Practical, data-driven support for counties facing jail capacity, safety, budget, or legal pressures.
What we do
We help sheriffs, jail administrators, county executives, and board supervisors make informed, defensible decisions about jail population management—especially when facing:
Replacement of an aging jail or consideration of expansion, including uncertainty about the appropriate facility size or design
Budget constraints and pressure to control operating costs
Federal consent decrees, court oversight, or litigation settlements
How we work
We partner with you through a results-focused, start-to-finish process tailored to your jurisdiction’s timeline, political realities, and level of sensitivity—designed to support legally sound, publicly defensible decisions.
We don’t just deliver a report with recommendations and walk away.
The process
Convening justice system leaders and community stakeholders to understand local priorities, goals, and constraints
Analyzing the current jail population to identify the specific subpopulations driving bed demand
Translating jail population dynamics into clear, decision-ready information for leaders and policymakers
Facilitating structured problem-solving on the full range of options—including tradeoffs
Supporting implementation of administrative, policy, or practice changes that reduce the jail population*
Measuring the effects of those changes
Establishing analytic and cross-agency coordination capacity to sustain results over time
* We prioritize no-cost or low-cost strategies before recommending new programs, additional staff, or reliance on short-term grant funding.
Cost & contracting
Engagements are structured to fit county procurement and budget realities. Options include:
Fee-for-Service: a fixed, agreed-upon price
Share-in-Savings: compensation tied to verified cost savings from reduced jail populations, with no up-front cost to the county
Next step
If your county is considering replacement or expansion, facing capacity pressures, or operating under court oversight, an initial conversation can help clarify options and risks.
Email us today.