Tools for changing the system

Every state gives the public a right to most government information. Getting it takes persistence. A good request is specific, polite, and cites the law.

• Ask for data in its original format, like a spreadsheet, not a PDF.
• Name a date range and the specific records or fields you want.
• Ask for a fee estimate before work begins.
• Keep a log of every request, date, and reply.

Lawmakers remember stories. Two minutes from someone the bill affects can matter more than a stack of reports.

• Find the hearing. Track bills at legislature.idaho.gov, leg.wa.gov, and olis.oregonlegislature.gov. Washington and Oregon offer remote testimony for many hearings.
• Sign in early. Committees often limit time and close sign-up before the hearing starts.
• Use a simple shape. Your name and town, your position on the bill, one story, one fact, and a clear ask.
• Leave it in writing. Submit written testimony too. It becomes part of the record.

Our strategy depends on people reading what we write. Complex topics deserve plain language.

• Lead with a person, then the policy.
• Use one number, well explained, instead of five.
• Use person-first language: "a person who was incarcerated," not "an ex-con."
• End with one specific thing the reader can do.

Good data is one of the hardest parts of this work. These are sources we use most for policing, incarceration, probation, and parole.

• Prison Policy Initiative: state profiles and national comparisons
• Bureau of Justice Statistics: federal prison, jail, and supervision counts
• Idaho Department of Correction, Washington DOC, and Oregon DOC: population reports and dashboards
• Washington Caseload Forecast Council and the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission: sentencing data and forecasts

Write down where every number came from and when, so you can update it later.