In November 2018, CJC Research and Planning Manager, Damir Kukec along with our research partner, Dr. George Pesta, Director of Florida State University, Center for Criminology and Public Policy, participated in a National Association of Counties (NACo) roundtable. With the financial support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation's Safety and Justice Challenge, this roundtable on County-University Research Partnerships, included numerous representatives from county governments and universities from eight different counties across the country. While there were many elements identified at the roundtable, one of the key points called for an organizational culture that looks to evidence-based policy-making rather than "gut feelings". The Criminal Justice Commission's founding ordinance clearly supports evidence-based policy-making. Our long standing partnership with FSU, and their current involvement with the Safety and Justice Challenge, further demonstrates the CJC's commitment to evidence-based policy-making. Overall, our impression was that Palm Beach County is ahead of the curve when it came to county-research partnerships and building/maintaining essential elements for successful collaborations.
To read more about the experience of other counties and the essential elements of a successful collaboration, please see the following link to access the complete report. The report was prepared by NACo following the roundtable discussion held in Chicago IL, November 30, 2018.
https://www.naco.org/resources/county-university-research-partnerships-essential-elements-successful-collaboration
We would like to thank NACo, Mr. Vernon Smith and his colleagues, for hosting a very successful and productive workshop; and for preparing the report itself. We hope that you find the report useful and informative. Feel free to share with others who may be interested in this topic, and don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about our experience.