Making the Obvious Possible: Policy Research and the Building of Coalitions for Criminal Justice Reforms

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Abstract
This article examines the responses of the Texas political system to judicially mandated reforms since 1980 and the shifting political coalitions that have shaped correctional policies in the state. It discusses how information generated through policy research has been critical in Texas to channel narrow constituencies into more pragmatic and compromising policies leading to systemic reforms. Policy research, impact statements and prison population projections have made the need for systemic reform “obvious” and reforms possible. Policy research is essential to generate information to explicitly establish accountability in the political arena for the allocation of criminal justice resources.