Brian A. Jackson

Climate, Technology, Trust: Ways to Help Students Report Threats to Their School

When students or others don't know how to report a threat or aren't willing to do so, important opportunities to protect students may be missed. Schools receive little guidance about how to implement an effective reporting program or how to build a robust reporting culture. A recent research effort helps to fill this gap, highlighting seven key implications for school safety planning.

Developing a Winning Safety Strategy for Automated Vehicles

When policy problems involve many different groups with diverging interests along with significant uncertainty about the future, games can be a valuable way to explore the potential consequences of important policy decisions. What could gaming bring to the area of AV safety?

Using Digital Data in Criminal Investigations: Where and How to Draw the Line?

Personal devices such as smartphones and wearables gather and store personal data. How much of this "digital footprint" should be available for criminal investigations?

What Data Is the Government Keeping About You?

Governments are amassing a wealth of data on citizens, a trend that will continue as technology advances. But with no reliable way to ensure that the data is accurate, risks abound. In the criminal justice system, for example, poor quality data could affect individual freedoms and employability.

Does the Court System Know as Much About Electronically Stored Information as Your Teenager? It Should.

Electronically stored information from smart appliances, fitness trackers, and other devices is making its way into the U.S. court system. Judges and lawyers need to better understand this evidence so they can challenge it or rule on its admissibility in court.

No Company Should Be Able to Keep You from Checking Your Government's Math

Data and computer models are becoming more and more important for making policy decisions on everything from prison sentences to tax bills. But citizens should be able to “check the math” on decisions that affect them.

To Serve and Collect? Police Department Funding, Effectiveness, and Legitimacy

Like so many issues in public policy, one of the factors shaping the complex policing challenges facing America—and a potential lever to help address them—is simple and unsurprising. That factor is money.

An Enduring Need for Better Measures of Emergency Preparedness

In an era of fiscal austerity, the need for measurement and assessment becomes manifold. Tied to good government goals and responsible stewardship of public funds, measurements are also necessary to educate the public about what it should—and should not—reasonably expect when disaster strikes.

Needed: Sustainable Spying Oversight

Domestic intelligence in the United States is an activity with a history, and efforts to consider future policy on this issue need to take that history into account, writes Brian Jackson. Public acceptability must be part of the calculus in devising oversight and control of intelligence efforts.

Firearms and Gun Control: Many Questions, Some Answers

President Obama's task force on gun violence has raised the stakes in the policy debate on gun control and policy in the wake of the recent shootings in Colorado and Connecticut. Some of RAND's top researchers share what is, and what isn't, known about firearms and gun control.

Short-Term Savings, Long-Term Losses: When Police Departments Respond to Economic Pressure by Cutting Their Forces

Many police departments around the United States have faced budget cuts recently. Ultimately, say Paul Heaton and Brian Jackson, for police services, as with most other things, you get what you pay for.

The Olympics and Terrorism: Why the Games Remain an Appealing Target

While it is quite clear that attacking an event as internationally iconic as the Olympics would be attractive to modern terrorist groups with global aspirations, their ability to do so successfully and shift focus and attention from the competition and achievements of the Games to the terrorist groups' agendas is far less certain, writes Brian Jackson.

Katrina Proved We Must Do Better Job of Protecting Our Protectors

Katrina Proved We Must Do Better Job of Protecting Our Protectors, in the Clarion-Ledger

Is America Prepared for Disaster?

Is America Prepared for Disaster?, in Washingtonpost.com.

Report

Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Technical Violations of Probation or Parole Supervision

This report presents findings from an expert panel that explored ways to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the handling of technical violations of probation and parole — violations that, while not criminal, can be a driver of incarceration.

Report

Indigent Defense Environmental Scan: Identifying Research Needs to Support Fair and Equitable Indigent Defense in the United States

The systems that provide counsel for indigent adult and juvenile defendants in the United States vary across states, localities, and jurisdictions. Researchers developed priorities to advance knowledge around effective indigent defense strategies.

Report

Improving Employment Outcomes for the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Returning Citizens

Gainful employment is a key factor in reducing recidivism, but individuals released from federal prisons face significant barriers to employment. This report presents findings from a workshop held to explore related challenges and opportunities.

Report

Teachers' Views on School Safety: Consensus on Many Security Measures, But Stark Division About Arming Teachers

RAND researchers used survey responses from the American Teacher Panel to learn what teachers think about school safety, including what they think about policies that would allow teachers to carry firearms in schools.

Report

Finding a Broadly Practical Approach for Regulating the Use of Facial Recognition by Law Enforcement

This report examines current and near-future uses of facial recognition by law enforcement and identifies the various concerns and related policy domains that could be used to guide public policy.

Report

Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Needs for Law Enforcement

As cryptocurrency is increasingly used for both legitimate business transactions and illegal activities, law enforcement must adapt. In this report, researchers describe cryptocurrency-related research and development needs for law enforcement.

Report

Reducing Deaths in Law Enforcement Custody: Identifying High-Priority Needs for the Criminal Justice System

On behalf of the National Institute of Justice, RTI International and the RAND Corporation convened a panel of experts to discuss challenges and potential solutions to developing and using a national data collection of law enforcement–related deaths.

Report

Amplifying the Speakers: Identifying High-Priority Needs for Law Enforcement Public Information Officers

Law enforcement communications staff are crucial to meeting public expectations for transparency and responsiveness to concerns, but little is known about their needs. Researchers held a workshop to identify priorities for improving the profession.

Report

Supporting Threat Reporting to Strengthen School Safety: Findings from the Literature and Interviews with Stakeholders Across the K–12 School Community

This report describes threat reporting models available to U.S. kindergarten through 12th-grade schools and how school leaders can support individuals' decisions to report threats effectively.

Research Brief

A Dangerous Web: Mapping Racially and Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism

The authors reviewed literature on racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE), analyzed social media data from six platforms, and created a global network map to better understand how to inform counter-REMVE strategies online.

Report

Intimate Partner Abuse Solution Programs: Identifying High-Priority Needs Within the Criminal Justice System for Programs Focused on Intimate Partner Violence Prevention

Despite widespread use of intimate partner abuse solution programs by court systems and communities, there remains limited information on their effectiveness. The authors convened a panel of experts to better understand the needs of these programs.

Report

Mapping White Identity Terrorism and Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism: A Social Network Analysis of Online Activity

The authors reviewed literature on racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE), analyzed social media data from six platforms, and created a global network map to better understand how to inform counter-REMVE strategies online.

Report

Leveraging Technology to Support Prisoner Reentry

The corrections sector increasingly uses technology to provide supervision services and programs for individuals reentering the community after incarceration. Experts identified strategies for employing technology to improve reentry outcomes.

Report

Sex Trafficking and Substance Use: Identifying High-Priority Needs Within the Criminal Justice System

In this report, RAND researchers investigate the intersections between substance use disorder and sex trafficking and discuss how these issues complicate victims' identification and screening and their ability to access treatment and legal remedies.

Report

Community Supervision in a Digital World: Challenges and Opportunities

Increased access to technology and corresponding increases in computer-facilitated crime have resulted in a greater number of tech-savvy individuals under supervision. Experts identified strategies to help officers manage their online activity.

Research Brief

How the Criminal Justice System's COVID-19 Response Has Provided Valuable Lessons for Broader Reform: Looking to the Future

As the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, stakeholders have an opportunity to reimagine the justice system. This brief presents key lessons learned and recommendations from participants in workshops related to different aspects of the justice system.

Report

Challenges in Implementing Physical Security Measures in K–12 Schools

Officials face challenges in developing and implementing protection and mitigation measures for school physical security. This report details literature review and small-group discussion findings and their implications for policymakers and planners.

Report

A Systems Approach to Physical Security in K–12 Schools

Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center researchers present a systems approach to school safety in which physical security elements integrate to provide benefits with minimal negative effects on schools' missions, operations, and climates.

Report

Analyzing a More Resilient National Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Capability

The authors assess the costs associated with realistic threats to domestic, nonmilitary uses of the Global Positioning System (GPS), and consider possible additions to the positioning, navigation, and timing ecosystem in light of those costs.

Report

Online Dispute Resolution: Perspectives to Support Successful Implementation and Outcomes in Court Proceedings

Online dispute resolution provides a forum for the resolution of court matters that was especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. A panel of experts identified strategies to improve access to justice using these platforms.

Research Brief

Promising Practices from Community Corrections Organizations' COVID-19 Response: Ensuring Safety in the Community

This brief highlights the challenges that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic posed for community supervision organizations, how they adapted to those challenges, and a discussion of which adaptations might hold promise after the pandemic.

Research Brief

Promising Practices from Law Enforcement's COVID-19 Response: Protecting the Public

This brief highlights the challenges that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic posed for law enforcement agencies, how they adapted to those challenges, and a discussion of which adaptations might hold promise after the pandemic.

Research Brief

Promising Practices from the Court System's COVID-19 Response: Ensuring Access to Justice While Protecting Public Health

This brief highlights the challenges that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic posed for the court system, how courts adapted to those challenges, and a discussion of which adaptations might hold promise after the pandemic.

Research Brief

Promising Practices from the Institutional Corrections System's COVID-19 Response: Managing Safety and Security on the Inside

This brief highlights the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic created, shows how corrections agencies adapted to the challenges, describes which adaptations may hold promise, and provides evaluations to demonstrate the efficacy of such adaptations.

Research Brief

Promising Practices from Victim Services Providers' COVID-19 Response: Protecting Victims and Those Who Serve Them

This brief highlights the challenges that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic posed for victims services providers, describes how they adapted to those challenges, and discusses which adaptations might hold promise after the pandemic.

Report

The U.S. Criminal Justice System in the Pandemic Era and Beyond: Taking Stock of Efforts to Maintain Safety and Justice Through the COVID-19 Pandemic and Prepare for Future Challenges

The Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative convened a set of workshops with justice practitioners to take stock of responses to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. They identified key challenges, system innovations, and lessons for the future.

Report

Wearable Sensor Technology and Potential Uses Within Law Enforcement: Identifying High-Priority Needs to Improve Officer Safety, Health, and Wellness Using Wearable Sensor Technology

Data from wearable sensor technologies (WSTs) could be used to assess and improve police officer health and well-being. A panel of experts identified ways to implement WSTs in law enforcement settings, evaluate them, and obtain buy-in from officers.

Report

Risk and Needs Assessments in Prisons: Identifying High-Priority Needs for Using Evidence-Based Practices

Prison systems are underresourced and might lack the capacity to implement risk and needs assessments that reduce recidivism. A panel of experts identified ways to address and improve the use of these tools in prisons.

Report

The Law Enforcement Response to Homelessness: Identifying High-Priority Needs to Improve Law Enforcement Strategies for Addressing Homelessness

Police often are the first (and sometimes the only) point of government contact for persons experiencing homelessness. A panel of experts identified ways to address and improve their response to homelessness.

Commentary

Would Law Enforcement Leaders Support Defunding the Police? Probably — If Communities Ask Police to Solve Fewer Problems

The authors describe police leaders' views on defunding the police -- that is, budgeting less money for police and more for other public safety strategies -- and explain why revisiting law enforcement's role in society could have broad appeal.

Report

Autonomous Road Vehicles and Law Enforcement: Identifying High-Priority Needs for Law Enforcement Interactions With Autonomous Vehicles Within the Next Five Years

Autonomous vehicles promise many benefits, but questions remain about how law enforcement officers will interact with them. A panel of experts identified ways to address this challenge.

Report

Countering Technology-Facilitated Abuse: Criminal Justice Strategies for Combating Nonconsensual Pornography, Sextortion, Doxing, and Swatting

Online platforms that enable users to interact virtually have given rise to new methods of perpetrating harassment and other criminal behaviors that compromise victims' privacy and safety. A panel of experts identified ways to address this challenge.

Report

Countering Drug-Impaired Driving: Addressing the Complexities of Gathering and Presenting Evidence in Drug-Impaired Driving Cases

Driving under the influence of drugs is a serious and growing threat to public safety. Addressing these cases involves identifying impairment and presenting complex evidence in court. A panel of experts identified ways to address this challenge.

Report

Data-Informed Jails: Challenges and Opportunities

Jails produce vast amounts of data because of the expanding scope of services they are expected to provide. However, most jails are not using these data to improve operations or outcomes. A panel of experts identified ways to address this challenge.

Report

Fostering Innovation Across the U.S. Criminal Justice System: Identifying Opportunities to Improve Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Fairness

In this report, the authors draw on panel discussions from the five-year Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative and focus on needs that apply to law enforcement, the courts, and corrections agencies.

Tool

A Database of Criminal Justice Needs for Innovation: Requirements for Developers and Funders: User Guide

Since 2015, the Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative has published more than 20 reports identifying and prioritizing criminal justice needs for innovation. This product provides a database of all of the needs generated during the Initiative.

Report

Court Appearances in Criminal Proceedings Through Telepresence: Identifying Research and Practice Needs to Preserve Fairness While Leveraging New Technology

In 2018, the Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative convened a workshop to explore the use of telepresence technology in the courtroom. Participants expressed the need for research-driven utilization to ensure that its full potential is realized.

Report

Identifying Law Enforcement Needs for Conducting Criminal Investigations Involving Evidence on the Dark Web

An expert workshop of federal, state, and local law enforcement practitioners and researchers explored how law enforcement agencies should conduct criminal investigations while dealing with evidence on the dark web.

Report

Leveraging Technology to Enhance Community Supervision: Identifying Needs to Address Current and Emerging Concerns

An expert workshop of correctional administrators and researchers explored how technology can be used to address key challenges faced by community corrections agencies.

Report

Law Enforcement Efforts to Fight the Opioid Crisis: Convening Police Leaders, Multidisciplinary Partners, and Researchers to Identify Promising Practices and to Inform a Research Agenda

An expert panel of law enforcement leaders identified promising efforts to combat the opioid crisis, including connecting people to needed medications, effectively collaborating to achieve community buy-in, and protecting officers on the front lines.

Report

Countering Threats to Correctional Institution Security: Identifying Innovation Needs to Address Current and Emerging Concerns

This report presents challenges and needs associated with threats to correctional institution safety and security. The authors sought to identify the key needs associated with mitigating the risks of these threats.

Report

Fostering Innovation to Respond to Top Challenges in Law Enforcement: Proceedings of the National Institute of Justice's 2018 Chiefs' Panel on Priority Law Enforcement Issues and Needs

An expert panel of law enforcement leaders identified challenges facing law enforcement today, and their priorities are presented in this report. Panel members discussed needs for innovation that, if pursued, might help resolve those challenges.

Report

Prosecutor Priorities, Challenges, and Solutions

In March 2018, the Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative convened an expert panel to identify priority needs and solutions for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the prosecutorial component of the criminal justice system.

Report

Managing the Seriously Mentally Ill in Corrections

This report presents the challenges and needs associated with how individuals with serious mental illness become justice-involved and how to achieve better outcomes before and after these individuals come under correctional control.

Research Brief

Building an Effective and Practical National Approach to Terrorism Prevention

RAND researchers examined past U.S. countering violent extremism and terrorism prevention efforts and explored options to strengthen them. They found that current capabilities are relatively limited and future efforts must build trust to succeed.

Report

Practical Terrorism Prevention: Executive Summary

Researchers examined past U.S. countering violent extremism and terrorism prevention efforts and explored options to strengthen them. This document summarizes findings from the main report.

Report

Practical Terrorism Prevention: Reexamining U.S. National Approaches to Addressing the Threat of Ideologically Motivated Violence

Researchers examined past U.S. countering violent extremism and terrorism prevention efforts and explored options to strengthen them. They found that current capabilities are relatively limited and that future efforts must build trust to succeed.

Report

Using Video Analytics and Sensor Fusion in Law Enforcement: Building a Research Agenda That Includes Business Cases, Privacy and Civil Rights Protections, and Needs for Innovation

Video technology is changing the ways that law enforcement works and interacts with the public. In this report, the authors explore some of the challenges posed and innovation needs in this emerging area.

Journal Article

Adaptation by Intelligent Adversaries to Defensive Measures: Framing Adaptation Options and Demonstrating Assessment of Attacker Preferences Using Proxy Intelligence Data

Addressing adaptation by adversaries and its implications for security planning requires understanding the ways attackers can respond to new defensive measures. This paper demonstrates an analysis of such preferences using open source data.

Report

Building a High-Quality Correctional Workforce: Identifying Challenges and Needs

This report, informed by a panel of experts, focuses on the challenges and opportunities related to building and maintaining a high-quality correctional workforce and provides a list of needs to inform concerned communities and stakeholders.

Report

Using Social Media and Social Network Analysis in Law Enforcement: Creating a Research Agenda, Including Business Cases, Protections, and Technology Needs

This report describes the proceedings of an April 2017 expert workshop on the use of social media and social network analysis in law enforcement.

Report

Identifying Law Enforcement Needs for Access to Digital Evidence in Remote Data Centers

Researchers discuss the challenge of accessing data in remote data centers, summarize the discussion of an expert panel, and provide a list of needs identified and prioritized by the panel to inform concerned communities and stakeholders.

Research Brief

Emerging Technology Trends and Their Impact on Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice Technology Forecasting Group discussed near-term effects that major societal trends could have on criminal justice and identified potential responses. This brief summarizes a report of the results of the group's meetings.

Report

Addressing Emerging Trends to Support the Future of Criminal Justice: Findings of the Criminal Justice Technology Forecasting Group

The Criminal Justice Technology Forecasting Group deliberated on the effects that major societal trends could have on criminal justice in the near future and identified potential responses. This report captures the results of the group's meetings.

Report

Caring for Those in Custody: Identifying High-Priority Needs to Reduce Mortality in Correctional Facilities

Presents the results of an expert panel focused on identifying and prioritizing ways to reduce mortality occurring in correctional facilities.

Journal Article

Managing Officer Behavioural Risk Using Early Intervention Systems: Addressing System Design Challenges for Law Enforcement and Corrections Environments

The goal of EIS is to provide the opportunity to identify and intervene for officers that are showing signs of problematic behaviour or performance. In the project described here, we demonstrated expansion of the EIS concept to a corrections context.

Report

Envisioning an Alternative Future for the Corrections Sector Within the U.S. Criminal Justice System

To contribute to the policy debate on corrections, RAND interviewed a group of prominent correctional practitioners, consultants, and academics. This report outlines their perspectives on the state of corrections and their vision for the future.

Report

Knowing More, But Accomplishing What? Developing Approaches to Measure the Effects of Information-Sharing on Criminal Justice Outcomes

In this report, researchers explore measurement methods to assess how information-sharing affects criminal justice outcomes and offer lessons for future policy evaluation and information system design.

Report

Fostering Innovation in U.S. Law Enforcement: Identifying High-Priority Technology and Other Needs for Improving Law Enforcement Operations and Outcomes

Presents the results a 2016 workshop in which a panel of law enforcement experts identifies high-priority needs for innovation in law enforcement, covering advances in technology, policy, and practice.

Report

Future-Proofing Justice: Building a Research Agenda to Address the Effects of Technological Change on the Protection of Constitutional Rights

In this report, RAND researchers, with the help of an advisory panel, craft a research agenda to prepare the U.S. legal system to address the effects of emerging technologies on individuals' constitutional rights, especially to due process.

Report

Using Future Broadband Communications Technologies to Strengthen Law Enforcement

This report describes the finding of an expert panel convened in September 2015 to discuss how law enforcement can best leverage future communications capabilities anticipated to be fielded over the next 10 to 15 years.

Research Brief

Can Technology Make Schools Safer?

Key technology needs to improve safety in U.S. schools include two-way communication between teachers and emergency responders and "all-in-one" applications to integrate school safety policies, procedures, training, and alerts for staff and parents.

Tool

Courts Innovation Needs Tool

Using information drawn from the report findings, this interactive tool for ranking court innovation needs allows users to re-prioritize the needs, based on their own views of the importance of different court system policy goals.

Report

Fostering Innovation in the U.S. Court System: Identifying High-Priority Technology and Other Needs for Improving Court Operations and Outcomes

The U.S. courts sector is challenged by high caseloads, resource constraints, and other trends, and this report seeks to frame an innovation agenda by identifying and prioritizing potential improvements in technology, policy, and practice.

Report

The Role of Technology in Improving K–12 School Safety

The report categorizes school safety technologies, summarizes research on school violence, presents six case studies of innovative technologies, and summarizes experts' views of technologies and safety problems and their rankings of technology needs.

Journal Article

Assessing the Effectiveness of Layered Security for Protecting the Aviation System Against Adaptive Adversaries

This study examines the effectiveness of layered security for protecting the aviation system against adaptive adversaries.

Journal Article

Exploring the Effect of the Diffusion of Geo-Targeted Emergency Alerts: The Application of Agent-Based Modeling to Understanding the Spread of Messages from the Wireless Emergency Alerts System

This report examines the effect of the diffusion of geo-targeted emergency alerts.

Testimony

Strengthening Trust Between Police and the Public in an Era of Increasing Transparency

Testimony presented before the House Republican Policy Committee Law Enforcement Task Force on October 6, 2015.

Report

Using Future Internet Technologies to Strengthen Criminal Justice

This report discusses the technologies, needs, and overarching themes that were discussed during a RAND-conducted expert panel on the criminal justice community's need to take advantage of (and mitigate threats from) emerging web technologies.

Commentary

Respect and Legitimacy — A Two-Way Street: Strengthening Trust Between Police and the Public in an Era of Increasing Transparency

Amid recent tensions between law enforcement and the public, the author addresses key questions that must be answered to build the foundation for long-lasting mutual trust, especially given technological changes that are increasing transparency.

Report

Digital Evidence and the U.S. Criminal Justice System: Identifying Technology and Other Needs to More Effectively Acquire and Utilize Digital Evidence

This report describes results of a research effort to identify and prioritize criminal justice needs related to digital evidence collection, management, analysis, and use.

Tool

Interactive Tool for Ranking Digital Evidence Needs

This tool presents the prioritized needs related to digital evidence collection, management, analysis, and use and allows the user to see how their priorities would change when the importance of different digital evidence objectives are changed.

Report

Visions of Law Enforcement Technology in the Period 2024-2034: Report of the Law Enforcement Futuring Workshop

Describes the results of a July 2014 workshop in which a diverse group of law enforcement practitioners explored future visions of law enforcement and identified and prioritized needs in technology, policy, and practice based on those visions.

Tool

Criminal Justice Technology Taxonomy Web Tool

This tool presents a dynamic map populated by information on tools and practices that allow the user to explore the different areas of corrections technology and practice and to make comparisons between community and institutional corrections.

Report

High-Priority Information Technology Needs for Law Enforcement

This study reports on strategic planning activities undertaken to support the National Institute of Justice in the area of information technology, collecting and analyzing data on law enforcement needs, and identifying potential solutions.

Report

Fostering Innovation in Community and Institutional Corrections: Identifying High-Priority Technology and Other Needs for the U.S. Corrections Sector

The U.S. corrections enterprise is challenged by a variety of demographic, societal, and fiscal trends, and this report seeks to frame an innovation agenda by identifying and prioritizing potential improvements in technology, policy, and practice.

Tool

Interactive Tool for Ranking Corrections Innovation Needs

Interactive tool that allows users to leverage the research in Fostering Innovation in Community and Institutional Corrections.

Report

Police Department Investments in Information Technology Systems: Challenges Assessing Their Payoff

As police departments and other public service providers manage reduced budgets, RAND researchers explored the rationale and evidence supporting the idea that IT investments can increase efficiency in policing, and do so cost-effectively.

Testimony

Applying Lessons Learned from Past Response Operations to Strengthening National Preparedness: Addendum

Document submitted on July 11, 2014 as an addendum to testimony presented before the House Homeland Security Committee on June 18, 2014.

Report

How Do We Know What Information Sharing Is Really Worth? Exploring Methodologies to Measure the Value of Information Sharing and Fusion Efforts

This report discusses the challenges of evaluating information-sharing efforts that seek to achieve multiple goals simultaneously; reviews past evaluations of information-sharing programs; and lays out a path to improving the evaluation of such efforts.

Testimony

Applying Lessons Learned from Past Response Operations to Strengthening National Preparedness

Testimony presented before the House Homeland Security Committee on June 18, 2014.

Report

Wireless Emergency Alerts: Mobile Penetration Strategy

This report characterizes the factors that affect wireless emergency alert (WEA) coverage, identifies barriers to public access to WEA alerts, and suggests options for increasing mobile penetration (adoption) of WEA nationwide.

Journal Article

Human Subjects Protection and Research on Terrorism and Conflict

The authors discuss how current legal developments raise complications and may limit the ability of researchers to work on terrorism and conflict topics.

Journal Article

Considering Al-Qa'ida's Innovation Doctrine: From Strategic Texts to "Innovation in Practice"

Understanding how terrorist groups innovate and adapt is key for anticipating future shifts in terrorist threats.

Journal Article

Wireless Emergency Alerts: Mobile Penetration Strategy

The objective of this analysis was to independently assess the coverage and penetration of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system.

Report

Efficient Aviation Security: Strengthening the Analytic Foundation for Making Air Transportation Security Decisions

Presents a set of analyses intended to help fill some of the current gaps in analysis of the costs, benefits, and efficiency of aviation security measures and strategies in the face of uncertainty.

Journal Article

Assessing the Security Benefits of a Trusted Traveler Program in the Presence of Attempted Attacker Exploitation and Compromise

Examines the security costs and benefits of a trusted traveler program, in which individuals who have been identified as posing less risk than others are allowed to pass through security checkpoints with reduced security screening.

Brochure

Proposed Directions of Change to the Common Rule for Protecting Human Research Participants: RAND Responses

Documents RAND's responses to proposed changes in the Common Rule, which regulates Institutional Review Board protection of human research participants.

Report

The Long Shadow of 9/11: America's Response to Terrorism

In a series of essays, this book addresses the question of how America has responded in the ten years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks and suggests options for more effectively dealing with the terrorist threat in the future.

Draft

Assessing the Security Benefits of a Trusted Traveler Program in the Presence of Attempted Attacker Exploitation and Compromise

Examines the security costs and benefits of a trusted traveler program, in which individuals who have been identified as posting less risk than others are allowed to pass through security with reduced security screening.

Report

Influences on the Adoption of Multifactor Authentication

Explores the adoption of multifactor authentication (MFA) -- which combines something you know (e.g., a PIN), something you have (e.g., a token), and/or something you are (e.g., a fingerprint) -- to identify users to a computer system.

Journal Article

Preparedness Exercises 2.0: Alternative Approaches to Exercise Design That Could Make Them More Useful for Evaluating — and Strengthening — Preparedness

This methodology, which has been applied previously to preparedness measurement, is explored as a tool for exercise design to focus it more tightly on key potential problem areas and to make it easier to use exercise data to explore preparedness for incidents that could differ considerably from the specific exercised scenario.

Research Brief

Should Global Force Management Information Be Classified?

This research brief describes a method for determining whether information should be classified and applies the method to the Global Force Management Data Initiative.

Report

What Should Be Classified? A Framework with Application to the Global Force Management Data Initiative

Develops a framework for assessing classification decisions and uses it to conclude that classifying the Global Force Management Data Initiative provides little value (but still advises monitoring file contents).

Journal Article

Text Analysis of After Action Reports to Support Improved Emergency Response Planning

This study combines a text analysis of 70 after action reports (AARs) with a failure mode effects and consequences analysis (FMECA). This approach provides a mechanism to connect the AAR process with efforts to improve emergency response planning.

Journal Article

Are We Prepared? Using Reliability Analysis to Evaluate Emergency Response Systems

The capabilities and capacities for response are the product of a system of plans, authorities, policies,procedures, personnel, training, materials, equipment and facilities to address post-incident needs.

Journal Article

A Table-Top Game to Teach Technological and Tactical Planning in a Graduate Terrorism and Counterterrorism Course

A table-top game is described where students play the role of a terrorist group seeking to attack an urban subway and then act as security planners charged with protecting it.

Report

Evaluating the Reliability of Emergency Response Systems for Large-Scale Incident Operations

Describes a method, based on the concept of system reliability, for evaluating the preparedness of emergency response systems, particularly for large-scale incidents.

Report

Understanding the Role of Deterrence in Counterterrorism Security

Deterrence -- a central feature of counterterrorism security systems -- is not well understood or measured. This paper offers a framework for understanding how security affects terrorist planning and for measuring these systems' deterrent value.

Report

Understanding Why Terrorist Operations Succeed or Fail

This paper argues that the success or failure of terrorist operations can be best understood by thinking about the match or mismatch between key sets of characteristics of the group, its plans, and the security measures facing them.

Report

Social Science for Counterterrorism: Putting the Pieces Together

Why does terrorism arise and decline? Why do people become terrorists or disengage? How do terrorists generate, maintain, or lose public support? How do terrorists make decisions? These are the questions that the authors address.

Report

Emerging Threats and Security Planning: How Should We Decide What Hypothetical Threats to Worry About?

An approach for assessing novel or emerging threats and prioritizing which merit specific security attention and which can be addressed as part of existing security efforts.

Research Brief

Are Communities Ready to Conduct Rapid and Large-Scale Dispensing of Medications During a Public Health Emergency?

This research highlight summarizes the findings of RAND's initial evaluation of the Cities Readiness Initiative and the program's impact on communities' readiness to conduct mass dispensing of medications and other medical supplies.

Report

Considering the Creation of a Domestic Intelligence Agency in the United States: Lessons from the Experiences of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom

With terrorism still prominent on the U.S. agenda, does the country need a dedicated domestic intelligence agency? Case studies of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK provide lessons that may help policymakers decide.

Report

Initial Evaluation of the Cities Readiness Initiative

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked RAND to provide an initial evaluation of the impact of the Cities Readiness Initiative on awardees' readiness and capability to conduct mass countermeasure dispensing.

Report

The Challenge of Domestic Intelligence in a Free Society: A Multidisciplinary Look at the Creation of a U.S. Domestic Counterterrorism Intelligence Agency

Does the United States need a dedicated domestic counterterrorism intelligence agency? This book examines such an agency's creation, possible capability, and approaches for assessing its effectiveness and acceptability to the public.

Report

The Lessons of Mumbai

Analyzes the November 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai, India, and derives lessons learned from the attack and from the Indian response.

Journal Article

Technology Strategies for Homeland Security: Adaptation and Coevolution of Offense and Defense

Terrorists' strategies are driven by the types and range of weapons and other technologies they acquire.

Research Brief

Consequence Prevention: A New Model for Addressing Uncertainty About Terrorist Threats

To help policymakers deal with the uncertainty surrounding the nature of future terrorist threats, traditional terrorism prevention measures should be integrated into a portfolio that also includes measures that mitigate an attack's consequences.

Research Brief

A New Approach for Assessing Emergency Preparedness

Framing of a broad set of questions about how national preparedness can be meaningfully evaluated, this policy brief introduces an alternative way of thinking about measuring emergency preparedness.

Report

Marrying Prevention and Resiliency: Balancing Approaches to an Uncertain Terrorist Threat

The author recommends a capabilities-based, portfolio approach to terrorism prevention planning. Protective portfolios would combine preventative measures and mitigation and resiliency measures to deal with uncertainty in the terrorist threat.

Report

The Problem of Measuring Emergency Preparedness: The Need for Assessing ''Response Reliability'' as Part of Homeland Security Planning

Framing of a broad set of questions about how preparedness can be meaningfully measured, this paper provides some background on the national preparedness system before introducing an alternative way of thinking about measuring preparedness.

Report

Evaluating Novel Threats to the Homeland: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Cruise Missiles

For several types of attacks, examines cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from an adversary's perspective and assesses defensive options to address this and other asymmetric threats.

Testimony

Developing Robust Border Security Technologies to Protect Against Diverse and Adaptive Threats: Addendum

Document submitted on December 17, 2007 as an addendum to testimony before the House Science and Technology Committee, Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation on November 15, 2007.

Research Brief

A Framework for Planning Cost-Effective Rail Security Against a Terrorist Attack

This research brief explains a framework to guide cost-effective passenger-rail security planning and applies it to a notional rail system that characterizes rail systems typically found in the United States.

Report

Securing America's Passenger-Rail Systems

This book explains a framework that security planners and policymakers can use for cost-effective rail-security planning. It focuses specifically on terrorism risk, which is a function of threat, vulnerability, and consequences.

Draft

Rifling Through the Terrorists' Arsenal: Exploring Groups' Weapon Choices and Technology Strategies

Using a random sample of terrorist incidents from the RAND-MIPT Terrorism Incident Database, this paper explores how terrorists choose their weapons and strategies.

Testimony

Developing Robust Border Security Technologies to Protect Against Diverse and Adaptive Threats

Testimony presented before the House Science and Technology Committee, Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation on November 15, 2007.

Report

Network Technologies for Networked Terrorists: Assessing the Value of Information and Communication Technologies to Modern Terrorist Organizations

Terrorists use network technologies as they plan and stage attacks. This book explores the purpose and manner of the use of these technologies, their net effect, and security forces' possible responses.

Testimony

Protecting Emergency Responders at Large-Scale Incidents: Lessons Learned from the Response to the Attacks on the World Trade Center

Testimony presented before the House Education and Labor Committee on September 12, 2007.

Report

Stealing the Sword: Limiting Terrorist Use of Advanced Conventional Weapons

Examines how terrorists make technology choices and how the United States can use that knowledge to discourage terrorists' use of advanced conventional weapons.

Research Brief

Bioterrorism with Zoonotic Disease: Public Health Preparedness Lessons from a Multiagency Exercise

This fact sheet describes tabletop exercises in six Georgia health districts and at the state level to understand what coordination and public health response are required among groups with diverse responsibilities and at different government levels.

Report

Counterinsurgency Intelligence in a ''Long War'': The British Experience in Northern Ireland

Shows how counterintelligence collection efforts must diverge significantly from ''classical'' collection methods when fighting an insurgency.

Research Brief

Getting Inside the Terrorist Mind

This research brief summarizes three new RAND monographs: one focuses on terrorists' defenses against counterterrorist technologies; another details terrorist technology- and knowledge-sharing; a third explores terrorist targeting preferences.

Report

Economically Targeted Terrorism: A Review of the Literature and a Framework for Considering Defensive Approaches

This report describes the range of economic effects of terrorist activities. The framework developed here captures costs of economic targeting, whether through episodic or campaign terrorism, and explores defensive measures against this threat.

Report

Sharing the Dragon's Teeth: Terrorist Groups and the Exchange of New Technologies

This work details efforts of 11 terrorist groups to improve their operational capabilities through the exchange of technologies and knowledge and suggests ways that government policies can create barriers to terrorists' adoption of new technologies.

Draft

Assessing the Benefits of Homeland Security Efforts Deployed Against a Dynamic Terrorist Threat

Focuses on measuring the costs to terrorists of protective and security measures that either deter them from staging attacks or significantly degrade their ability to cause harm when they choose to do so.

Report

Breaching the Fortress Wall: Understanding Terrorist Efforts to Overcome Defensive Technologies

Examines the history of terrorist conflicts to understand terrorists' counter-technology efforts and to help the nation make the best choices to protect it from the threat of terrorism.

Report

The Global Technology Revolution 2020, Executive Summary: Bio/Nano/Materials/Information Trends, Drivers, Barriers, and Social Implications

Presents foresights into global technology trends and their implications for the world in the year 2020.

Report

The Global Technology Revolution 2020, In-Depth Analyses: Bio/Nano/Materials/Information Trends, Drivers, Barriers, and Social Implications

Presents in-depth analyses on foresights into global technology trends and their implications for the world in the year 2020.

Research Brief

Global Technology Revolution 2020: Technology Trends and Cross-Country Variation

This research brief examines how technology changes -- in economic development, health, environmental quality, and military power -- will play out differently across the globe.

Testimony

Information Sharing and Emergency Responder Safety Management

Testimony presented before the House Government Reform Committee on March 30, 2006.

Report

Bioterrorism with Zoonotic Disease: Public Health Preparedness Lessons from a Multiagency Exercise

Reports on an exercise examining the intentional introduction of avian influenza in commercial poultry operations during a severe human influenza season and explores issues associated with public health preparedness for major disease outbreaks.

Journal Article

Groups, Networks, or Movements: A Command-And-Control-Driven Approach to Classifying Terrorist Organizations and Its Application to Al Qaeda

Appropriately describing the properties and defining the boundaries of terrorist groups is frequently challenging.

Report

Training for Urban Resistance: The Case of the Provisional Irish Republican Army

Uses the Provisional Irish Republican Army as an example case to describe and evaluate a terrorist training effort.

Report

Aptitude for Destruction, Volume 1: Organizational Learning in Terrorist Groups and Its Implications for Combating Terrorism

Understanding how terrorist groups learn may aid in developing strategies to combat terrorist activities.

Report

Aptitude for Destruction, Volume 2: Case Studies of Organizational Learning in Five Terrorist Groups

Case studies of the organizational learning activities of five major terrorist groups and a methodology for ascertaining what and why they learned.

Draft

Illinois Homeland Security Economic Development Initiative: Scoping Study

Reports the results of work done to examine issues around formulating and implementing a comprehensive economic development strategy for the homeland security industry in the state of Illinois.

Journal Article

Nano-enabled Components and Systems for Biodefense

Focuses on biomedical applications of nanotechnology in: nanodrugs and drug delivery; prostheses and implants; diagnostics and screening technologies.

Draft

Organizational Learning and Terrorist Groups

Report

Emergency Responder Injuries and Fatalities: An Analysis of Surveillance Data

Summarizes the results of an analysis of available data sources concerning the hazards facing firefighters, police, and emergency medical responders.

Report

Protecting Emergency Responders, Volume 3: Safety Management in Disaster and Terrorism Response

Recommendations are outlined for protecting firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency medical service responders, and other emergency responders during the aftermath of terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other large-scale emergency incidents.

Report

The Office of Science and Technology Policy Blue Ribbon Panel on the Threat of Biological Terrorism Directed Against Livestock

Focuses on the nation's emergency management infrastructure and prioritizes a future research and development portfolio for thwarting potential terrorist bio-attacks against U.S. livestock and related produce.

Research Brief

Safeguarding Emergency Responders During Major Disasters and Terrorist Attacks: The Need for an Integrated Approach

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) teamed with the RAND Corporation to assess existing safety procedures and make recommendations to guide needed changes.

Report

Protecting Emergency Responders, Volume 2: Community Views of Safety and Health Risks and Personal Protection Needs

Examines the hazards that emergency responders face and the personal protective technology needed to contend with those hazards.

Research Brief

Emergency Responders' Views on Their Protection Needs

Emergency responders face serious hazards in their jobs, placing them at high risk of occupational injury or death. Using various forms of personal protective technologies (PPTs) can mitigate that risk.

Report

Innovation and Intellectual Property: The Case of Genomic Patenting

Explores the potential effect on future innovation in biotechnology of a patent on a gene, which may cover a wide range of possible technological applications and be of unknown breadth when issued.

Report

Protecting Emergency Responders: Lessons Learned from Terrorist Attacks

This book is intended to help managers and decisiomakers understand the unique working and safety environment associated with terrorist incidents.

Report

Science & Technology Collaboration: Building Capacity in Developing Countries?

Science & Technology Collaboration: Building Capacity in Developing Countries?

Report

Challenges and Choices for Crime-Fighting Technology Federal Support of State and Local Law Enforcement

Provides findings of a study of technology in use or needed by law enforcement agencies at the state and local level, for the purpose of informing federal policymakers as they consider technology-related support for these agencies.

Report

Technology Acquisition by Terrorist Groups: Threat Assessment Informed by Lessons from Private Sector Technology Adoption

Brings to bear the deep literature that exists on technology adoption by commercial organizations to examine the process through which terrorist groups seek out and deploy new technology.