Racial equity data for criminal justice reform

Openfields designed and facilitated a series of data journey mapping workshops to help the team of Alternate Public Defenders:

• Define short- and long-term strategic outcomes that racial data could help advance
  
• Map the flow of data throughout the APD case management system
  
• Consider the motivations and incentives facing a range of stakeholders including defendants, police, judges, the district attorney, and elected officials
  
• Generate ideas and identify strategies for collecting and reporting racial data 
  

Insights that emerged from the process include: 

• There are many types of data – beyond defendants’ race – that might help us address the larger issue of racial disparities within the judicial system 
• APDs have a potential role to play, not just in collecting data, but in advocating for data collection and transparency, and sponsoring legislation 

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“Very helpful to roundtable with colleagues about the realities and challenges of data collection.” - Workshop Participant