Program areas at Justice Policy Institute
Maryland Justice Reform - JPI continued to provide research and policy support for justice reform initiatives to reduce Marylands reliance on prison and advance parole reforms. JPI published two reports Compassionate Release in Maryland: Medical and Geriatric Parole Examined and Where People in Prison Come From: The geography of Mass Incarceration in Maryland. JPI supported various coalitions to advance reform initiatives and building strategic partnerships and relationships to enhance justice reform work in Maryland. JPI also served as a fiscal sponsor for the Maryland Prisoner Rights Coalition as they worked on decarceration efforts in Maryland.
IRAA Implementation Support Support to District-wide efforts to build a comprehensive response to the needs of those released under the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act of 2016 (IRAA) and the Second Look Act of 2020, including providing coordination among funded legal services and reentry service providers.
Casey Deep End Reform and Crime Survivor Work - Engaged in communications and research technical assistance to help inform and provide support to the Foundations state-based deep end juvenile justice reform work, including research and analysis to examine community and crime survivor responses for youth charged with violence. JPI also provided communications technical assistance in partnership with the Foundation and the Georgetown University Center for Juvenile Justice Reform to the Public Information Officers Learning Collaborative.
Other JPI engaged in a variety of other juvenile and criminal justice reform program activities in support of its mission, including serving as a fiscal sponsor for More Than Our Crimes; conducting research and policy work to reduce the use of long prison terms; enhancing community responses to youth and young adults involved in violent crime; and conducting rapid response work around the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emerging Adult Justice Reform Work in Washington, DC JPI worked in coalition with partner organizations and advocates related to advancing implementation of the Emerging Adult Strategic Plan (18-to-24-year-olds) as required under the Amended Youth Rehabilitation Act of 2018. As part of this work JPI coordinated local advocates, criminal justice reform experts, and justice-system impact community members to help identify priority areas the District should focus on to enhance responses for justice involved emerging adults.
Stop Solitary for Kids Campaign A national campaign to end solitary confinement of youth in juvenile and adult facilities in the U.S. JPI was contracted to provide research and communications support to the campaign, including leading media strategy, managing social media, document publication, and assisting with creation and launch of the podcast Not in Isolation: Voices of Youth.
DC Criminal Code Reform Commission - JPI provided strategic communication support for the release of the Districts Criminal Code Reform Commissions recommendations and the introduction and passage of the corresponding legislation at the DC Council.