Ripening States and ProjectsMonthly Updates:In November, the CSG Justice Center focused on following up on previous connections made at the National Summit to Advance States' Criminal Justice Priorities in December 2023. CSG Justice Center staff will continue to utilize the list of priority states to build out stakeholder engagement through the reminder of the year and into 2025. West Virginia:In November, CSG Justice Center staff visited Charleston from November 10-13 to attend interim committee meetings and to meet with key stakeholders, including the senate general counsel and chief counsel to the governor, to discuss and finalize the executive order to form a working group. There may be an appetite for the governor-elect to enact the executive order. A copy of the executive order has been sent to both the current governor and the governor-elect. CSG Justice Center staff continued to engage with stakeholders from behavioral health, courts, and reentry fields to build connections and share more about West Virginia's JRI project. During a meeting with the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to discuss West Virginia Day Report Centers (DRCs), CSG Justice Center staff learned that funding is determined by a governor-appointed committee and oversight and reporting is limited to the submission of a monthly progress report. CSG Justice Center staff also made progress on data management, continuing to review and clean the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) data. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DRC) provided prison data, and jail data is anticipated by the end of the year.JAC States and ProjectsMonthly Updates:North Carolina:In November, CSG Justice Center staff concluded the final analysis for both qualitative and quantitative data. CSG Justice Center staff developed a final presentation to be presented to North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NC DAC) staff in November. Nebraska:In November, CSG Justice Center staff facilitated virtual focus groups with individuals incarcerated in Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) facilities, seeking to collect insights on parole readiness and reentry experiences. Participants raised several significant issues, including inconsistent communication with reentry staff, undefined housing options, financial obstacles, and inadequate access to trauma-informed mental health care. The need for personalized programming, enhanced transitional housing solutions for women, and increased professionalism and fairness from parole officers and the parole board were also emphasized.Additionally, two virtual focus groups were conducted with clients currently on parole under NDCS Community Supervision Services (CSS). These discussions revealed challenges related to interactions with parole officers, particularly highlighting issues of unclear expectations and inconsistent communication, which often caused confusion regarding compliance. Participants reported unprofessional conduct, such as workplace disruptions that threatened their employment, and pointed out the absence of trauma-informed approaches within the supervision framework.Further, CSG Justice Center staff hosted a separate virtual focus group with CSS parole officers in rural Nebraska to evaluate the specific challenges they face in their roles. Key concerns included insufficient resources, transitional housing shortages, connectivity difficulties, and challenges related to supervision and assessments. Officers expressed the necessity for training tailored to regional needs, enhanced safety measures, and better support in connecting clients to necessary treatment and mental health services. Insights from these discussions, along with findings from August and September site visits, informed the ongoing development of recommendations aimed at addressing supervision assessment issues and improving overall reentry and community supervision outcomes.CSG Justice Center staff also worked on developing the final report, which will offer recommendations aimed at improving communication between the Nebraska Board of Parole (NBOP) and NDCS. Key aspects of the report include proposals to enhance training for NBOP regarding NDCS programs, the establishment of joint policies addressing special conditions such as electronic monitoring and transitional housing, and the formulation of clearer guidelines for parole plan recommendations.An extension for the project was requested and granted by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), ensuring the final report's completion by December 31, 2024.Hawaii:In November, CSG Justice Center staff worked on the final report summarizing the efforts of the HCR 23 Task Force, developed in collaboration with the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission (HCSOC), for submission to the Hawaii legislature. The report includes key data findings from two primary sources: the Hawaii Paroling Authority's published annual reports and administrative data from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Additionally, the report provides considerations and recommendations to guide the state of Hawaii in enhancing its correctional practices and aligning them with the objectives of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative. A project extension was requested an approved by BJA to complete the final report by November 31, 2024. The final report was sent to BJA for final approval on November 25, 2024. Further, CSG Justice Center staff maintained ongoing communication with all relevant stakeholders in Hawaii, Nebraska, and North Carolina to ensure transparency, collaboration, and successful implementation of the ongoing JAC project engagement. Attempts to continue engagement also continued in Colorado as CSG Justice Center staff await a response regarding the JAC proposal submitted in October.The team continued to call and email legislators and stakeholders to drive conversations around the JAC, including looking to understand the criminal justice system dynamics, the government/political dynamics, the landscape of advocates, and the interplay of the unique relationships of the stakeholders.
Please check the box next to the following questions if the answer is 'yes'.
Please enter the applicable Event Date if there is an Event associated with this TTA.
When entering an Event Date, the Time is also required.
If the TTA is targeted to a particular audience or location, please complete the questions below.
Milestones are an element, activity, work product, or key task associated with completing the TTA (e.g. kick-off meeting, collect data from stake holders, deliver initial data analysis).
Please complete the fields below, if applicable, to create a milestone for this TTA.
Please respond to the Performance Metrics below. The Performance Metrics questions are based on the TTA Type indicated in the General Information section of the TTA.
Please submit a signed letter of support from your agency’s executive or other senior staff member. The letter can be emailed to or uploaded with this request. The letter should be submitted on official letterhead and include the following information:
- General information regarding the request for TTA services, i.e., the who, what, where, when, and why.
- The organizational and/or community needs specific to the request for TTA services.
- The benefits or anticipated outcomes from the receipt of TTA services.
By submitting this application to BJA NTTAC, I understand that upon approval of this application for TTA, the requestor agrees to keep BJA NTTAC informed of any circumstances that may impact the delivery of the TTA, including changes in the date of the event, event cancellation, or difficulties communicating with the assigned TTA provider.
Please call [site:phone] if you need further assistance completing this application.