SJI/Pew Partner Grant On Evidence-Based Practices To Reduce Recidivism

In June 2009, SJI approved a Phase II Partner Grant to continue supporting the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Public Safety Performance Project. The goal of the project is to promote fiscally sound, data-driven policies and practices on sentencing and corrections that protect the public safety, hold offenders accountable, and control correctional costs. The National Center for State Courts (NCSC), the Crime and Justice Institute (CJI), and the National Judicial College (NJC) are working together to provide technical assistance, education, and training to state courts in this vital area.

During Phase II, NCSC will: 1) continue educating and mobilizing chief justices and other state court leaders in support of sentencing and corrections reforms that align with the project’s goals and focus. This will help create a national visibility and awareness of the need for such reforms; 2) work with other sites to provide non-partisan research, analysis, training, and consulting services on evidence-based practices to court officials and community corrections executives – NCSC will make such information and services available to state courts and judges across the United States; 3) coordinate the work of a national working group on using risk and needs assessment information at sentencing; and 4) finalize and support the delivery of a model curriculum for state court judges on evidence-based practices to reduce recidivism.