About

Dr. Michael R. Jones

Michael R. Jones, Ph.D. is a senior criminal justice consultant with over 20 years of experience helping county and state justice systems improve performance through data-guided strategy and cross-agency coordination. As founder and President of Pinnacle Justice Consulting, he advises elected officials and justice partners nationwide on jail population management, pretrial policy, and system governance. His work has helped jurisdictions reduce jail populations, improve court appearance rates, and make defensible, cost-effective decisions, often without expanding facilities or staffing. Dr. Jones is widely respected for his independent, neutral perspective and his ability to translate data and research into practical options for decision-makers.

How We Engage

• Independent and Neutral: We do not advocate for agencies, vendors, or predetermined policy outcomes. Our role is to provide objective analysis and options so decision-makers retain full authority and accountability. You determine the level of sensitivity and transparency 

• Executive-Focused: Engagements are designed to support elected and appointed justice partners with clear information, realistic tradeoffs, and defensible paths forward

• Scoped and Practical: Work is tightly scoped, time-limited, and focused on producing usable products—analyses, facilitation, or decision support—rather than reports that sit on shelves

• Collaborative but Candid: We work across agencies and disciplines while being direct about constraints, risks, and what the data does—and does not—support

Partners

When needed, Mike partners with other justice system experts who have a wide variety of knowledge, skills, and experience to meet each jurisdiction's unique needs.