A WSU faculty member is steering the first major steps in a comprehensive overhaul of the way Spokane area police, courts, judges, and detention centers work together.
The five-year plan aims to make the system more effective and efficient, with emphasis on developing alternatives to incarceration and providing tools to help offenders turn their lives around.
Jacqueline van Wormer, assistant professor of criminal justice and criminology at WSU Spokane, is participatory evaluator for the Spokane Regional Law and Justice Council (SRLJC). Leveraging her research expertise and experience in restructuring juvenile court systems, she contributes to the project in many areas.
“My job in this goes beyond the research into facilitating, collaborating, and ensuring that reforms are being carried out,” she said. “Usually the university is an independent evaluator, responsible for collecting data and providing analyses of standing programs, so it’s a unique role for WSU, too.”
While professionally rewarding to wear so many hats, “it’s even more exciting to serve my community and sort of push Spokane out to the national forefront for positive change,” she said.