IJRD Amplifies its Impact

INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT AMPLIFIES ITS IMPACT

In 2021, the word the Institute for Justice Research and Development (IJRD) team focused on was “amplify,” particularly through the impact of its research. The institute set about expanding the reach of its data-driven solutions for criminal justice reform. It also sought to become a megaphone for the voices of people impacted by the criminal justice system. Since opening its doors in 2018, IJRD has used science to improve lives, communities and institutions through researching, developing and implementing innovations that reduce unnecessary reliance on the criminal justice system. The institute’s criminal justice reform solutions have helped provide greater equity and prosperity across race, socioeconomic class and behavioral health status. With experienced researchers and staff living in 10 different states, IJRD enjoys a unique position compared to other research institutions. These team members are able to conduct comprehensive examinations of regional criminal justice problems while also providing tailored, practical reform solutions directly to policymakers and administrators. The IJRD team also generates, delivers and researches a range of evidence-driven interventions, each tailored to help justice-involved individuals, their families and the professionals with whom they interface thrive. Using a localized, rapid dissemination approach allows the institute to quickly publish and disseminate policy relevant research to policymakers, community partners, those with lived experiences and other critical stakeholders to reform. Since it was founded, IJRD has released 25 policy impact briefs and research reports designed specifically for policymakers to inform data-driven criminal justice reforms. The institute has also delivered more than 60 presentations on its research to policymakers, professionals, advocates and other community members. IJRD has also co-hosted four press conferences with state governors and other leaders to highlight research informing their policy reforms. The institute’s team also delivered Congressional Briefings on police reforms and promotion of racial equity and has assisted with six national policy working groups on criminal justice reform and smart decarceration. IJRD has created seven policy and practice toolkits designed to infuse these data-driven criminal justice reform solutions into policy and practice. Because public awareness is important for policy reform, IJRD’s research and policy implications have been featured in the media over 100 times in the past three years. The institute has 15 active projects currently being worked on, each of which examines and tests ways to achieve equity across the criminal justice system from an individual’s first contact with law enforcement to their release from incarceration. Across each project, IJRD has identified high-impact leverage points at which to infuse their innovations, maximizing impact and generating lasting change.

Recent IJRD reports