Student’s Name: Lauren Williams

Turning the Curve Assignment: Five Steps to Turn the Curve

EMBED Excel.Chart.8 s

Grade: This 100 point assignment is worth 20% of your grade. This assignment is due on Thursday, March 5th.

Instructions: Select a critical issue in corrections (e.g., recidivism rates, incarceration rates, elderly inmate population, female inmate incarceration rates, minority inmate population rate, the use of the death penalty, the use of private prisons, prison rape, prison violence, contraband detection, security threat groups, recruitment and retention of prison staff, prison overcrowding, drug sentencing, etc.) that requires improvement. Once you have identified an issue, complete the following steps:

Step 1:  Graph the measure you have chosen including a history and a forecast of where you think this measure is going if you do nothing differently.  [You can either create a chart based upon actual data or you can copy and paste an actual graph from a reliable source. Make sure that you cite the source.]

Insert Graph:

Refrence:

Wagner, P., & Rabuy, B. (2017, March 14). Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2017. Retrieved November 06, 2017, from HYPERLINK “https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2017.html” https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2017.html

Step 2:  Analyze the “story behind the data”. This involves analyzing the factors that contribute to the data history and forecast.  It is a very important step that is often ignored in other accountability structures.  This is similar to a diagnosis from a doctor prior to treatment.  It is important to dig deep as you look at the data to identify root causes that underlie the status of conditions in your community and/or organization. [Please make sure that you cite relevant sources.]

Provide Summary:

Graph shows that there are approximately 2.3 million people locked up in what may be a federal prison, state Prison, local jail, immigrant detention center military prisons, immigration detention facilities, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals all within the United States. Some may be awaiting trial for that extends from drug charges, violent and/or non-violent charges. Also accumulated are many that are already convicted and sentenced.

Step 3:  Identify existing and new partners who have a role to play in improving the data. Whether you are addressing changes within an organization or on a broader community level, partners are critical to ensuring success.  Think of the key partners that can help you to address the most vexing factors in order to make lasting improvements.  Determine the specific actions that partners can take to help you address “turning the curve”.

Identify Partners:

Existing Partners:

The existing government policies that have been passed such as mandatory minimum sentencing policies. The over criminalization of drug use such as when Nixon executed the War on Drug era or Clinton who implemented the Federal Crime bill. The police, prosecutors, and judges who punish people severely for simple misdemeanor non-violent drug offenses.

New Partners:

Electing new government officials such as newly aged members in both bodies of the U.S. Senates and U.S. House of Representatives that will decriminalize minor charges and hire newly developed police officers who don’t arrest you on excessive charges but in place give you a ticket.

Step 4:  Brainstorm what works to address the contributing factors and “turn the curve”? The RBA process is very concerned with developing new and innovative approaches to improving indicators and performance measures.  This can be accomplished by allowing for free-flowing brainstorming of what works to address the story behind the data and improve measures.  You have the freedom to suggest “off the wall” and outrageous ideas as well as researched best practices.  Also include at least one low-cost/no-cost idea.  Maintain focus on addressing the contributing factors.  When a sufficient amount of ideas is generated; focus on prioritizing the ideas for an action plan.  These priority ideas should have enough leverage to “turn the curve” of the specific measure you are addressing.  You also now must consider the feasibility and affordability of the ideas and the values of your community and organization.

Free-Flowing Brainstorming Ideas:

Help offenders and people in poverty find secure living-wage employment and job training

Lower bond prices get rid of cash bonds

Expanding community supervision

Lower plea bargains

Use public spending to invest in community-based drug treatment

Low-Cost/No-Cost Idea:

First time misdemeanors shouldn’t be provided prison time

Release those inmates on non-violent drug offenses in states where marijuana is legal or decriminalized

Stop proposing laws that seem hopeful but only have minimal effect

Prioritize Ideas:

Lower bond amounts

Fewer plea deals

Implement programs to decline recidivism rate

Reduce heavy conditions of probation and brutal consequences for technical violations

Step 5:  Develop and implement a comprehensive action plan. For real change to happen, the ideas generated in Step 4 must be made into specific, implementable strategies and actions.  Each action plan must identify the steps to complete; who will be responsible for completing them (i.e., partners that you have identified) and a timeline (i.e., How long will it take to implement?).  This process is meant to be iterative by continuously reviewing the change in the data and adapting the plan as needed.

Action Plan:

I will be elected Senate then create new laws and programs that will take place of the old ones which expanded the incarceration rate. The fundamental focal point of these new laws and programs I will create will be to decrease the jail population

Steps to complete:

1. Be elected and become a member of the US Senate

2. Hire more minority officers in the minority areas to enhance public safety

3. Pass a bill that will end all cash bonds throughout the US and

4. Get all of my state representatives to offer fewer plea deals on minor charges or first offense misdemeanors

5. Implement recidivism classes and job training for soon to be released inmates prepare them for the outside world

Who will complete:

The new US Senate and new government officials

Timeline:

2020- Lauren Williams is elected US Senate

2021- Reduce heavy conditions of probation and brutal consequences for technical violations

2022- Pass a bill that will get rid of all cash bonds around the US

2023- Add recidivism classes and job training in prisons

2024- Hire more minority officers in the minority areas to enhance public safety