Consent Decrees: The Solutions
A Consent Decree, a binding court order that is put in place to ensure change, comes at a cost. While many consent decrees have been in place before 1980, the Civil Rights of Institutional Persons Act of 1980 has helped fuel their use in jails and prisons across the United States.
Challenges and Stipulations
Consent Decrees often come with many stipulations or variables that are difficult to meet and nearly impossible to track. Take, for instance, Fulton County Jail in Georgia.
“The consent decree, with 120 stipulations, was based on three main issues — overcrowding, understaffing, and squalid conditions. The problems weighed the commission down both financially and emotionally, but ultimately inspired action. It was the third consent decree on the jail since 1982. After spending 8 years and 59 million dollars, Fulton County was able to move past their consent decree.”
The Financial and Emotional Impact
With 120 stipulations to track, move forward, and report on, it was a time-consuming and costly endeavor. Having systems for data tracking and reporting appears to be absolutely crucial to limit the financial and emotional toll taken by a consent decree. In order to have a data-driven response, the use of data analytics appears necessary.
Benefits of Data Analytics
“Predictive analytics are beneficial for improved operational outcomes through the ability to track measures related to efficiency, productivity, safety, and quality.” Data analytics have been emerging in healthcare over the course of the last 15 years but have rarely been used in prisons or jails, most likely due to budget constraints.
Budgetary Challenges
With prisons and jails on the bottom of the budgetary food chain, this segment of the population may not reap the rewards of data analytics for many years to come. When, however, the need for data management and data-driven decision-making is crucial, the use of data analytics should be considered.
Case Study: New York City Department of Corrections
Take, for example, New York City. The New York City Department of Corrections spent over half a million dollars per prisoner in 2020, yet continues with noncompliance of their consent decree. Without the ability to have data that allows you to respond operationally in real-time, emerging from or ending a consent decree remains an uphill climb. The use of data analytics has the potential to lessen the climb.
The Potential of Data Analytics in Corrections
Data Analytics can be the answer to lessening the duration and cost of a consent decree while maximizing resources.
“In the healthcare industry, data analytics often helps organizations derive insights regarding systemic waste of resources. Leveraging healthcare data and analytics is crucial to successful patient engagement strategies… With this information, health systems can more efficiently allocate their resources to maximize revenue while improving patient care, physician performance, and population health.”
Embracing Technology for Better Outcomes
Jails and prisons need to be able to allocate their scarce resources, minimize expenses, and improve patient care to limit the stronghold of a consent decree. What better way to do it than allowing technology to be part of the solution?
