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The Clark County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

The Clark County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council


What is a Criminal Justice Coordinating Council or CJCC?


  • A Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) is a partnership of decision makers and community agency representatives who have a stake in the effective administration of justice;
  • A CJCC produces many benefits, including a better understanding of crime and criminal justice problems, greater cooperation among agencies and units of government to establish objectives and priorities, more effective resource allocation, and better-quality criminal justice programs;
  • A CJCC is policy driven and operates through a consensus framework that results in improved planning and coordination to help individual justice agencies become more efficient, productive, and effective. Such improvements also help local officials evaluate and make decisions about the justice system and its cost and performance; and 
  • Local governments find that comprehensive systemwide planning (interagency and cross-jurisdictional) helps to streamline the entire local system of justice, eliminating duplication, filling service gaps, and generally improving the quality of service while controlling costs.

National Network of Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils (NNCJCC) 


In November 2022, the Clark County CJCC was accepted as a member of the NNCJCC.  The NNCJCC was established in 2012 by the Justice Management Institute (JMI) with support from the Bureau of Justice.  The NNCJCC is a formal network of staff and leadership of selected CJCCs across the nation, which includes subject matter experts that provides a forum for peer-to-peer learning among Network members and information sharing to build, expand and enhance capacity for CJCCs in the United States.  The Clark County CJCC is working to adopt the standards of the National Standards for Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils, as applicable to Clark County, to create and maintain a high-functioning CJCC.   For more information on the NNCJCC, you can access the information on the JMI website at www.JMIJustice.org.


What are the objectives of the Clark County CJCC?


  • Support a community approach to criminal justice by involving law enforcement, judicial services, behavioral health, housing, employment, and other social services to address needs of the community.
  • Provide a voice for those impacted by the criminal justice system, to include at-risk communities, families, and victims.
  • Recognize the role, responsibilities and limits of discretion in decision making of law enforcement, judges and other members of the criminal justice system based on existing laws.
  • Establish or improve criminal justice programs to meet or exceed national best practices.
  • Provide a forum for inter-agency coordination on criminal justice matters to develop solutions.
  • Seek resources to support the enhancement of those criminal justice system programs that reduce recidivism, ensure public safety, and advance community health.
  • Identify gaps and deficiencies with the goal of making recommendations to address service gaps in deflection, diversion, and justice system programs.
  • Research, analyze, evaluate, and develop innovative recommendations.
  • Develop actionable implementation plans to meet the recommendations and objectives.
  • Increase community understanding of the criminal justice system and to engage community members from across all racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and at-risk populations.

Guiding Principles of CJCCs
     The national standards for CJCCs are based on a set of guiding principles that encapsulate the
     fundamental precepts of CJCCs. The guiding principles should be the foundation for any council, and, like
     the national standards, they are incorporated into the framework of the essential elements. The guiding
     principles for CJCCs are as follows:

     •  Create a criminal justice system that is fair, just, and equitable.
     •  Enhance public safety and trust.
     •  Think systemically and strategically.
     •  Communicate and share information.
     •  Collaborate, build consensus, and share responsibility.
     •  Use data and research.
     •  Pursue innovation and evidence-based solutions.
     •  Maximize existing resources and taxpayer funds.
     •  Inform and involve the community.
     •  Include diverse perspectives in all regards.
     •  Embrace transparency and accountability.
 

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