Advancing Data in Corrections: Resident Analysts

Corrections agencies allocate significant time on a daily basis for collecting data to track their populations. They also invest large sums of money in building and maintaining data management systems to warehouse that data. However, many agencies lack staff time and resources to proactively use the data they collect to regularly inform their operations.

The Advancing Data in Corrections: Resident Analysts initiative places data analysts in residence at state departments of corrections (DOCs). The analysts will:

• Help those agencies develop their data analysis capacity.
• Increase the utility of data for decision-making.
• Assist in the integration of data analysis practices, tools, and reporting into daily DOC operations and management.

The integration of data analysts into a DOC’s research or IT department will help agencies better understand their systems and use data-driven decision-making to improve outcomes for people under their charge, increase safety, and plan more efficiently.