Tools & Resources

JMI has developed several tools to assist states, counties, and justice system stakeholders to provide the first step in diagnosing system gaps and challenges. These tools are meant to be self-administered, but please do not hesitate to reach out to JMI at info@jmijustice.org if you need assistance.

Below you will also find resources that provide in depth information about various challenges, potential solutions, and related case studies.

Tools

JMI’s free organizational assessment is intended to provide interested jurisdictions with information and resources to address the identified challenges. Recommendations provided by JMI are intended to serve as general guidance to help jurisdictions further explore options that may be available to them. 

The Criminal Justice System Change – Sustainability Diagnostic Tool is designed to assess the likelihood that large scale changes in an organization or a system will be sustained over time.  The tool focuses on three key domains—process, organization, and system—each of which is critical to long-term sustainability.  Within each of these domains are a number of key elements that represent strengths and weaknesses of change implementation and the likelihood of sustainability.

**CJCC Essential Elements Assessment Tool – The CJCC essential elements assessment tool is a comprehensive list of all the essential elements and corresponding key factors. It serves as a useful framework for comparing an existing council with the national standards of CJCCs. By using the tool, a CJCC can discern whether it aligns with characteristics of high-performing councils.

**CJCC Essential Elements Checklist – The ten essential elements are the fundamental characteristics that effective CJCCs should possess. These elements contain crucial components, such as bylaws and annual reports, that contribute to the success of a council. This appendix presents a checklist derived from the essential elements that jurisdictions should strongly consider when establishing or starting to strengthen an existing CJCC.

Resources

**National Standards for Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils, 2023, published in conjunction with the National Institute of Corrections, offers a comprehensive framework to help jurisdictions create or enhance their coordinating councils.

**CJCC Essential Elements, 2023, published in conjunction with the National Institute of Corrections, outlines the key features that define high-performing CJCCs.

National Survey of Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils, 2022, published in conjunction with the National Institute of Corrections, provides valuable information about CJCCs across the United States.

From Silo to System: What Makes a Criminal Justice System Operate Like a System?, 2015, published with funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as part of its Safety and Justice Challenge, documents what is working in 8 local criminal justice systems from around the country, using pattern-matching to identify common factors across systems. The results of this assessment help inform the broader justice reform community as it sets out to impact system improvement in local jurisdictions throughout the country.

NNCJCC Resources: For more resources pertaining to CJCCS, visit The National Network of Criminal Justice Coordinating Counsel’s resource page.