TTA Today Blog

Welcome to BJA NTTAC's TTA Today blog! TTA Today posts tell the story of training and technical assistance (TTA) engagements through individual perspectives, including those of DOJ and BJA leaders, staff, technical assistance providers, subject matter experts, community members, and other relevant stakeholders. These posts serve as an informal venue to share relevant updates or best practices from the criminal justice community, as well as to feature first-hand accounts of how TTA impacts state, local, and tribal communities across the nation.

Assessing and Expanding Reentry Services and Resources in Erie County, New York

August 30, 2018

Background

Since 2011, Erie County, New York has experienced a 15 percent decrease in total arrests, part of an overall reduction in violent crime arrest and sentencing rates. However, Erie County officials noticed that its reentry population – defined as adults returning from federal, state, and local correctional agencies – experienced a dramatic increase in parole revocations.

Incorporating Research and Data into Criminal Justice Operations and Decisionmaking in La Crosse County, Wisconsin

July 11, 2018

Background

In 2008, the National Institute of Corrections launched the Evidence-Based Decision Making (EBDM) initiative, offering an innovative method for state and local justice policymakers to better use data and research findings to guide decisionmaking across the criminal justice system. The EBDM approach emphasizes interagency collaboration and the development of jurisdictional research-driven decisions and programming to increase efficiency and enhance public safety.

The Police-Mental Health Collaboration Toolkit – A Resource for Designing and Implementing Customized Programs to Respond to Mental Health Calls

January 04, 2018

Background

Calls for service involving people with mental illness can be among the most time-consuming and complex types of calls for law enforcement agencies. Police officers are often the first responders to mental health calls, which may require more resources than other calls for service. These calls also necessitate increased awareness of the safety of both responders and people in crisis. To improve the outcomes of interactions between police and people with mental illness, many law enforcement agencies have adopted Police-Mental Health Collaboration (PMHC) programs, which are collaborative partnerships among law enforcement agencies, mental health providers, and community-based organizations.

Building Capacity and Developing Law Enforcement Leaders: Infusing Blue Courage® into the Nevada Highway Patrol

November 15, 2017

Background

Since 2012, Blue Courage, LLC has offered innovative leadership development training to all levels of law enforcement, encouraging integrity, courage, and character while meeting the demands of 21st century policing. The philosophy of Blue Courage motivates law enforcement officers to develop the right mindset and skillset to perform their duties in a manner that also safeguards their own health and wellbeing, such as building resilience and recommitting to the nobility of policing.

Bureau of Justice Assistance Training and Technical Assistance Services for Improving Violent Crime Investigations

October 11, 2017

Contributed by the National Public Safety Partnership Team, U.S. Department of Justice.

In 2015, the West Memphis, Arkansas Police Department (WMPD) began working with what is now known as the National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) to develop a violence reduction strategy.

Conducting Gang Assessments: Building Capacity to Address Gang-related Crime

September 13, 2017

In the National Gang Intelligence Center’s 2015 survey of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, more than half of respondents reported that street gang membership and gang-related crime had increased in their jurisdictions over the past two years. Faced with increases in gang-related incidents, many law enforcement agencies are seeking advanced, robust methods for identifying, investigating, and addressing the prevalence of gangs operating within certain geographic areas.

Best Practices to Improve Nonfatal Shooting Investigations in Utica, New York

August 10, 2017

By James Lah, Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator, Bureau of Justice Assistance, National Training and Technical Assistance Center

Det. John Skaggs runs a tight ship at the Los Angeles, California Police Department (LAPD) based on two principles: organization and hustle. Those principles built the foundation of his 30-year career with the LAPD, during which he served as the lead detective on 165 murder investigations and supervised an additional 250. Now nearing retirement, Det. Skaggs has teamed up with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) to share his extensive experience by delivering homicide investigation and violent crime reduction training across the country.

Using Data to Improve the Criminal Justice System – County-by-County

June 29, 2017

Background

The United States incarcerates more individuals per capita than any other country in the world. With an expansive justice system consisting of federal, state, and local bodies collecting different metrics and using different performance measurements, it is difficult to imagine a standardized process for collection and assessment of data, even though it would allow for improved identification of systemic justice issues and sentencing disparities. Without the ability to compare performance and identify trends at all levels of the system, injustices may become more prevalent and become accepted as the status quo.

Collaborating Across Local Government to Enhance Community and Human Services for the Supervised Offender Population

May 30, 2017

By Andrew Molloy, Jr., Director, Chesterfield County/City of Colonial Heights, Virginia Community Corrections Services

In January 2016, I began to explore where the Chesterfield County, Virginia, and Colonial Heights, Virginia, supervised offender population was living to determine if there were common areas where this group resided.

Designing an Improved Parole Decisionmaking Framework: Validation, Enhancement, and Incorporation of Rhode Island’s Parole Risk Assessment Tool and Policies

March 22, 2017

Background

Across the United States, criminal justice practitioners, policymakers, and researchers have recognized a growing need to improve statewide corrections systems and implement more judicious parole policies. The national trend in corrections and parole systems signals that different parole populations can experience varying rates of recidivism, affecting how risk information and guidelines are used to predict recidivism and inform parole release decisionmaking in violent and non-violent crime cases and in high, moderate, and low risk recidivism cases.

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