The Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative in West Virginia

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

Background

In July 2014, West Virginia’s executive and legislative leadership extended a formal partnership invitation to the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative. The state plans to use the Results First approach to determine which state-funded programs are providing optimal returns on investment and to promote data-driven decision-making in budget and policy matters.

Implementation

The West Virginia Results First Initiative began its analysis with the adult criminal justice system. To organize the effort, state leadership and staff formed a policy working group, which governed the strategic direction of the initiative. A technical working group, composed of staff from the West Virginia Division of Corrections, the Division of Justice and Community Services, and the Administrative Office of the Courts, developed a program inventory of state-funded adult criminal justice programs. The inventory was formally presented to several key policy stakeholders, including the policy working group and the state’s Joint Finance Committee. 

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