Alachua County was named one of six jurisdictions across the United States to receive targeted technical assistance from the Pretrial Justice Institute (PJI), funded by the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Together with PJI and peers from Lucas County, OH, Marion County, IN, Mecklenburg County, NC, San Francisco, CA, and Santa Clara County, CA, Alachua County will work towards improving its pretrial justice system.
The Alachua County initiative was developed by the Department of Court Services. It addresses concerns of unnecessary pretrial detention and disparate system involvement for people of color, a problem that exists in cities and counties across the United States. The Alachua County Commission will work with PJI to examine whether and to what extent people of color are overrepresented in Alachua County’s pretrial population, as well as ways to reduce disparate system involvement for people of color and increase community-based interventions. The primary focus of this project will be on improving the way data is utilized and discussed in regards to identifying inequalities, discussing potential causal factors, and collaborating with partners and the community to address and solve identified problems.
“I am proud and honored that my team’s application was selected for this prestigious award,” said Alachua County Court Services Director Peria Duncan. “We are excited about the important work ahead of us.”
Learn more about PJI.
For more information, contact Peria Duncan at 352-338-7390.