Nineteen U.S. state prison systems are partnering with the nonprofit Recidiviz to integrate fragmented inmate data into digital dashboards, aiming to reduce recidivism rates through improved information management.

Key Points

• Nineteen state prison systems are using Recidiviz software to consolidate disparate records, including court documents and parole notes, into centralized digital dashboards.
• The San Francisco-based nonprofit reports a 16% reduction in recidivism among the prison populations currently tracked by its data systems.
• Recidiviz CEO Clementine Jacoby attributes these improvements to streamlining administrative workflows and providing corrections staff with a comprehensive view of an individual's history.
• Many existing criminal-justice statistics are outdated, with data from 15 states ending between 2016 and 2019, while 10 states have reported no recent data.

Why it Matters

Modernizing correctional data infrastructure addresses the systemic inefficiency of managing prisoner records across multiple legacy databases and physical filing systems. By improving data accessibility, states can better manage parolee outcomes and potentially lower the high national rate of individuals returning to prison.