This is an excellent way to make important information available to the media, public officials, and the public, in a timely, inexpensive, and accessible manner. For those who are interested in thoughtful presentations of information about correctional agencies and correctional policy issues, one interesting site is the California Legislative Analyst's Office which includes analyses of legislation related to correction. Illinois has a similar page concerning the effectiveness of a pre-release preparation program. I was initially sceptical of this feature. However, this mode of information dissemination has several important advantages.
Several agencies have interesting planning and research collections.
For example, the Federal Bureau of Prisons provides downloadable versions of recent research and statistics reports. The Louisiana Department of Corrections maintains an extensive statistical report, including graphs and tables. The site is intended to serve as a central point for individuals, agencies and organizations, to find each other on the Internet. The site features links to the American Correctional Association, the American Jail Association, and the American Probation and Parole Association. Of the three linked organizations, only the American Jail Association has meaningful content.