Faith Leaders Celebrate Step Towards Criminal Justice Reform
[Press Release]
LANCASTER COUNTY, NE - Justice in Action is pleased to see that Lancaster County Department of Corrections and Lancaster County Community Corrections published an online, live jail and Community Corrections dashboard. This has been a priority of the local faith-based justice coalition and they look forward to continuing to work with the County on this and other priorities moving forward.
They hope this first step will set the stage for a more equitable criminal justice system in Lancaster County and effective alternatives to incarceration. Rev. Kirstie Engel who serves as the Spiritual Leader of First United Methodist Church in Lincoln and as the Co-president of Justice in Action has been a leading advocate and spokesperson for the group on this issue. “While we celebrate the unveiling of the Lancaster County dashboard as a critical first step towards transparency and accountability, we must also acknowledge that it is just the beginning of our journey to create meaningful change. Real criminal justice reform requires a broader, sustained effort including comprehensive policy changes and a commitment to addressing the root causes of incarceration.”
The new jail dashboard is a testament to the power of collaboration between Justice in Action and government authorities who share a vision of a more equitable justice system. Beginning in early June as many as 30 Justice in Action members met with Commissioner Rick Vest and County Information Technology staff to discuss the specifics of the dashboard, especially the importance of including Community Corrections data in the dashboard.
Justice in Action believes that by providing transparent access to real-time data on the county’s jail population and Community Corrections department, they can collectively work towards a fairer and more compassionate criminal justice system.
Key features of the Lancaster County Jail Dashboard include:
Real-time jail population data: The dashboard offers data updated daily on the jail population including race, gender, age, length of stay, and type of charge.
Real-time Community Corrections data: Data from Community Corrections includes total number of people enrolled, the type of diversion/reentry program, race, age, gender, and average time enrolled.
Justice in Action has been advocating for alternatives to incarceration, specifically increased access to diversion programs, run by Lancaster County’s Community Corrections programs.
“We applaud Commissioner Vest for listening to the voice of the people and incorporating their concerns and insights into this process. His commitment to a community-oriented approach is commendable. We look forward to continuing to work with him and all stakeholders to ensure our justice system reflects the values of our community” said Rachel Mulcahy of New Visions United Methodist Church and a member of the Criminal Justice Steering Committee for Justice in Action.
View the dashboard here: https://www.lancaster.ne.gov/196/County-CorrectionsJail (screenshot from 10/26/23)
View the dashboard here: https://www.lancaster.ne.gov/196/County-CorrectionsJail (screenshot from 10/25/23)
