The Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative in Nevada

This page was updated in May 2018 to note the conclusion of the state’s work with the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative.

Background

In August 2014, Senate Majority Leader Moises Denis and Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick invited the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative to partner with Nevada to inventory state-funded criminal justice programs. A short time later, legislative leadership changed, but the new leaders, Senate Majority Leader Michael Roberson and Assembly Speaker John Hambrick, reinvigorated the state’s commitment to the Results First approach in the fall of 2015. Governor Brian Sandoval also formally expressed his support through a letter of invitation, indicating his commitment to “making policy decisions that promote efficiency, accountability, and prudent stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”

Implementation

The Results First technical committee—consisting of staff from the Nevada Department of Corrections, the Administrative Office of the Courts, and the Legislative Counsel Bureau—began compiling the adult criminal justice program inventory in March 2016. Through this work, the committee not only showed that most of the adult criminal justice programs offered in Nevada are evidence-based but also identified areas for improvement in data collection and agency collaboration.