Throughout the project, the WSU research team is conducting mixed-method, community-engaged research in partnership with several rural jurisdictions in order to:
- Fill knowledge gaps about pathways and drivers of rural jail population growth. We aim to:
a. Identify and understand common pathways into and out of jail
b. Characterize and explain jail recidivism
c. Describe and explain patterns and trends in rural jail populations
d. Assess effects of changing policies/practices on rural jail populations
- Build and maintain a data repository with standard information across rural jurisdictions to allow individual-level, jail-level, and regional analyses
- Engage local stakeholders in data-driven collaborations to address identified issues and promote systemic change through strategic planning