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JIRN provides messaging guide to help state DCRA contacts respond to media and public questions
Summary
JIRN's DCRA technical assistance team advised state data contacts to prepare for likely media and public inquiries, outlined four categories of questions they should expect, and provided a resource with suggested messaging and reply templates.
Alexa Singer, who leads the Justice Information Resource Network’s DCRA technical assistance center, told attendees the data release is likely to trigger media, advocacy, and public inquiries and urged states to be prepared.
Singer outlined four question types state contacts should anticipate: general questions about trends and cross‑state comparisons (for which she recommended caution), questions about accountability and state policy (direct audiences to the appropriate state agency), inquiries about specific trends such as manner of death or facility differences, and questions about data limitations including coverage and update frequency.
Alexa and other presenters encouraged following each agency’s communications protocols, responding promptly, being transparent about knowns and unknowns, offering to follow up on complex questions, and leveraging the JIRN guide and sample answers to craft consistent responses. She said these resources are available via the JIRN DCRA TTA center webpage and may also be shared via the chat and post‑training slides.
The guidance aims to help state administering agencies (SAAs) and partners explain data caveats — including masking of small cells and the site’s non‑exportable source tables — while highlighting improvements and any positive trends in state reporting.
