Pennsylvania FY24 SJSP

The Pennsylvania Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) requests funds for two projects intended to enhance the in-house research conducted by the SAC: 1) to support a core capacity building project to increase access to statistical data by using GIS-mapping, dashboards, and data analytics; and 2) to support a special emphasis project analyzing state criminal history records to explore the impact evidence-based practices (EBP) used by county probation and parole agencies has on recidivism of county-supervised offenders in Pennsylvania, as well as a cost-benefit analysis of EBP use. The 12-month core-capacity project continues to support the SAC’s GIS-Mapping/Data Consultant, who is the keystone to the SAC’s ability to not only gather, organize, and combine large, disparate and siloed datasets to assist in analyzing data, but who is instrumental in the production of a wide array of digital dashboards, maps, and reports used by policymakers and staff. The 24-month special-emphasis project will build upon previous county probation and parole recidivism research supported by BJS/SJS funding. Specifically, the project seeks to compare the recidivism rates of individuals that are assessed using a validated risk assessment instrument as opposed to those individuals that are not assessed, with the assumption that those not assessed for risk/needs may recidivate at higher rates because counties are not able to properly connect those risk/needs to matched interventions, supervision levels/dosage, and other services to ensure best outcomes. The ORAS’s Community Supervision Screening Tool (CSST), which is a nine-question EBP instrument grounded in scientific rigor, can be quickly administered and effectively by county probation to identify low-risk or moderate/high-risk individuals upon intake/addition onto a county’s supervised caseload. If the CSST is administered properly at intake, those individuals would theoretically recidivate at a lower rate as they would be receiving proper interventions and programming matched to their appropriate risk/needs.