 |
|
|
| Criminal Justice |
|
Missouri has become the first state to provide judges with defendant-specific data about how much a various sentencing options (e.g. prison and parole versus probation) will cost the state, as well as the likelihood that the defendant will reoffend. This controversial practice, implemented by the state’s sentencing advisory commission, is championed by fiscal conservatives and defense lawyers who believe it will compel judges to consider alternatives to prison; some prosecutors assert that mathematical calculations should have no place in meting out deterrence and justice. Experts predict that similar policies will be implemented elsewhere.
|
|
| Community Development |
|
This article explores how California cities increasingly leverage youth in local planning processes. It argues that planners can benefit from a youthful perspective while providing experiences to help young people become more knowledgeable about their community. Emeryville, for example, has developed a Model UN of sorts for young planners, which concludes with a presentation and proposal to city council members. And in San Carlos, high school students rotate as a voting member of the General Plan Advisory Committee.
|
|
| Preservation |
|
Libraries in Connecticut have placed radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in their books and other materials to make operations more efficient by allowing librarians, and patrons at self-checkout, to check several items at once. At present, most libraries use optical barcode scanning, which only allows items to be counted one by one.
|
|
| Transportation |
|
Clark County schools in Nevada now shuttles school bus drivers between their individual routes and their central “clock-in” location. Formerly, drivers would clock in at the bus barn and drive their bus as far as 40 miles round-trip just to get to their route. Most buses now remain out in the field, closer to the schools, and only one or two buses remain at the clock-in location to act as shuttles. The program has saved the district $200,000 in gas and maintenance costs, and has the added benefit of reducing traffic near schools and emissions into the environment.
|
|
| Courts and Legal Services |
|
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office is taking advantage of the surplus of underemployed attorneys through its new Volunteer Attorney Externship Program, allowing them to gain courtroom experience without costing the public anything. Under the program, participants will be supervised by veteran prosecutors as they work on misdemeanor caseloads.
|
|
| Public Health |
|
In a controversial move, the San Bruno lockup of the San Francisco County Jail is installing condom machines for the prisoners. Sex between inmates is illegal but the Sherriff’s Department acknowledges it’s a reality nonetheless and poses less of a health risk if protection is provided.
|
|
| Emergency Response |
|
California will implement the nation's first mass mobile alert system that sends texts to all cell phone users within a targeted geographical area. Residents or visitors that are proximate to a natural or man-made disaster can be instantly notified. San Diego will begin piloting the emergency system this fall.
|
|
| Environmental Education |
|
Environmental education will now be a major component of Maryland student education under new regulations issued by the State Board of Education. Besides studying the issue in school, students will also create and implement a project that achieves some environmental objective. While students will not be required to take a separate class or take a statewide standardized test on the topic, education officials designed these new regulations to formalize expectations that schools address environmental issues.
|
|
| Governance and Technology |
|
The U.S. government is planning to launch a new Video.gov platform, which will aggregate all of the government’s videos on one “go-to” site. While there exist millions of archived government videos, many are not digitized or posted publicly, and those which are digital reside on their respective government domain platforms. The project would also create live video feeds of activity across different government agencies. The goal will be to increase accessibility and to expand public participation.
|
|
| Social Media in the Public Sector |
|
Not long ago, public agencies were blocking access to social networking sites to prevent their employees from wasting time at work. More and more government agencies are using social media tools to disseminate information, to share ideas and to communicate with the general public.
|
| Social Innovation Snagged in Procurement Red Tape |
|
Done well, public procurement must do two things. First, make the most of limited resources, and second, maintain the people's trust in their government. Lately, these challenges feel even more urgent -- and thorny. The hard truth is that our procurement processes work contrary to our original goal of efficient stewardship. Worse yet, they stifle creativity and innovation.
|
| 'Those Idiots!': Bureaucracy and the Fundamental Attribution Error |
|
Psychologists call the tendency to attribute observed behaviors to the character of an individual, rather than their circumstances, the fundamental attribution error. So it is with government officials seeking to deal with conflicting demands and complex rules. If we observe a foolish outcome, we assume it is done by a fool. But in government, it is more likely a reasonable person functioning within a foolish system. We need to reexamine the structures that produce these circumstances, and question each and every rule, regulation and law that limits people from exercising their good judgment.
|
| Inefficient Government Rules and Regulations |
|
Rules are part of the public-sector terrain, but they can be the most frustrating aspect of government. Well-intentioned rules often work against common sense, have wasteful consequences without producing any public value, and sap the initiative of those in government.
Newsletter produced by: Jim Cooney, editor; Brendan St. Amant, researcher and writer.
|
|
|
Back To Top
|
NOTE: The highlights in this newsletter link to source articles from other websites, and may not be available after a certain length of time.
Please feel free to forward this message to colleagues.
You are receiving this newsletter because of preferences you selected as a registered user of the Government Innovators Netrwork®.
To unsubscribe, login to http://innovations.harvard.edu using your email address and password, then click "User profile" at the top right corner to change your preferences.
About the Ash Center
The Roy and Lila Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation advances excellence in governance and strengthens democratic institutions worldwide. Through its research, education, international programs, and government innovations awards, the Center fosters creative and effective problem solving and serves as a catalyst for addressing many of the most pressing needs of the world's citizens. The Ford Foundation is a founding donor of the Center. Additional information about the Ash Center is available at http://ash.harvard.edu.
|
