Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail overcrowding systems analysis

The Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, having been built to house less than the forecasted inmate population, is currently operating at 150% of its rated capacity. The ever growing inmate population has put a strain on the already limited jail resources. As the jail becomes more crowded, it is even more difficult to rehabilitate inmates. Consequently, recidivism is a continuous problem, putting added pressure on the criminal justice system and community. The project team developed a logic model to explain possible contributors to jail overcrowding. After performing analysis on the existing law enforcement and jail databases, the team focused on the opportunity for a coherent criminal justice data system that would support analysis and provide an accessible user interface. Such a database will enable jail management to make evidence-based decisions and will provide stakeholders with the necessary statistics to hold each member in the system accountable. These statistics will also serve as indices of performance and will assess the success of programs. In the long-term, such decisions will help alleviate overcrowding at ACRJ by reducing recidivism and delays in the system.