Bill > SR65

This resolution supports Arkansas's adoption of the Justice Counts metrics, an initiative developed by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs and The Council of State Governments' Justice Center, aimed at creating consensus-driven criminal justice data standards. The resolution highlights Arkansas's challenging criminal justice landscape, noting that the state consistently ranks among the top five states for violent crime, incarceration rates, and recidivism (re-incarceration within three years). Recognizing that policymakers often make critical decisions using limited or outdated data, the resolution urges state and local government entities to implement and utilize the Justice Counts metrics, which would provide more consistent, timely, and accurate criminal justice information. The resolution points out that twenty-nine states, including several in the region, have already committed to these metrics, and it seeks to support Arkansas's engagement with this data-driven approach to improve criminal justice decision-making and potentially address the state's high crime and incarceration challenges.