Justice Management Institute presents draft strategic-plan process; council endorses forming subject-matter teams

The Justice Management Institute presented a proposed strategic planning process to the Dane County Community Justice Council May 29 and recommended forming subject-matter teams to develop actionable strategies in four priority areas: behavioral health and substance-use response; crime and violence prevention; pre-arrest and pretrial alternatives; and reentry and reintegration.

Tom Ruble, senior consultant with the Justice Management Institute, told the council that JMI conducted 19 one-on-one stakeholder interviews and received 12 survey responses to inform the proposed priorities. “The goal is to develop a plan for this council that provides a clear road map for the council for the next few years,” Ruble said. He emphasized that the plan should be collaborative, evidence-based and adaptable.

Ruble said the survey and interviews produced a top-five set of potential priorities: strengthening behavioral health and substance-use response; enhancing crime and violence prevention strategies; expanding pre-arrest and pretrial alternatives; supporting successful reentry and reintegration; and expanding access to housing and shelter supports. He recommended the council prioritize four areas (behavioral health/substance use, violence prevention, pretrial alternatives, reentry) and fold intersecting topics such as housing and racial and ethnic equity into those teams’ work.

Council members and participants raised questions about the scope of the council’s role. “I guess I am interested in hearing from my colleagues…what is the role of the CJC relative to addressing those challenges,” said Supervisor Andre, asking how the council should scope issues such as housing and behavioral health relative to the council’s advisory and coordinating role. Mayor Rhodes Conway agreed that the council should focus on where it can exercise leverage and suggested the council could advocate for resources and frame investments in housing and services as matters of community safety.

Sheriff Barrett urged a distinction between criminal justice system responsibilities and broader social services, stressing that housing without wraparound services can leave individuals without the supports that reduce recidivism. “If we provide a house to individuals with no wraparound services to help them, there has to be an appropriate balance of services…there has to be some consequences to their actions if they’re not following the rules,” Barrett said.

Supervisor Wegleitner, who noted housing was ranked first by advisory members in the survey, urged that housing and supportive services be clearly integrated into the plan and implementation steps. Several council members and the presenter stressed the need to focus on “practical wins” that can be advanced within likely constrained budgets over the next three years.

Ruble proposed convening small teams of local subject-matter experts (line staff, program managers, community partners) in June to draft specific strategies, metrics and implementation steps. The council agreed to that approach without objection; the chair asked for no objections, heard none and directed JMI to proceed with forming teams and outreach to recommended experts.

Ruble said teams would review prior studies and existing recommendations—he estimated nearly 200 recommendations across reports since 2009—and focus on maximizing existing resources, identifying measurable goals and building performance metrics into each prioritized initiative. He emphasized the strategic plan would be a working document to be revisited regularly.

The council scheduled its next meeting for July 24 and was told JMI would return with team findings and next steps in the planning process.