Mapping re-entry organizations & bus/rail access in Los Angeles
1. GIS PROJECT
PRESENTATION:
MAPPING RE-ENTRY
ORGANIZATIONS & BUS/RAIL
ACCESS IN LOS ANGELES
JOANIE EVANS
PPD 631
2. REVISED CONCEPT NOTE
Project Focus: Mapping re-entry services (housing, food,
employment, rehab, etc.) onto a base map of the city of Los Angeles.
From there, I would also like to overlay Metro Bus & Rail lines.
For the final product, I would like to translate this information
into an app, to be used by:
-Community Based Organizations
-Policy Analysts
-Formerly Incarcerated Populations
3. PROBLEM DEFINITION
Defining Re-entry & Access to Re-entry Services by the Formerly
Incarcerated
The majority of prison inmates—95% —are going to be released back into
the community, so addressing the barriers to community re-entry is
important (Baillargeon et al., 2010). Recently released inmates are faced
with a host of barriers to having a successful return, or re-entry, into society.
Many prisoners are poor, returning to their communities with no health
insurance, no government benefits, and little to no family support
(Baillargeon et al., 2010).Those who have been convicted of felony drug-related
offenses may be ineligible for subsidized housing, food stamps, and
other government assistance (Hoge, 2007 as cited by Baillargeon et al.,
2010).
This is why there is a huge need for access to services that address these
barriers. These services—which include food, housing, employment, and
other services—are referred to generally as re-entry services.
4. ANALYSIS PLAN
Research Questions
1. What is the current access to re-entry services based on proximity
to public rail & bus lines in the city of Los Angeles?
2. Can a GIS-based web application—app—increase access to re-entry
services for the formerly incarcerated?
Map of Los Angeles
5. ANALYSIS PLAN
Goals
1. To visually demonstrate access to re-entry services near rail &
bus lines
2. To create an interactive/app resource for use by: local
policymakers, community-based organizations, and formerly
incarcerated people
6. METHODS: WHAT’S CHANGED?
Data Search &Analysis
I have identified the neighborhoods within the city of Los Angeles.
I still need to add to the list of re-entry organizations, specifically those in
West Los Angeles. South Los Angeles is covered.
GIS Techniques
I have re-named rail lines. I have also changed the colors of the lines to
match their Metro-designated names.
In addition, I have overlaid a polygon layer of the City of Los Angeles.
I still need to re-name the bus lines. They are tougher than I expected.
Baillargeon, J., Penn, J. V., Knight, K., Harzke, A. J., Baillargeon, G., & Becker, E. A. (2010). Risk of reincarceration among prisoners with co-occurring severe mental illness and substance use disorders. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 37(4), 367-374. doi:10.1007/s10488-009-0252-9