Washtenaw Equity Partnership
Subcommittee Research Priorities
The six subcommittees began meeting monthly in January 2022. They used the first set of meetings to make sure they had an effective mix of people to serve and familiarize themselves with their charge, the Guiding Principles and the research themes adopted by the Working Group. The subcommittees then began discussing their research priorities and the steps, research and methodology necessary to address their respective priorities. The subcommittee co-chairs discussed their draft research priorities with other subcommittee co-chairs and the Working Group on April 19, 2022. The PowerPoint slides below were used at the April meeting to summarize the subcommittees’ research priorities. For more detailed information on a specific subcommittee’s research priorities, please refer to the meeting minutes of the relevant subcommittee.
Prevention and Front End of the Criminal System
This subcommittee focuses on areas such as community-based supports and services; housing instability; pre-charge diversion; arrest decisions; charging; assignment of counsel; and pretrial release/detention and supervision. Members could include people with lived experience; community members; advocacy organizations; community-based service providers; law enforcement; public defenders/private defense attorneys; local and county prosecutors; pretrial services; and district court judges.
Membership
Documents
When finalized versions of documents are adopted, they will be posted here.
Engagement
If there are opportunities for engaging with our subcommittee, they will be posted here.
Court Process
This subcommittee focuses on the processing of cases by the court system from arraignment through sentencing, including topics such as post-charge diversion; plea offers/plea bargaining; the number and timing of court hearings; continuances; the time it takes to resolve cases; failures to appear; pre-sentence investigative reports; and sentencing. Members could include people with lived experience; community members; advocacy organizations; community-based service providers; public defenders/private defense attorneys; local and county prosecutors; court administration; and judges.
Membership
Documents
When finalized versions of documents are adopted, they will be posted here.
Engagement
If there are opportunities for engaging with our subcommittee, they will be posted here.
Post-Sentencing and Reentry
This subcommittee focuses on probation/parole supervision, post-sentencing incarceration, and reentry issues, including topics such as the type and length of sentences; probation or parole violations and sanctions; fines and fees, reentry planning and services; post-release housing; and collateral consequences. Members could include people with lived experience; community members; advocacy organizations; community-based service providers working with returning citizens; public defenders/private defense attorneys; local and county prosecutors; judges; district court and MDOC probation; and county jail staff.
Membership
Documents
When finalized versions of documents are adopted, they will be posted here.
Engagement
If there are opportunities for engaging with our subcommittee, they will be posted here.
Youth Justice and Schools
This subcommittee focuses on the juvenile justice and educational systems, including topics such as arrests and detention; case processing; dispositions; post-disposition supervision and detention; disparities in educational resources; and the ways in which school systems can feed into the juvenile or adult criminal systems. Members could include people with lived experience; community members; advocacy organizations and community-based service providers focused on youth; law enforcement; public defenders/private defense attorneys and prosecutors working in the Juvenile Court; Juvenile Court administration; Juvenile Court judge(s); Juvenile Court probation; teachers and school staff; school/school district administration; and experts on youth issues.
Membership
Documents
When finalized versions of documents are adopted, they will be posted here.
Engagement
If there are opportunities for engaging with our subcommittee, they will be posted here.
Behavioral Health
This subcommittee focuses on the intersections between the behavioral health and criminal legal systems, looking at questions such as how people with mental health or substance use issues are treated by law enforcement, courts, and probation or parole officers; crisis-response training and services; the adequacy of existing community-based services and treatment; and the availability of culturally competent treatment and services. Members could include people with lived experience; community members; advocacy organizations focused on mental health and/or substance use; behavioral health service providers; law enforcement; public defenders/private defense attorneys; prosecutors; specialty court judges; probation officers, and experts on behavioral health issues.
Membership
Documents
When finalized versions of documents are adopted, they will be posted here.
Engagement
If there are opportunities for engaging with our subcommittee, they will be posted here.
Data
The Data Subcommittee is charged with developing recommendations to improve data collection, analysis, integration, and transparency across agencies and systems, and will work to answer three overarching questions: 1) What is it we want to learn from the data? In other words, what is the impact of data on the institutions and community; 2) What and how do we communicate that to the public and institutions; and 3) What data need to be collected and reported going forward? To do that, the subcommittee will assess existing data and their sources in the juvenile and adult criminal legal systems, develop recommendations to improve the collection and analysis of that data across agencies and systems to better address disparities, and identify ways to improve data collection and transparency in reporting going forward.
Membership
Documents
When finalized versions of documents are adopted, they will be posted here.
Engagement
If there are opportunities for engaging with our subcommittee, they will be posted here.