2025 JIRN Virtual Conference Agenda

JIRN will also be hosting it’s 2025 Member Exchange on Tuesday September 16th from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Members can learn more and register here.

Sexual Violence in Idaho: Prevalence and Health Impacts

This research brief presents data from the Idaho Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System on the prevalence of sexual violence in Idaho and the adverse health impacts associated with sexual violence victimization. Results indicate that sexual violence is far more widespread than administrative data from law enforcement and victim service agencies indicate. An estimated 13.6% of adult Idahoans have experienced sexual violence at some point in their lives, and 13.5% have a history of childhood sexual abuse. Demographic groups at higher risk for experiencing sexual violence include young adults (ages 18 – 34), individuals living in income-constrained households, females, and those who identify as LGBTQ. Additionally, victims of sexual violence experience adverse health outcomes at significantly higher rates than those who have never experienced sexual violence, including poor physical and/or mental health, drug/alcohol use or misuse, and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) beyond childhood sexual abuse.

Thomas Strauss, MPA

Addressing Intimate Partner Homicide in Wyoming: A Comprehensive Analysis of Fatalities, 2014-2023

The Wyoming Domestic Violence Homicide Fatality Review Team reviewed 45 intimate partner-related homicide cases over a 10-year period (2014–2023). The goal was to identify systemic gaps, trends, and opportunities to prevent future tragedies.

The review found that firearms were the most common weapon, with many cases in rural areas where services were limited. Children were often present or harmed, protective orders were inconsistently applied, and substance use and mental health issues frequently heightened risks for both victims and perpetrators.

Key recommendations include stronger firearm restrictions for perpetrators, expanded crisis services in rural areas, and better use and enforcement of protective orders. It also recommends consistent statewide training on intimate partner violence, improved data sharing and collaboration across agencies, broader public education on healthy relationships, and increased trauma-informed support for children impacted by domestic violence.

Lena Dechert
Assistant Research Scientist
Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center

Prosecutorial Data Dashboard

In FY21, the Maine Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) used SJS funds to produce Maine’s first report on prosecutorial data trends, covering a five-year period. Building on that foundation, the SAC used FY23 funds to transform the comprehensive dataset into an interactive dashboard using Power BI—marking the team’s first time working with the platform. Developed in close collaboration with the Maine Prosecutors’ Association, the dashboard was designed specifically to support the needs of district attorneys and their staff. In addition to streamlining data for prosecutors, it aims to make prosecutorial data more transparent and accessible to all Mainers. It includes an overview tab, followed by detailed views of case referrals, charges, and outcomes. A final “notes” tab offers key definitions and contextual details to ensure clarity in interpretation.

Julia Bergeron-Smith
Director
Maine Statistical Analysis Center & Policy Associate, Justice Policy Program, Catherine Cutler Institute

Tara Wheeler
Lead Data Analyst
Maine Statistical Analysis Center & Research Associate, Justice Policy Program, Catherine Cutler Institute

New Jersey Traffic Fatalities Dashboard

This dashboard provides a summary of law enforcement reported information on traffic fatalities containing daily data + historic trends and patterns in fatal crashes. Includes information on contributing factors, crash details, locations, and demographic information on those involved.

Kristin Golden, Ph.D.
Chief Data Officer
Office of Justice Data, Office of the Attorney General

Driving while broke: The role of class signals in police discretion

There is debate over the latitude of discretion police officers have when conducting stops and searches. While necessary due to resource limitations and the need for individualized justice, discretion involves subjective characteristics of suspicion formation, such as race and ethnicity, which could perpetuate disparities in traffic enforcement. Research has yet to explore other marginalizing characteristics of suspicion formation, such as the social class of drivers. This study draws on over 550,000 stops conducted by a large state police agency in 2022 and 2023 to explore how vehicle values serve as class signals influencing officers’ discretion. We found disparities, whereby lower-value vehicles were more likely to be searched than higher-value vehicles after matching based on when, where, and under what circumstances stops occurred. However, searches of lower-value vehicles were less likely to result in the recovery of contraband. Our findings highlight potential avenues for officer training and research analyzing inequalities in policing.

Scott Wolfe, Ph.D.
Director
Michigan Justice Statistics Center

Jed Knode
Graduate Research Fellow
Michigan Justice Statistics Center

Presentation

Treatment Alternatives and Diversion (TAD) Program 2019-2023

The Treatment Alternatives and Diversion (TAD) program was established by 2005 Wisconsin Act 25 to support efforts to provide treatment and diversion programming to non-violent adult justice involved individuals for whom substance abuse was a contributing factor in their criminal activity. The TAD grant, administered by the Wisconsin Department of Justice (WI DOJ) Bureau of Justice Programs and evaluated by the Bureau of Justice Information and Analysis (BJIA), provides funds to local jurisdictions to offer justice involved individuals the opportunity to enter diversion programs or treatment courts. This report is the five-year evaluation of the TAD program conducted by BJIA covering 2019-2023. The report contains a summary of the participant cohorts, including those referred to a program who were not admitted, a summary of the pandemic impacts to program operations across the state, a recidivism analysis including two comparison groups compiled with propensity score matching, and a cost-benefit analysis. Finally, recommendations are included for both programmatic changes and enhancements for future evaluations. 

Ashley Billig, Ph.D.
Director
State of Wisconsin Department of Justice
Bureau of Justice Information and Analysis