Corrections

Apply Now for Resident Analyst Program to Increase Data Analysis Capacity at Departments of Corrections

By CSG Justice Center Staff

March 17, 2025

Corrections leaders balance the complex priorities of maintaining public safety, operating secure facilities, providing needed care and services to the incarcerated population, and coordinating with other agencies. For many agencies, these challenges are compounded by acute staffing and resource shortages. In this complex and dynamic environment, corrections leaders must make high-impact and high-risk decisions at a moment’s notice. Yet many corrections system leaders do not have access to timely and nuanced data to guide their decisions, run their agencies efficiently and effectively, and demonstrate the full extent of their agency’s value to the public. Although they invest in data management systems and direct staff to collect data, they often lack the capacity to analyze their data independently or use data to inform key decisions.

To address this issue, the CSG Justice Center, as part of the Advancing Data in Corrections (ADC) initiative, is launching the next round of resident corrections analyst placements at state DOCs to assist in developing data analysis capacity, increase the utility of data for decision-making, and build the corrections analyst workforce. ADC is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). You can read more about the program’s first year and initial participating states here.

Program Details

The CSG Justice Center is soliciting applications from state-level DOCs for the Resident Analyst program, which will embed a data analyst in participating agencies at no cost. Each resident analyst will be provided continuous mentorship and guidance from CSG Justice Center experts to ensure placement agencies have access to a wide range of technical skills and that the analyst has support in translating data for a corrections environment.

The analyst placement will last from 6–12 months, and DOCs may receive a part-time or full-time analyst depending on each agency’s specific need(s). Whenever possible, the analyst will comply with the agency’s in-person work policies.

This opportunity is open to all statewide corrections agencies in the United States. Click below to apply. This short form is due by April 18, 2025, and is designed to be simple and quick to fill out. A preview of the questions in the webform can be found below for your convenience.

APPLY NOW

Contact Amber Watlington at awatlington@csg.org if you have any questions about the project or to find out if it is the right fit for your department.

Preview of Application Questions

Agency information
What type of project would the resident corrections analyst support? To help your DOC get started, these are examples of technological and analytic tools that resident analysts can build for their placement agency:
- A customized web-based tool using open-source software that sits within the agency’s technological environment
- Data visualizations using open-source or commercial off-the-shelf programs to provide actionable insights
- Dashboards that link to the agency’s data and update automatically, ensuring real-time access to critical metrics
- Dynamic PDF reports that update with new data at the click of a button, streamlining data reporting
- Reports and data queries designed within the state’s existing information systems to align with organizational workflows and goals
- Improvements of existing analytical tools, visualizations, and reports
In one paragraph or less, please describe specific challenges and limitations your agency faces in using data for decision-making.
In two paragraphs or less, please explain how an analyst and the selected project would help address the agency’s challenges and needs.
- What project would the analyst support? Please include the project’s specific goals and expected outcomes.
- How will the project’s completion help address the challenges outlined in the previous section and facilitate the adoption of data-driven decision-making?
- Describe the long-term benefits of building data analysis capacity within the agency and how the agency will sustain technology and analysis produced by the analyst after the placement ends.
Does your agency have a department or unit dedicated to research, analysis, and data?
- If yes, how many staff are in the unit?
- How many staff does your agency employ in total?
What is your agency’s overall annual operating budget?
On a scale of 1–10, describe the overall investment in your state research and analytics in corrections.
In addition to answering the above questions, potential placement agencies are required to send three letters of support for the project:
- One from the agency director stating their commitment to the project
- One from the director of IT stating their commitment to the project and capacity to ensure that the embedded analyst has all the necessary permissions and authorizations to complete the project
- One from the director of research or equivalent stating how the project aligns with the agency’s broader research and strategic priorities and their overall commitment to the project

APPLY NOW

Photo by kanchanachitkhamma via Canva

This project was supported by Grant No. 15PBJA-21-GK-04348-JRIX awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.