Research Reports / The Louisiana Data Landscape: A Divided Front

The Louisiana Data Landscape: A Divided Front

Our latest data landscape report takes a look at the challenges and opportunities surrounding criminal justice data collection and transparency in Louisiana. This report covers many ways the state’s current infrastructure and data culture hinder efforts to assess trends and make evidence-based decisions related to criminal justice policy, and highlights the power of creative collaboration in driving data improvement efforts.

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Why It Matters

Without access to high quality data, lawmakers and practitioners are unequipped to make informed decisions and the general public is left in the dark about basic information pertaining to criminal justice and public safety in their parish. Following a slew of contentious legislative changes pertaining to criminal justice operations, access to trusted information that can speak to the performance of local systems is critical to understanding the impact of changing policies and practices.

Key Findings

This analysis pointed to four key themes that characterize the Louisiana criminal justice data landscape:

A lack of trust ensures criminal justice data remain siloed.

Louisianans face a number of barriers preventing data access.

In the absence of data, policy is driven by limited evidence.

Success depends on creative collaboration and persistence.