ANNAPOLIS — Annapolis— Maryland was recently selected as a finalist by the Government Performance Lab at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in the Lab’s 2017 national competition to receive funding from the Social Innovation Fund, a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that works with local partners to help Americans improve the lives of their fellow citizens through service.
Out of 27 applications, three states and four cities were selected as the finalists. A full-time fellow from the Government Performance Lab will work with the Governor’s Office for Children and the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention for 12 to 15 months on implementing novel criminal and juvenile justice solutions.
“Breaking the cycle of crime and recidivism requires an all-hands-on-deck approach,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Maryland’s partnership with the Government Performance Lab, which uses innovative strategies and evidence-based solutions, will help achieve our administration’s goal of enhancing public safety and well-being for our citizens. We thank the Social Innovation Fund and the Harvard Kennedy School for their role in making this partnership possible.”
In May 2016, Governor Hogan signed the Justice Reinvestment Act (JRA) into law. This comprehensive criminal justice reform legislation aims to enhance public safety by reducing Maryland’s prison population and increasing investment in programs to reduce recidivism rates, treat substance abuse, and enhance community supervision practices.
The Harvard fellow, along with assistance from the Government Performance Lab, will help implement JRA initiatives with the Governor’s Office for Children and the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention through several core projects.
These projects include designing and negotiating outcome-based contracts with organizations providing services that are alternatives to incarceration, integrating performance improvement strategies into law enforcement grants and other JRA programs, and assisting with performance metric development and data integration.
“We look forward to working with the Government Performance Lab to help improve outcomes for Maryland’s youth and young adults and reduce recidivism rates by using innovative, performance-based solutions,” said Arlene Lee, executive director of the Governor’s Office for Children.
“Maryland’s partnership with the Government Performance Lab will help us achieve our goal of using data-driven criminal justice strategies to improve public safety and invest in treatment and services,” said Glenn Fueston, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention. “It is the first time that the competition has made performance improvement technical assistance broadly available to state and local governments, and we are honored to be a part of this partnership.”
The fellow will join the two offices around July 1.
The Governor’s Office for Children is committed to ensuring that all Maryland children, youth, and families live and prosper in healthy, safe, and thriving communities. The office partners with state agencies, Local Management Boards, and community-based organizations to promote the wellbeing of Maryland’s children, youth, and families.
The Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention serves as a coordinating office that advises the governor on criminal justice strategies. The office plans, promotes, and funds efforts with government entities, private organizations, and the community to advance public policy, enhance public safety, reduce crime and juvenile delinquency, and serve victims.