Crocker: Data for Social Good: The Justice Research Initiative at the University of Vermont

Abigail Crocker, PhD will present the next UVM Statistics seminar

Title: Data for Social Good: The Justice Research Initiative at the University of Vermont

Date: Tuesday 2/21 @4:30 

Where: Innovation E430

Abstract: Transforming the criminal-legal system is of broad interest nationally as well as locally in Vermont. There is growing recognition of the inequities in our current system as well as its negative impacts on justice-involved populations and communities, including harms from mass incarceration. The Covid-19 pandemic has magnified these issues, highlighting the need for a public health approach to meaningful systems change. The UVM Justice Research Initiative (JRI) engages researchers, state leaders, and community stakeholders in a data-driven approach for understanding and addressing critical justice related issues. This talk will provide an overview of JRI and how data and community-based participatory research (CBPR) are utilized across three projects, 1) Prison Research and Innovation Network (PRIN): A project championed by the Urban Institute with funding from Arnold Ventures, PRIN is consortium of 5 states, each using data and CBPR to make prisons more transparent and humane. In Vermont, this includes a partnership with UVM, the Vermont Department of Corrections, and the Southern State Correctional Facility; 2) National Center on Restorative Justice (NCORJ): A partnership between UVM, the University of San Diego, and the Vermont Law School with funding from the US Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance. NCORJ aims to advance research on equity-centered, non-carceral approaches to accountability and to grow the next generation of justice researchers; 3) Vermont Children of Incarcerated Parents Initiative (VT-COIP): A local collaboration between UVM and Lund Family Center to advance research on addressing the harms of parental incarceration in Vermont. The talk will conclude with a brief discussion of JRI’s next steps, including potential opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations and student engagement.