Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
Douglas County, Kansas
The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) was established by the Board of Douglas County Commissioners on March 9, 2016. The purpose of the Council is to provide a working forum to support communications and collaborative coordination between and among key criminal justice system officials, advisory bodies, agencies, departments and community leaders to promote public health, public safety and an effective, fair and efficient criminal justice system in our community.
YouTube Playlist
Click here to view full playlist in browserDouglas County Data Dashboards
Serious Mental Illness in Jail
Information about people with serious mental illness in the correctional facility.
Go to dashboardJail Bookings and Offenses
Dashboard describing all correctional facility bookings and offenses, with data download option.
Go to dashboardBond Data
Information on bonds issued by Douglas County District Court and municipal courts for peopled booked into jail.
Go to dashboardInmate Population
Detailed snapshot of the current Douglas County Correctional Facility population.
Go to dashboardDistrict Attorney
Provides information about criminal cases in Douglas County District Court.
Go to dashboardReports and Documents
2022 CJCC Presentation Racial Disparities in Jail Stays
Jail Charge Data Analysis and Jail Reduction Strategies for Douglas County, Kansas
Justice Concepts Inc: Recommendations for Improving the Criminal Case Processing of Inmates in the Douglas County Jail
CSG Justice Center: Stepping Up initiative presentation about reducing number of people in jail with mental illness
Justice Concepts Inc.: Forecast of Douglas County Jail Housing Capacity Requirements
CJCC Update for County Commission about managing jail population
Douglas County Pedestrian and Traffic Stop Study 2020-2021
CSG Justice Center: Stepping Up initiative presentation about reducing number of people in jail with mental illness
Husky & Associates: Serious Mentally Ill Persons in the Douglas County Jail
KU School of Social Welfare: Initial Performance Measures and Comparative Outcomes of Behavioral Health Court
Treanor Architects: Initial study of Mental Health Crisis Intervention Center
KU School of Social Welfare: Review of Literature on Jail Diversion Programs
Huskey & Associates: Douglas County Jail & Mental Health Court Study
CSG Justice Center: A County Justice and Behavioral Health Systems Improvement Project
Law Enforcement Contact Study
In December 2018, under the leadership of the CJCC, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Lawrence Police Department, University of Kansas Public Safety, Eudora Police Department and Baldwin City Police Department mutually agreed to contract with Northeastern University to study law enforcement pedestrian and traffic stops in Douglas County.
They were hired through a $175,000 contract to:
- Develop and implement a process for documenting traffic and pedestrian stops
- Analyze the data to determine if any disproportionalities exist
- Formulate any solutions and assist in developing any necessary procedures and processes related to disproportionate minority contact
The study had three phases: planning, data collection, and analysis. The final report can be found here: Douglas County Pedestrian and Traffic Stop study 2020-2021.
Public presentations about study:
- May 12, 2020 presentation
- Aug. 10, 2021 presentation
- March 8, 2022 presentation at CJCC meeting. Presentation starts at 35.30 mark.
- Aug. 9, 2022, presentation at CJCC meeting.
- Aug. 9, 2022, presentation at Lawrence City Commission meeting.
- Aug. 10, 2022, presentation at Douglas County Commission work session.
CJCC Support Staff

Criminal Justice Coordinator | Katy Fitzgerald
Katy Fitzgerald comes to Douglas County from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, where she was a management analyst in the Criminal Justice Services Department since January 2014. In her role with the Criminal Justice Services Department, Fitzgerald has served as a grant writer and recipient, a project manager for several cross-system reform initiatives, a data analyst for the Department and external justice system partners, and as staff to the local criminal justice coordinating council.
Through various grant awards, Katy has: led the development of online training modules in pretrial justice and implicit bias topics; worked closely with Juvenile Justice officials to implement the Reclaiming Futures model, which resulted in an almost three-fold increase in the number of juvenile justice involved youth who received behavioral health screenings; and managed a Driver License Restoration Clinic, which provided indigent residents with legal assistance to reinstate their driving privileges.
Since 2018, Katy worked in pretrial release or detain decisions and bail policy space, facilitating a work group of criminal justice executives to revise and monitor the implementation of the local bail policy, focusing on the elimination of bail schedules, an expansion of pretrial supervision eligibility, a reduced use of financial release conditions, and improved access to defense counsel prior to first appearances.
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Senior Data Analyst | Matt Cravens
As Senior Data Analyst, Matt Cravens supports the work of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. Cravens, who grew up in Lawrence, brings a significant amount of experience to the position. He previously worked as a statistician for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services in Washington, D.C. While there, he analyzed and provided reports on immigration data. He collaborated with field officers and leadership and helped develop guidelines and performance measures.
He also has worked as a senior associate in research for the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Public Safety Performance Project, where he conducted analysis on public safety, juvenile placements, adult incarceration and policy reforms. For about three years, he was a visiting assistant professor and postdoctoral research associate at Dartmouth College’s Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences. Cravens has received a bachelor’s degree and doctoral degree in political science.