JCI is a Kansas City-based firm that consults nationwide. The principals of JCI are Dr. Allen Beck and Dr. Nancy Insco. Collectively, they have more than 55 years of applied experience working with "at-risk populations." This experience includes planning and operating detention facilities, planning community corrections, managing probation and parole agencies, and finding funds for correctional programs.

 

We have encountered situations in which a jail study finds that a new jail is not needed to deal with overcrowding. We refuse to work with architects who see jail needs studies as smokescreens for convincing decsion-makers to build new facilities. We strongly feel that our services must be for what is best for the "ultimate client," the taxpayers of a community.

 

Allen has performed studies of criminal justice needs in more than 40 counties across the country.  These studies were performed in both small and large counties.  As a result of this experience, he has developed a unique methodology for studying jail inmates, which provides information about the types of treatment and supervision both in detention and for placement in alternatives to incarceration.  For the U.S. Department of Justice, Allen developed a reference manual on techniques of jail and prison population forecasting.  Because of his work in forecasting and  planning of correctional programs, he was selected by the Department of Justice to train state and local criminal justice planners and evaluators in methods of data analysis, planning, and evaluation. His skills include evaluation of a wide range of criminal justice programs, including electronic monitoring, community corrections, boot camps, and community policing.  Allen was also Director of Research for a national project funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, which reviewed substance abuse treatment programs in state and local correctional facilities (prisons and jails).  He has trained jail staff in methods of supervising inmates, planned drug courts, and consulted in the reorganization of a police department and in the development of the Board of Corrections for the State of Florida.  His correctional experience includes serving as the State Coordinator of Diagnostic programs in the Georgia Department of Corrections.  He holds a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Administration, a Master's in Rehabilitation Counseling, and a Bachelor's in Psychology.  Allen also received training through the Institute for Court Management in criminal case processing and has been a Research Fellow in the U.S. Department of Justice.

 

Nancy is experienced in planning and administering detention facilities, and developing funding options for facility construction and operations.  She was the principal planner of a 1,200 bed, multijurisdiction (regional) detention facility in Delaware, which contained courts, court-related services, centralized booking, and transportation. In addition, she developed agreements between the participating counties and agencies who would be housing or serving inmates at the facility.  After construction of the facility, she was appointed as superintendent/warden, a post that she held for 8 years.  Nancy also served as the Director of the Governor's Office of Justice Assistance in Maryland.  In this position, she wrote legislative bills, lobbied for passage of jail and correctional legislation, led task forces on correctional issues, conducted press conferences and public forums, managed projects involving court-ordered jail reforms, and sucessfully led an effort to develop alternatives to incarceration which saved millions of dollars. In addition, she worked with the State's criminal justice agencies in developing funding options and improving jail and justice system operations.  Highlights of that experience include developing responses to court decrees on jail overcrowding and reorganizing local court systems.  Subsequently, she became Director of the Maryland Division of Probation and Parole.  Her background also includes resource development, i.e., grantsmanship and fund raising.  For example, as Special Assistant for Resource Development, for the Attorney General in New Jersey increased the annual external funding receipts from $7 million to $68 in just two years.  Nancy has a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice, two Master's Degrees (Public Administration and Sociology/Criminal Justice), and a Bachelor's in Sociology/Criminal Justice.