NCJ Number
213407
Date Published
January 2002
Length
65 pages
Annotation
This is a guide for those planning to establish or strengthen a criminal justice coordinating committee (CJCC), which is an inclusive term applied to informal and formal committees that provide a forum where key justice system officials and other government officials can discuss justice system issues; the guide focuses on how a CJCC can alleviate jail crowding and achieve other system improvements.
Abstract
Section 1 of the guide examines the need for improved justice system coordination, as it discusses the connections between planning, analysis, and coordination; summarizes the benefits of local justice planning and coordination; and explores the context within which coordination must occur. Section 2 establishes a justice planning and coordination framework that is designed to provide a better understanding of the planning process as a discipline. Planning and coordination are described at three levels: the justice agency, the city/county, and the comprehensive interagency and intergovernmental level. The three types of planning described are policy, program, and operations. These types of planning are linked in a series of planning steps designed to improve justice system communication, cooperation, and coordination. Examples are provided to demonstrate the critical role of data collection and analysis. Section 3 describes coordination mechanisms that improve local justice system collaboration. The mechanisms show an increasingly more comprehensive coordination model in an evolution toward an ideal CJCC. Section 4 prescribes guidelines and principles for creating, staffing, evaluating, rejuvenating, and demonstrating the benefits of a CJCC. Examples are provided from local jurisdictions with advanced planning practices. Appendixes present a checklist for forming or rejuvenating a CJCC, list the jurisdictions mentioned in the guide and CJCC resources, and provide a sample charge for a criminal justice task force and bylaws for a CJCC.