Creating a Community-Driven Data Platform

Commons is more than just another data dashboard; it’s a community-driven tool that helps shape criminal justice policy. Commons takes criminal justice transparency to a new level, offering accessible data that’s easy to understand and empowers accountability. The platform is easy-to-use, informed by insights from community leaders, and hosts verifiable, high-quality data that’s accessible to all.

Here’s a brief look at how Commons comes to life.

DATA COLLECTION

After partnering with a criminal justice agency—a prosecutor’s office or police department—we begin collecting the data we need to populate the measures displayed in Commons. 

For Commons Prosecutor, this data provides a full picture of how cases move through the system, starting with how many cases are referred to the Prosecutor’s office and ending with the final dispositions, including all the key decision points along the way. 

For Commons Police, this data offers insights into seven dimensions of policing, including Crime Reduction and Calls for Service, Use of Force, Officer Wellness, and more. (You can read more about these dimensions and how we’ve standardized measurement for policing here.)

DATA PROCESSING

As we collect the data, our research and data science experts spend time processing, standardizing, and really deeply understanding it all before it ever ends up in Commons. This can be a lengthy process, but it is so crucial to ensure the tool works as it should. We strive to achieve an accurate reflection of reality through the data Commons displays; as the criminal justice system is a living, breathing thing, so too is Commons.

COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES

While data is being collected and processed, our Civic Impact team works with the agency to select Advisors who identify and recruit community members to form a Community Advisory Board (CAB). This group of community leaders serves to bring the invaluable perspective of the public at large to the table. Throughout the process, the CAB meets regularly to understand their community’s data, make recommendations to their agency, and become champions for data-powered change in their local area. To learn more about CABs, check out this blog post.

POLICY GOAL SETTING

The policy goal tracker is a core feature of Commons. A policy goal is set collaboratively, with the agency and their CAB working together to make impactful decisions that will positively affect their community and track progress towards them. The act of creating a shared policy goal is a massive step toward transparency, accountability, and trust.

INFORMING THE COMMUNITY

At this stage, the data has been collected and processed, the platform is built, and a policy goal has been set—now it’s time to share Commons with the masses! We support the agency and their CAB to roll out the tool in a way that best serves their community. This often includes in-person and virtual demos, digital advertising support, and announcements in the media.

CHAMPIONING CHANGE

The power of Commons doesn’t end once it’s launched—in fact, that’s when it’s just beginning! We continue to work alongside our Commons communities—with the agency, CAB members, and other local partners—to drive continued use of the tool as a vehicle for community-driven change. We offer data literacy education, ongoing support through our All In Network, and, of course, regular updates to the Commons platform so the data are always up-to-date and accurate.