Groundbreaking Criminal Justice Data Tool Launches for Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office

New dashboard will make prosecuting attorney data public, recommend policy goals set by leaders and community for the first time

Jackson County, MO (July 18, 2024) – Measures for Justice (MFJ), a nonpartisan nonprofit that develops tools to help communities reshape the criminal justice system, has launched a data transparency tool, Commons, with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office and a Community Advisory Board (CAB), in partnership with the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. 

Commons is an online tool that makes it easier for local communities to get, track, and understand criminal justice data.

Jackson County is the first location in Missouri to deploy Commons and recommend a policy goal developed with input from the CAB. 

“To reduce crime and bring violence in our community to vastly lower levels, we must form a trusting partnership with our community,” says Jean Peters Baker, Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney. “Transparency and honesty are the crucial elements to such a relationship. In turn, we are making our data available to this online community portal. We hope it prompts new engagement and deep discussions of public safety measures.” 

Commons is a free and public criminal justice data dashboard that:

  • tracks monthly data on how cases flow through the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office;
  • follows progress toward a recommended policy goal set by community representatives and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office;
  • enables any user to easily filter data in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, race, age, sex, etc.; and
  • includes data that is updated regularly

MFJ has been working closely with the CAB to represent the voice of Jackson County’s community members. The CAB acts as an advisory body for the Commons project and participates in discussions with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to help recommend data-driven goals.

“By sharing verified, actionable data, we’re laying the groundwork for unprecedented collaboration between community members and government entities. This isn’t just about bringing issues to light; it’s about crafting innovative, community-driven solutions together,” says

Kyle Hollins, Executive Director & Founder Lyrik’s Institution, Jackson County CAB member.

Jackson County is part of a larger network of counties and cities across the country that are prioritizing data transparency as a means to reshape the criminal justice system. Yolo County, CA, was the first to launch its public data tool in 2021. East Baton Rouge Parish, LA, and Monroe County NY, launched tools in 2023. Other prosecutor offices nationwide are in various stages of getting their data ready. 

“Data transparency is the best tool we have for getting to a more accessible and accountable criminal justice system,” said Amy Bach, CEO and founder of Measures for Justice. “This is why we work with agencies and offices nationwide to help them ready their data for platforms like Commons.”

“Accurate and timely data allows prosecutors to be transparent with and accountable to the communities they serve and establish legitimacy,” said David LaBahn, President and CEO of the APA. “Prosecutors can also use this information internally to improve resource allocation and better understand case trends. At the end of the day. These data measures are key to improving public safety.“

Measures for Justice is a national, non-profit organization with a mission to change the future of criminal justice by developing tools that help communities and the institutions that serve them reshape how the system works.

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About Measures for Justice
Measures for Justice is leading a movement to change the future of criminal justice by developing tools that help communities and the institutions that serve them reshape how the system works. Since 2011, Measures for Justice has worked with communities, courts, prosecutors and police to shine a light on what criminal justice looks like nationwide; collaborated to standardize and improve criminal justice data nationwide; and created tools, provided services, and led research to help create a criminal justice system that is fully transparent, accessible, and accountable.