Where and how does the NC Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) need to develop more rigorous research and evidence for leadership, managers, and front-line staff to inform decisions about the agency’s program, policies, and operations over the next two years?

Project ended: February 5, 2024
Department or Agency: NC Department of Adult Correction

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Topics
ReentryCorrectional HealthcareCorrection and RehabilitationCrime And Law EnforcementCriminal JusticeLearning AgendaPublic SafetyWorkforce Needs

Project Overview

Summary

The mission of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) is for all Divisions of the Department to protect the public by collaboratively focusing on rehabilitation, protection, innovation, accountability, and professionalism. Its mission seeks to work collaboratively with the whole community to create a safer North Carolina upholding the core values of Protect-Respect-Integrity-Diversity-and Excellence (PRIDE). NCDAC is one of the largest North Carolina state government agencies with almost 20,000 positions and an annual budget of approximately $2 billion. NCDAC is responsible for approximately 30,000 individuals who are incarcerated in state prisons and more than 84,000 individuals who are on supervised probation, parole, or post-release supervision.

NCDAC is a newly created Cabinet Agency in North Carolina established in the 2021-2023 budget that was passed by the North Carolina General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Roy Cooper in November 2021. NCDAC split from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) and officially started operations on January 1, 2023.

NCDAC and the NC Office of Strategic Partnerships (OSP) undertook an initiative to develop NCDAC’s Priority Questions Research Agenda (PQRA). The aim of the PQRA was to set and define key areas in which the agency will research and develop evidence to inform its policy, programmatic, and operational decisions. Developing NCDAC’s PQRA came at an opportune time as the agency worked to hire staff, formalize policies and procedures, and further its use of data and research to inform rehabilitation and reentry services to currently and formerly incarcerated individuals.

The primary motivation for NCDAC to develop a PQRA was to develop more rigorous research and evidence for leadership, managers, and front-line staff to inform decisions about the agency’s program, policies, and operations.

The NCDAC PQRA outlines potential approaches to address the agency's identified Priority Questions over the next two years (2023-2025).

Deliverables

Planned use of results

The NCDAC PQRA guides the agency’s research and evidence building activities over the next two years (2023-2025). OSP’s Evidence Advisor is advising and helping to execute some initial research and evaluation projects identified in the PQRA Action Plan. Some examples of work OSP might complete include conducting evidence reviews for specific Priority Questions, developing research designs for potential evaluations, and conducting analysis of NCDAC data to try answer emergent questions.

Data

NCDAC and OSP collected data from internal and external stakeholders on NCDAC Priority Questions reflected in the PQRA.

The project is complete.

We’re eager to learn how you use the results and welcome any questions.

Project point of contact

Mike Daniska

Chief of Staff

NC Department of Adult Correction

mike.daniska@dac.nc.gov


Project Team

NC Department of Adult Correction

NC Office of Strategic Partnerships

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