The Mission
JustSolve supports collaborative and data-driven practices to assist jurisdictions committed to bold and forward-thinking reform. We promote justice through safe, effective, efficient practices and programs for entire communities.
JustSolve provides consultation to support established reform initiatives and assembles consultants who specialize in system assessment and data-driven diagnostics. We outline practices and programs to address problems, organizational culture change within justice system agencies, and community-building and non-profit partnerships.
JustSolve is also capable of assembling a team of associates and leading experts in the field, allowing us to organize talent around any particular project or need.
Since 2013, JustSolve has worked in partnership on initiatives aligned with its mission. These partners and initiatives have included:
Worked with California Forward to develop the Justice System Change Initiative resulting in a number of Jail Utilization studies to help design, develop and implement justice system improvements and safe alternatives to jail.
Working with the Annie E. Casey Foundation in the national Deep End Initiative, which helped to reduce out of home placement, especially for youth of color.
Participating in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s national Probation Transformation Initiative. This includes: the development of the assistance vs. control model and probation practices auditing tool and practicum; and participation in the development of the Probation Transformation Certification Program at the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University.
Working with the W. Haywood Burns Institute in the State of Ohio and other jurisdictions nationally to implement and expand county level involvement in the juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, utilizing the eight core strategies and in orchestrating multiple system assessments to identify opportunities and launch reform work.
Working with a variety of California Counties to evaluate programs for justice involved youth, address and improve gender specific practices for girls, conduct juvenile detention utilization studies, and evaluate probation practice (more information available upon request).
About the Founder
Scott MacDonald is a retired Chief Probation Officer from Santa Cruz County, California and has over 35 years of experience in adult and juvenile probation. He presently consults in the areas of juvenile and criminal justice reform. He works closely with the Annie E. Casey Foundation in the implementation of the Probation Transformation, Deep End and Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative. Scott also worked with California Forward to develop and implement the Justice System Change Initiative (J-SCI) which focuses on criminal justice reform.
Scott holds a Master of Science Degree in Administration of Justice from San Jose State University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of California Santa Cruz. He has lectured nationally in the areas of restorative justice, and juvenile and criminal justice reform. Scott lectured at the University of California Santa Cruz, San Jose State University and at Cabrillo Community College. He is published in Federal Probation and he contributed three chapters of a book on Juvenile Reentry, by the Federal Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention.
Scott MacDonald is a leading expert in the field of juvenile and adult probation, and assists various counties with improving probation practices and outcomes.