Westchester Index Expansion

The New York Community Trust –Westchester presents local data through an equity lens, featuring 62 indicators across six core areas and narrative data stories highlighting systemic issues and trends. The Capstone team was tasked with expanding the Index by developing justice indicators to address a critical gap in accessible data on youth interactions with criminal justice systems in Westchester County. Deliverables included a literature review of community indicator models, a structured dataset with three justice indicators, a data story, and a final report with findings and recommendations. The team analyzed New York State Unified Court System data specific to Westchester and developed three indicators for the Index: overall arrests trends by municipality, arrest trends for emerging adults (ages 18–24), and felony arrests for youth (under the age of 18.) Findings were presented through data visualizations and accompanied by a data story designed for integration into the Index. The final report shares key findings, documents the team process, recommends strategies to strengthen the Index, and addresses limitations of the data, reinforcing the need for stronger youth justice data to inform policy, resources, and interventions across the County.