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Description : "Nebraska Center for Justice Research will provide the following services, which each comprise a phase of the entire project: Phase I: Develop a needs assessment: - Gather data on the prevalence of risk factors for juvenile justice system involvement Omaha - For risk factors identified as high priority, identify Omahas gaps in performance compared to similar-sized cities and the corresponding impact on justice system involvement and detention Phase II: Develop a situational analysis, utilizing multiple research methods to answer the following questions: 1. What is the nature and extent of each risk factor? 2. Filtering by individuals, groups, and geographic locations, who experiences this risk factor? 3. What is the history of this risk factor in Omaha and what projections are there about its future? 4. What are the primary and secondary causes of this risk factor in Omaha? 5. Are there known causal pathways (a succession of causes)? 6. What is known regarding efforts at addressing this risk factor in Omaha? 7. Why is this risk factor considered a problem? 8. What is the vicarious impact of this risk factor (e.g. indirect effect on surrounding community members)? 9. Who is currently involved in addressing this risk factor in Omaha? Potential data sources include: U.S. Census data Key informant interviews Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data Proxy measures co-identified by NCJR and Sherwood Omaha Public Schools data Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice data Other data sources and methods as needed Phase III: Develop a comprehensive investment strategy for The Sherwood Foundation that: - Outlines the outcomes of interest and their relationship to the identified areas of risk - Identifies baseline data to be collected in relation to the ultimate outcomes (even if beyond the direct influence of the strategy) - Clarifies the strategys boundaries while recognizing where the strategy sits in, interacts with, influences, and is influenced by its wider context - Ensures that the strategys outcome chain gives adequate attention to outcomes that are beyond the direct influence of the strategy"

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Description : Professors Benjamin Steiner and Emily Wright, along with Nebraska Center for Justice Research Director Ryan Spohn, recently entered into an agreement with Douglas County to assist with the design and evaluation of assessment and case management services being implemented at the Douglas County Detention Center. The new screening assessment will focus on identifying the risk and criminogenic needs of individuals booked into the detention center, while the case management services will provide individuals with ongoing reentry case management and referrals to services offered in the detention center and the community that are designed to address the needs identified by the assessment. The ultimate goal of the project is to reduce the rate of recidivism among individuals placed in the detention center.

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Description : Assist in the development of assessment instruments to be used by DCDC to identify risk and need factors among their inmate population. Provide a descriptive analysis of the inmate population admitted during a six-month period in 2017, including the risks and needs posed by those inmates. Conduct an analysis of the predictive validity of the inmate assessment instruments used by DCDC.