The Idaho Statistical Analysis Center (ISAC) is pleased to announced the release of one new research brief on the subject of domestic violence, as well as two new evaluation reports on JAG-funded programs. All three reports are available online in the ISAC Publication Library (https://isp.idaho.gov/pgr/sac/library/).

The research brief "Law Enforcement Response to Domestic Violence Post-Clarke Decision" presents an analysis of Idaho Incident-Based Reporting System (IIBRS) data on incidents of domestic violence reported to law enforcement between 2017 and 2021. Results indicate that in the 10 quarters after the Idaho Supreme Court issued its decision in State of Idaho v. Clarke in June 2019, there were sizable differences in the outcomes of domestic assault incidents compared to the 10 quarters preceding the Clarke decision. Notably, the percentage of incidents classified as aggravated domestic assaults increased about five percentage points, the percentage of simple domestic assault incidents in which an arrest was made decreased almost 15 percentage points, and the percentage of arrests that were citations (as opposed to physical arrests, when the offender is booked into jail) increased by more than 28 percentage points.

ISAC serves as the Byrne Evaluation Unit for Idaho's Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) program, which is administered by the Idaho State Police's Planning, Grants and Research Department. The two evaluation reports examine one current Byrne JAG program and one inactive program.

"Reducing the Burden of Fees: An Evaluation of Twin Falls County Adult Misdemeanor Probation's Substance Abuse Treatment Voucher Program" highlights a current Byrne JAG program that, since 2007, has enabled those on adult misdemeanor probation for drug- or alcohol-related convictions to access substance abuse treatment services they would be otherwise unable to afford. Since ISAC began data collection in October 2018, Twin Falls County has used Byrne JAG funding to fund more than 2,600 hours of substance abuse treatment services for nearly 100 clients, and boasts a 66% graduation rate as well as a lower recidivism rate for graduates when compared to other similar probationers who are not enrolled in the program.

"Establishing Continuity of Care: A Report on the Terry Reilly Health Systems Mentally Ill Offender Community Transition Program" examined an effort to implement a Mentally Ill Offender Community Transition Program (MIO-CTP) in the Boise area. Although the program is now inactive, the program provided mental health services and referrals to more than 460 clients transitioning out of the state prison system between June 2017 and October 2020, less than a quarter (23%) of which had a verified mental health diagnosis before entering the program. Nearly all clients (94%) were provided with referrals to other services, while 59% obtained at least one service directly through the MIO-CTP. More than a quarter (27%) of clients were successfully discharged from the program, and 3% completed the full program. The remainder of those who were successfully discharged (24%) were transferred to other programs or moved away from the service area.

The Idaho Statistical Analysis Center (ISAC) is located within the Planning, Grants & Research Department of the Idaho State Police. The mission of ISAC is to disseminate research, data and statistics related to crime, illegal drugs, victim services, and the administration of justice in Idaho. To learn more about ISAC, or to access other data dashboards and publications, visit our website at https://isp.idaho.gov/pgr/sac/.