Hello, data nerds & PDAP observers! We have a lot of good updates in this edition. As always, reply to this email if you have thoughts or comments.
Our HQ and proving ground is in Pittsburgh. If we can help people here use data to answer questions, we can apply those strategies anywhere in the country.
A small coalition is looking to update our local legislation about how police conduct traffic stops. Solid traffic stop data will help them understand the current reality and shape the future.
We made two records requests for traffic stops data from 2020–2022, as well as Q1 of 2023. The agency was responsive, so the Pittsburgh community now has some data to analyze.
The local Alliance for Police Accountability wants their advocacy to be founded in solid research, and posed about 30 research questions about the criminal legal system. They didn’t know where to start looking for these answers about the jail, but our database helped point them in the right direction.
| Question | Data Source |
|---|---|
| How many people are in the county jail because they cannot afford bail? | County Jail Holding Status dashboard |
| How often are people placed in solitary confinement after it was banned in 2022? | Segregated Housing reports |
| Do incarcerated people receive medical attention when they request it? | 2021 & 2022 surveys of incarcerated population |
| Has the city documented any health code violations at the Allegheny County Jail? | Inspection records from the Health Department |
We’ve received our second year of funding from The Heinz Endowments! Here’s a statement from them:
The Heinz Endowments seeks to help our region thrive as a whole and just community and, through that work, to model solutions to major national and global challenges. We are devoted to advancing our vision of southwestern Pennsylvania as a vibrant center of creativity, learning, and social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Our work is supported by reliable data based on equitable, results-focused goals to cultivate a world where all are treated with fairness and respect and have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.
The current grant period ends on June 15, around which time we will share a review of our first funded year. We found our footing, and now it’s time to accelerate!
PDAP provided Data Sources which were cited in this Pittsburgh community report to the (get ready) United Nations International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the context of Law Enforcement (EMLER).
MuckRock, who make tools to help people with records requests, have posted a 6-month FOIA fellowship.
For those in our network who are interested in alternatives to policing, Raheem is hiring for a few roles.
This year we’ve set an ambitious goal: we’d like to 10x the number of individual donations we get this year, and hit $15,000. Individual donors help us prove to the world that people think this work is important. If you are one of those people, donate here!
That’s all for now. As always, you can reply with questions or comments. Thanks for reading!