Justice System

Partners

Changing criminal legal systems to be more equitable, effective, and humane.

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About Us

JSP is a non-profit, multidisciplinary team committed to assisting criminal and juvenile legal systems and community partners with transforming their systems. We help our partners reimagine their work by combining rigorous research, technical assistance, and knowledge of evidence-informed strategies. We infuse creativity, innovation, and passion into our work, taking an integrated approach to system transformation to help our partners operationalize meaningful change.

Purpose

Our purpose is to transform criminal legal systems and the lives and communities those systems impact, changing justice systems to be more equitable, effective, and humane.

Values

Guided by our core values, we support system stakeholders in being courageous as they challenge the status quo. Among these values are the belief in the power of change; the importance of honest partnerships; and the need to advance equity across all the work we do. Explore all of JSP’s core values.

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Voices

Our work is grounded in the communities we serve, as we believe the solutions to improving the safety and wellbeing of communities lie within the communities themselves. To that end, we center the voices of those who are impacted by the system in the work we do.

Our Approach

JSP takes an integrated, four-step approach to system transformation. Across all of the work we do, we inspire clients to ask fundamental questions that get at the heart of public service, help them design methods for critical inquiry, support them in gathering essential data, and arrive, together, at creative solutions to improve the safety and wellbeing of the people in their communities.

Discover

We first work to understand the unique characteristics of the jurisdictions in which we work. Recognizing that existing systems are entrenched in complex legal, social, and structural dynamics, we take a holistic view of the community.

Analyze

We use qualitative and quantitative techniques to better understand local data and systems. Depending on the project’s goals, this may result in identification of needs, gaps, and opportunities; cost benefit analysis; systems analysis; and legal and legislative analysis.

Innovate

We develop approaches and tools that are practical and useful to stakeholders while ensuring they are informed by an equity and inclusivity lens. We challenge the status quo and facilitate out of the box thinking to overcome the strong inertia present in existing policy, structure, and culture.

Implement

We work with sites to operationalize innovation. We apply our expertise in implementation science to assist sites in planning and executing visionary change, ensuring effective and sustainable transformation.

Our Work

Collaboration with local, multi-stakeholder work groups grounds our work in the communities being served, as we believe the best solutions to improving the safety and wellbeing of communities lie within the communities themselves. We create an environment that values diverse perspectives in problem-solving; boldly explores and analyzes inequities within the current system; and actively facilitates the inclusion of those most directly impacted by the current system in creating and implementing innovative solutions.

Discovering Opportunities for Impact in Multnomah County

Analyzing the Impact of Probation Conditions in Iowa

Implementing Change and Rethinking Jails with the MacArthur Foundation

Innovating Organizational Resources with the National Institute of Corrections

Case Studies

Resources

Diversion Implementation Guide

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Reducing Revocations Challenge

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Pretrial Justice System Terminology

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In Media

Meet Our Team

JSP’s talented board and staff bring practical experience, key competencies, and subject matter expertise to the work of transforming systems to better serve the public. We foster relationships across a broad network of scholars and practitioners in the field, and collaborate with these experts as needed to increase capacity based on the particular needs of each jurisdiction. Our collaborative approach nurtures engagement, belonging, respect, empathy, and trust.