitol Hill in 2016, which drew a crowd of over 120 Congressional staff, DOJ officials, and other stakeholder organizations; planning underway for 2017 briefing
  • Led lobbying effort to restore direct funding for BJS and NIJ in FY 2016 Appropriations process when House proposed eliminating, and successfully secured direct appropriations for the agencies in the final bill
  • Had meetings with NIJ leadership on funding needs in both 2016 and 2017
  • Lobbied for funding increases for BJS and NIJ, which led to the House providing an $11 million increase for these agencies in its FY 2017 Appropriations bill - the first significant funding increase in years
  • Prepared four letters to appropriators that the CJRA Board has signed and sent to Congress in support of justice research funding priorities
  • Provided timely updates to the CJRA Board on new developments with the Administration and Congress on justice authorization and appropriations legislation and policies
  • Wrote monthly Washington Updates for Criminologist and CJRA newsletter
  • Provided updated contact information for government newsletter recipients, significantly growing our outreach and open rates
  • Worked closely with COSSA to provide inputs to their justice research policy priorities

Media and Communications

One of the primary goals of CJRA has been to ensure that evidence and expertise generated by criminologists serves as the leading resource for the media. Since she joined the Alliance in November 2015, our communications consultant, Caitlin Kizielewicz of KIZCOMM, LLC, has worked with the board on numerous efforts that have successfully enhanced and elevated the academy to the media and the public. The Alliance has secured nearly 300 interview opportunities with national media outlets and local media outlets and has established ongoing relationships with a deep bench of reporters covering crime and justice topics. In February 2016, Caitlin created and began to distribute a monthly CJRA newsletter. She has also established social media channels with more than 1,400 followers. Additionally, she launched a dozen research campaigns featuring academic journal articles. At the ASC annual meeting in November 2016, CJRA hosted a media training led by Caitlin to help engage researchers gain necessary knowledge on how to work successfully with the media. She hosted a similar training at the ACJS annual meeting in Kansas City, which received strong ratings from participants.

Media Relations Accomplishments

  • Created an expert directory of nearly 120 experts(a few active/pending invitations)
  • Secured a list of more than 50 reporters, who request monthly research updates from CJRA
  • Secured more than 285 interview opportunities for CJRA experts
  • Secured more than 285 media placements
  • Facilitated 8 deskside briefings with the Chair of CJRA and targeted reporters in Washington, DC
  • Launched 12 research campaigns – resulting in an average of 15 earned media placements per campaign
  • Created a social media presence with more than 1,400 followers
  • Distributed a monthly newsletter to more than 1,200 contacts – securing an average open rate of 39%
  • Formed relationships with three academic journals and publishers to create streamlined publicity efforts
  • Created a user-friendly website to serve as the go-to source for authoritative experts and relevant research on crime and criminal justice topics
  • Developed abstracts and key findings for 25 research articles

What is the selection process for CJRA experts?

One question we repeatedly field from members of both associations is how one becomes a CJRA expert. This is a very good question and the answer is complicated, as the selection process has evolved over time.

Initially, in order to make the website look credible and populated at the time of its launch two years ago, we invited experts who were listed as “policy experts” on both the ASC and ACJS websites to be featured as experts. CJRA board members then nominated experts to fill the gaps in certain topics and help create a more robust directory. Because a key function of CJRA is promoting research from the ASC and ACJS flagship journals (Criminology and Public Policy and Justice Quarterly), we also invited lead authors of the research promoted by CJRA to join the expert directory. In addition, CJRA board members determined that the Chair of CJRA had the prerogative to invite experts to ensure diversity across a wide array of metrics.

More recently, ASC worked with its division chairs to identify and nominate additional experts for the directory, and CJRA invited all of the then current ACJS policy experts to join the expert directory. For all invited experts, the CJRA media consultant creates an expert invitation form to secure the information needed for the website; in some cases if repeated attempts to secure this information are unmet the invited expert is not featured.

We should note that early on in the life of CJRA, board members sought to develop a clear and transparent selection process for CJRA experts. A subcommittee was formed for this purpose, deliberated, and returned at an impasse. The challenge of developing a CJRA expert vetting process was complicated by the fact that ACJS was in the midst of developing its own process to identify policy experts to be feature on its website, and that took many months. In the interim, we resorted to the processes described above. In addition, as awareness of CJRA and our efforts grows, we are increasingly met with requests from individuals aspiring to be experts. CJRA board members therefore determined all incoming requests to become a CJRA expert would be notified of the “invitation only” policy.