NCJ Number
206149
Date Published
2004
Length
103 pages
Annotation
This report, presented by the Massachusetts Governor’s Commission on Criminal Justice Innovation, makes recommendations on key criminal justice innovations in the areas of urban crime control, reentry and post-release supervision, forensic technology, cross-agency information sharing, and criminal justice education and training.
Abstract
In 2003, the Governor’s Commission on Criminal Justice Innovation was created to advise the Governor of Massachusetts on cutting-edge crime fighting techniques that may enhance the safety of the citizenry. The Commission conferred with leaders from the Federal, State, and local criminal justice agencies, as well as representatives of human services, community and religious groups, and experts in the field of prisoner reentry, forensic sciences, and information technology. Five subcommittees addressed topics that make up the main sections of this report: Urban Crime Strategies, Re-Entry and Post-Release Supervision, Forensic Technology, Cross-Agency Information Sharing, and Criminal Justice Education and Training. In each section, the current system in Massachusetts is reviewed; problems, shortfalls, and gaps are identified; best practices are described; and recommendations for improvement are offered. In terms of urban crime, research indicates that small numbers of chronic offenders are responsible for a large percentage of violent crime. Research has established that employing extra police in high crime areas can be an effective strategy to reduce urban crime rates. Recommendations extended for urban crime strategies include statewide community-oriented policing and crime analysis standards and partnerships between criminal justice agencies and human service agencies to intervene with at-risk youth. Reentry and post-release supervision recommendations include the adoption of mandatory post-release supervision, a standardized offender assessment process, and an increase in job training. Recommendations for the use of forensic technology include the creation of a Forensic Sciences Advisory Board and an increase in personnel capacity for forensic analysis. Cross-agency information sharing recommendations involve the establishment of a governance structure to oversee the development and implementation of an integrated criminal justice information system and the creation of uniform criminal justice data privacy guidelines. In the area of criminal justice training and information, recommendations are to conduct a skills assessment, evaluate current training offerings, and establish a minimum entry-level requirement of an associate’s degree for all police applicants. A plan is presented for the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations that includes the responsible branch of government and the anticipated time to implement the strategy. Table