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OCTOBER 2007 HOT TOPICSHuman Trafficking: A Problem That Hits Close to Home
While many of us think of human trafficking—both sex and labor trafficking—as occurring mostly in foreign countries, it is a growing national concern, and one that often hits home in local communities. A new RAND Corporation study provides an evidence-based look at human trafficking in Ohio—in particular, Columbus and Toledo—to help inform and shape public discourse and practical responses to it. The study identified 15 cases of human trafficking in the two case-study sites, and interviewed law enforcement and social service providers, many of whom believe that fewer than one in three victims is ever identified. Also, the identification of cases may be growing, with a Toledo task force now investigating six cases involving 60 potential traffickers. The two sites had very different markets—child prostitution in Toledo and domestic servitude in Columbus—and very different responses to the problem, with Toledo having both more awareness of the problem and more resources devoted to dealing with it. Given the relatively small number of cases identified, policymakers and practitioners must carefully weigh their response to this crime relative to other priorities. But the study does offer suggestions for improvement, including improving awareness and response through training, education, and outreach, as well as victim programs and resources, law enforcement capacity, and practitioner collaboration. READ THE REPORT: Human Trafficking in Ohio: An Evidence-Based Analysis Helping Cities Assess Racial Profiling in Traffic Stops
Racial profiling is a significant social problem, but a new methodology developed and pioneered by RAND researchers has helped “[defuse] the contentious battles over racial profiling in two cities where concerns over policing had resulted in court-ordered investigations of profiling,” according to a recent award bestowed by the American Statistical Association. The key problem in testing for racial profiling in traffic stops is estimating the “benchmark” against which to compare the race distribution of stopped drivers. Common approaches to estimating such a benchmark have severe limitations, but the researchers' “veil of darkness” approach gets around those limitations, asserting that police are less likely to know the race of a motorist before making a stop after dark than they are during daylight. Switching to and from Daylight Saving Time creates a special opportunity—a natural experiment; in one week, 6:00 p.m. occurs in daylight, and in the other, 6:00 p.m. occurs after dark. Since racial differences in traffic patterns, driving behavior, and exposure to law enforcement are unlikely to vary at this time between the two weeks, the method can measure racial profiling by comparing the race distribution of stops made during daylight to the race distribution of stops made after dark. The method was applied to data from Oakland, California, and Cincinnati, Ohio—two cities mandated to collect data on traffic stops—and found that there was little evidence of racial profiling in traffic stops in either city. READ THE ARTICLE: Testing for Racial Profiling in Traffic Stops from Behind the Veil of Darkness READ THE RESEARCH BRIEF: Assessing Racial Profiling More Credibly Examining Issues Surrounding the Bankruptcy Act of 2005
A new series of RAND reports examines issues raised by the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. The U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) asked RAND to investigate improved methods for identifying and measuring fraud, abuse, and error in personal bankruptcies. Looking at lessons from both the private and public sectors, the study concludes that a data-enabled case filing system, incorporating lessons from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the General Services Administration (GSA), as well as from the private sector, would benefit the bankruptcy court system. The act requires that any individual filer must receive credit counseling during the 180 days before filing. RAND examined what constitutes effective prebankruptcy credit counseling and how to measure it, concluding that clear objectives for these programs remain to been articulated, that there are no common standards or accepted sets of metrics for USTP to adopt in whole, and that there are no accepted views on the effectiveness of alternative modes of delivery. The act also requires that debtors filing for bankruptcy whose monthly income exceeds the median income for their household size in their state use the IRS expense standards rather than their current expenses to calculate their monthly disposable income. RAND assessed this new requirement's effects, finding that, on average, the use of the IRS standards rather than current expenses both increased the likelihood that debtors could have their debts discharged and reduced the amount the debtor must pay to creditors under a repayment plan. READ THE REPORTS: Identifying Fraud, Abuse, and Error in Personal Bankruptcy Filings |
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The RAND Safety and Justice Program conducts research, analysis, and demonstrations that help policymakers, government agencies, and communities improve public safety. To access our research, please visit our website at www.rand.org/ise/safety/. The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world. Learn More »Copyright © 2007 RAND Corporation. 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401-3208. RAND® is a registered trademark. The RAND Safety and Justice Congressional Newsletter is distributed on an opt-in basis only by visiting us at www.rand.org. We respect your privacy. If you do not wish to receive this periodic newsletter, please email ocr@rand.org or call (703) 413-1100 x5395. This newsletter is also available on the RAND Congressional web site at http://www.rand.org/congress/newsletters/safety_justice/2007/10/. |
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