JDAI and Deep End Reform create change through system-wide collaboration, transparency and data-driven decision making.
Current data-driven initiatives
Risk Assessment Instrument (RAI)
Ramsey County has implemented and continues to use a standard risk assessment instrument (RAI), which is designed to evaluate a youth’s risk to public safety and failure to appear in court at initial arrest. This screening is used to aid in the decision whether to admit a youth into the Juvenile Detention Center or to release them to an Alternative to Detention program or parent/guardian. The use of this standardized tool has and continues to reduce the use of detention of low-risk offending youth.
Relative rate index
The relative rate index is one method to compare the experiences of youth with color to white youth across decision points throughout the juvenile justice system.
This RRI is focused on several key decision points – arrest, admission to detention, diversion, adjudication and admission to out-of-home placement. There are many other decision points throughout the juvenile justice system, and these selected decision points do not represent all of those points.
Calculating the relative rate index:
The RRI is calculated by dividing the rate of involvement of youth of color at a decision point by the rate of involvement by white youth.
An RRI helps to identify where there are disparities and the magnitude of the disparities in the juvenile justice system. It does not address why there are disparities or how to go about reducing them. Ramsey County is committed to examining the factors that contribute to racial disparities and helping all youth in Ramsey County thrive.
Juvenile Probation Recommendation Matrix
Ramsey County Juvenile Probation and its partners are pursuing a Probation Recommendation Matrix. This matrix will allow for a more standardized method of tracking and making recommendations of an out-of-home placement by juvenile probation officers.