In New York, the conversation around the 2019 legislation that reformed bail and other pretrial policies mainly focuses on how the legislation impacted judges and police officers, and subsequently public safety and crime rates. But behind the noise lies the fact that there is little data on how the criminal legal system agencies put the various provisions into practice.

Throughout the program, MLP staff worked to support youth with learning disabilities and ensure that they could thrive academically. The program also facilitated collaboration across sectors and organizations to best serve participants’ needs.

Beyond the financial benefits of the program, investing in families also has long-term social benefits that could be even more valuable. Ensuring that students in New York have equitable access to special education services and accommodations is thus beneficial financially and socially.

Jurisdictions across the country can learn from efforts to study probation violations in-depth. A new report on probation violations as a driver of jail time in St. Louis County, Missouri shows that expediated probation programs have much to offer and can work to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the system.