IPRTF authorizes three‑month Justice Project data work group

Task‑force members voted to authorize a Justice Project Data Coordination Work Group to coordinate fragmented justice and behavioral‑health datasets, establish shared definitions and priority indicators, and recommend phased implementation of a decision‑support model.

The motion, read aloud by a member, proposed a six‑meeting effort over approximately three months to align measures including jail bookings, average and pretrial length of stay, diversion and case resolution rates, connections to care following release, recidivism indicators and disaggregated equity metrics. It calls for coordination across existing committees and for limited consultant support while keeping public presentation and deliberation with work‑group members.

Members asked about the work‑group’s membership and how disparate legacy systems would be integrated. The mover and others said the work group would inventory what is technically possible and bring recommendations back to the IPRTF; the motion passed by raised‑hand vote with no recorded opposition. Conference‑room members Eric, Peter and Heather were recorded as voting in the affirmative when the room was polled.

Supporters said stabilizing definitions and dashboards is necessary to inform the near‑term choices on bed counts, program space and operating costs. Several members recommended including JPOP, the Racial Equity Commission and data owners in the work group and emphasized that HIPAA and CJIS constraints will shape what is feasible. The work group will return to IPRTF with a definition catalog, baseline coordinated measures and recommendations for phased implementation and governance.