Circuit Judge Katherine Fowler urges better data sharing, reduced GPS reliance and small programs to improve outcomes

Circuit Judge Katherine Fowler, chair of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), told the Detention Facilities Oversight Board on July that the council is working to centralize data collection and use that information to guide system‑wide planning and targeted interventions.

"We are an independent advisory body that consists of the stakeholders of the criminal justice system," Fowler said, describing the CJCC’s membership to include police, prosecutors, public defenders, corrections and behavioral‑health representatives. She said the CJCC, established in 2020, completed focus groups and hired a national consultant and expects to release a strategic plan and seek funding for an executive director in the coming months.

Fowler said the CJCC plans to make data collection and annual public reporting a priority so stakeholders can identify what the system needs. "When we look at the data across the board, that will give us insights as to exactly what the problems are and what we need to be focusing on," she said.

She identified three early priorities. First, the CJCC intends to reassess the city’s use of GPS monitoring for people released pretrial. "Right now, there's a bit of overuse," Fowler said. She argued some monitoring costs could be reduced and the savings reinvested in services such as substance‑use treatment, mental‑health care and employment supports that help defendants succeed in the community.

Second, Fowler highlighted mental‑health supports and guardianship pathways for people who repeatedly decompensate after release. She said judges can impose medication as a condition of bond in individual cases and the CJCC is exploring how public‑administrator resources and guardianships could be expanded to provide long‑term supports.

Third, Fowler urged pursuit of practical, low‑cost programs that improve conditions in detention and support reentry. "Playing chess in the justice center improves outcomes," she said, noting modest volunteer efforts can have outsized benefits and are relatively easy to scale.

Fowler also raised a practical operational problem: limited Wi‑Fi access for attorneys meeting clients inside the City Justice Center. "They can't play them videos. They can't pull up documents because there is no Wi‑Fi available," she said, adding that the lack of connectivity can slow plea discussions and case processing. Commissioner Milan and investigators offered to explore provider donations, while an investigator warned of security constraints and recommended a secure meeting space for attorney‑client interactions.

The CJCC chair urged transparency and public reporting of the council’s work, saying the strategic plan was produced by an independent consultant and she did not anticipate barriers to releasing it. Fowler closed by inviting the board to collaborate with the CJCC on data collection and projects aimed at lowering jail population and improving outcomes.

The CJCC presentation concluded with questions from board members about accessing past CJCC data and about programmatic details; Fowler said the council expects to publish findings and to pursue an internship and funding to accelerate data work.

The board did not take action on CJCC recommendations at the meeting; Fowler’s remarks were presented as an informational overview and to prompt further coordination between the CJCC and the board.