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Project Plan

The COVID-19 pandemic had significant global impacts that affected all aspects of everyday life. One area that was particularly unequipped to handle these events was America’s criminal justice system. Events such as increased media coverage of police brutality and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement further influenced the system. So how exactly did the pandemic as a whole affect the system, and what sorts of short term and long term effects are present? 

Area of Interest:

Pennsylvania (possibly New Jersey as well for a comparison model) 

Narrow down the time frame:

  • Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
  • Pandemic (2020-2021)
  • “Post” Pandemic (2022-2023)

3 Major Components of the Criminal Justice System:

  1. Law Enforcement:
    • Study Changes in Arrest Rates
      • Analyze how arrest rates changed across Pennsylvania before, during, and after the pandemic.
      • Consider racial disparities in arrest rates.
      • Collect data on arrest rates and COVID-19 infection rates.
      • Impact of BLM and Social Unrest:
        • Examine how increased media coverage and social unrest affected law enforcement practices.
  2. The Courts:
    • Operational Changes
      • Analyze changes in court operations, including delays in trials and the shift to virtual legal proceedings.
      • The impact on access to legal representation and the quality of defense.
    • Study changes in prosecution rates and policy shifts.
  3. Corrections:
  4. Study changes in incarceration rates and prison conditions
  5. Investigate policies aimed at reducing overpopulation and exposure to COVID-19, such as early releases.
  6. Collect data on COVID-19 spread within correctional facilities.

Data Collection:

  1. Types of Data Needed:
    • Arrest Rates in PA:
    • Incarceration Rates in PA:
    • Prosecution Rates in PA:
    • COVID-19 Spread Rates in PA:
      • General spread rates and specific rates within incarceration facilities
    • Recorded Changes in Policy
  2. Sources
    • Arrest and Incarceration Rates:
      • Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
      • Pennsylvania State Police arrest records
      • Bureau of Justice Statistics
      • Local county jails and police department records
    • Prosecution Rates (?)
    • COVID-19 Spread Rates:
      • Pennsylvania Department of Health
      • Reports from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
      • CDC reports on COVID-19
    • Policy Approaches and Changes:
      • Official government releases and policy documents from Pennsylvania
      • Legislative records
      • News articles and scholarly articles 
    • Possible Comparison Data:
      • New Jersey Department of Corrections
      • Philadelphia Police Department and local jails
      • Comparative reports from organizations like the Prison Policy Initiative
    • Qualitative Information:
      • Reports from criminal justice advocacy groups
      • News articles and scholarly articles 

Analysis:

  1. Short-term Effects:
    • Immediate Changes:
      • Analyze immediate changes in arrest rates, incarceration rates, and prosecution rates.
      • Study policy shifts and changes in law enforcement, courts, and corrections.
    • Policy and Procedural Shifts:
      • Analyze effects of policy changes, such as those aimed at reducing overpopulation in correctional facilities.
  2. Long-term Effects:
    • Systemic Changes:
      • Lasting impacts on arrest rates, incarceration rates, prosecution rates, and policy shifts.
    • Public Attitudes:
      • How public attitudes towards law enforcement have changed.
      • Perceptions of justice and equity.

Conclusion:

  • Immediate and long term effects
  • Best Practices and Areas for Improvement:
    • Best practices implemented during the pandemic.
    • Areas for improvement in the criminal justice system.
    • Discuss how these insights can improve responses to future public health issues.

Platform:

  • Debating between WordPress and ARCGis for presentation and visualization (leaning towards ARCGis) 
  • Narrative Approach
    • Tell the story of how the pandemic affected the criminal justice system.
    • Highlight the factors that emerged as a result of the pandemic and how they altered lives and the system.
    • Discuss the long-lasting effects on legal system, law enforcement practices, and public perceptions of justice