Regional Priorities

During the 2009 National Forum conference attendees from each region met to discuss what they believed were the most pressing issues, concerns and priorities they faced as criminal justice decision-makers and practitioners. NCJA and others use the priorities developed in these sessions to guide their work throughout the course of the year. View a paper detailing the work NCJA did based on last year's priorities.

Following is a list of the top three issues each region identified for 2009. In in the coming weeks NCJA will draft paper exploring these priorities in greater detail. NCJA will post the paper here as well as distribute it to the membership and other interested parties.

Southern Region

1. Holistic approach to addressing criminal justice problems. This includes meaningful collaboration between systems (enterprise problem-solving), integrated research and evidence-based practices, data analysis, data driven decision making, strategic planning and justice reinvestment.
2. Recidivism reduction especially in conjunction with reentry. This includes transition help while offenders are still incarcerated and continued assistance upon exit and reentry back into the community. The broader concern covers RSAT and substance abuse treatment, mental health issues including access and initiatives, and the idea of redemption and giving ex-offenders a “real” second chance.
3. Budget cuts and crisis especially, state and local funding.  This includes finding ways to maintain and sustain proven programs along with having the necessary resources to implement needed programs. How are programs started with Recovery Act funds sustained; accountability and showing successful use of federal funds, and state and local funding for evidence-based practices. Finally, there is also concern about the tremendous cost of medical care in prisons.

Northeastern Region

1. Data-sharing. This includes availability, timeliness, gaps and technology.
2. Manpower utilization and funding
3. Inner city violence, guns and gangs

Western Region (top five due to ties)

1. Timely data collection and dissemination
2. Systemic approach to grant funding
3. Reentry and a lack of programming services
4. Identity theft
5. Mandates on Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (JAG). Congress uses penalties on Byrne JAG grants as an enforcement mechanism. For example, if states don’t comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) they risk losing 10% of their JAG funding. Rather than penalize states for non-compliance Congress should include incentives for compliance.

Midwestern Region

1. Recovery Act funding: complying with new/additional reporting requirements, training subgrantees, and sustaining the projects that will be funded.
2. Juvenile justice programs and funding: Need to ensure that evidence-based practices are implemented effectively, and that their value is communicated to the public and to elected officials.
3. Information sharing: Need more timely statistical data for analysis and getting ahead of emerging crime trends.