Projects
PJIL’s projects meet the needs of policy makers, criminal justice officials, state and local agencies, advocates, and the media who are looking for guidance on corrections issues. Our current projects include the following initiatives.
Current Projects
National Resource Center on Correctional Oversight
Launched in November 2023, the National Resource Center for Correctional Oversight (NRCCO) is the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab's signature project. The NRCCO serves as a comprehensive website for offering research insights, state-specific data, interactive maps, detailed profiles of oversight bodies, background information, legislative developments, and news updates. We are continually adding more resources to this dynamic platform.
Deaths in Custody
We are researching deaths in custody in the following areas:
- Natural deaths in custody
- How deaths in custody are investigated
- How families are notified of deaths in custody
Jail Standards
Building on our work developing jail standards for Louisiana, we are developing a set of jail standards based on best practices that are applicable to jails across the United States.
Humanizing Living Conditions in Prison
We emphasize our common humanity with people in custody and identify ways conditions can be improved to promote health, safety, and dignity in the categories of sleep, hygiene, and clothing. We are also developing a database of innovative initiatives in prisons across the country that help change the culture of the facilities.
Women in Custody
We produce resource materials on best practices for developing a gender-responsive approach to supervising women in custody.
Deaths in Custody
We are researching deaths in custody and planning a national conference on the subject.
Completed Projects
Louisiana Jail Standards Project
Pursuant to a directive from the Louisiana Legislature, PJIL worked with the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and the Louisiana Sheriffs Association to help evaluate and develop more comprehensive jail standards and a more effective jail oversight structure for the state.
COVID, Corrections, and Oversight
We produced resource materials on ways that corrections officials, oversight practitioners, and policy makers could manage COVID-related challenges in prisons and jails, and analyzed the impact of COVID on incarcerated people and staff.