Civil Rights

commentary

Bans on Facial Recognition Are Naive. Hold Law Enforcement Accountable for Its Abuse

Broader police reform may be difficult to achieve. But in the long run, it will be more effective than any specific technology ban.

Osonde A. Osoba, Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung

commentary

State Police Powers: A Less Than Optimal Remedy for the COVID-19 Disease

How can the United States face what may be a growing threat of pandemics without having to exercise powers so extraordinary that they not only restrict fundamental rights and liberties, but also damage or jeopardize the economic livelihood of so many?

Douglas C. Ligor @DougLigor

commentary

How Washington Could Make Beijing Listen on Xinjiang

In autonomous Xinjiang, at least one million ethnic Uighurs, Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities have been incarcerated by the Chinese government. What can the United States and its allies do to help defuse this humanitarian crisis?

Mollie Saltskog, Colin P. Clarke

commentary

Celebrating Children's Rights Is Important, but More Progress Is Needed

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which set a legal framework and put children's rights firmly on the international policy agenda, was adopted 30 years ago. While there are a number of initiatives in place, more work could be done to maximize children's involvement in policy and decisionmaking on issues that affect their lives.

Eleftheria Iakovidou, Barbara Janta

commentary

Saving Farmworkers from Slavery-Like Conditions, Field by Field

Those at the bottom of the European agricultural supply chain are vulnerable to abuse. The same was true in the tomato fields of Florida until recently. The solution developed there may offer a roadmap for doing right by workers in Europe.

Susan L. Marquis @susanlmarquis

commentary

The Christchurch Massacre Was Another Internet-Enabled Atrocity

Terrorism has become an internet-enabled abuse—incited, propagated, and sometimes organized and concealed by online activity. Who should be held accountable for abusive content, the author or the publisher? And what role should the government play in regulating it?

James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins

commentary

Freedom of the Internet 'Press'

The First Amendment protects the rights of companies such as Facebook and YouTube to publish what they choose. Arguing against this right could lead to government regulation over digital media. It could also further degrade the reliability of online information.

James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins

commentary

From Florida's Farm Fields, Lessons for #MeToo and Other Movements

Organizers who want to bring about social change would do well to look to Florida farmworkers. They took on the low wages, physical abuse, and vulnerability that have long characterized agricultural labor in the United States—and won, changing the culture for the better.

Susan L. Marquis @susanlmarquis

commentary

Female Drivers Can Put Saudis on Road to Enhanced Growth

Allowing women to get behind the wheel will likely lead to significant long-term changes in Saudi Arabia's economy and the participation of women in the labor force.

Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson

commentary

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?

Brian A. Jackson

commentary

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.

Dulani Woods, Brian A. Jackson

commentary

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.

Brian A. Jackson

commentary

Reform of 'Stop and Search' Requires Effective Communication

The UK's Home Office commissioned the development of a new training package and standard of practice for the use of stop and search. As the program is rolled out nationally, officers need to receive consistent and persuasive messages about the purpose and goals of the training.

Lucy Strang, Chris Giacomantonio

commentary

Why Re-Establishing Border Controls in Europe Could Come at a High Cost

Reversing the Schengen agreement would come at a high economic cost, while undoing many of the positive social and political developments of the past decade.

Marco Hafner, Jirka Taylor

essay

How Will Technology Change Criminal Justice?

In perhaps no other field does society have as direct a stake in getting technology right as in policing. How will technology change the work that law enforcement agencies do and the communities they serve?

commentary

The USA Freedom Act: The Definition of a Compromise

The USA Freedom Act does not 'balance' privacy and national security, nor is it clear that any legislation can credibly do so. There's no monolithic view of what such a balance should look like.

Sina Beaghley

commentary

'Product of Mexico': Why Have Corporate/Social Responsibility Programs Failed?

The Fair Food Program has been a leader in using cooperation, visibility, and accountability to meet the needs of workers, growers, and buyers. Can it be a model for addressing these critical issues in Mexico as well?

Susan L. Marquis @susanlmarquis

commentary

The Time Is Ripe for Evidence-Based Child Policy in the UK

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made and the challenges that remain. Even in the UK there are still children who live in poverty and inequality, who experience violence, and who are not afforded rights on par with their peers.

Barbara Janta

commentary

Wal-Mart Chooses Fairness, Giving Farmworkers a Boost

The recent commitment by Wal-Mart Stores to the Fair Food Program is a transformational moment in the decades-long struggle for fair treatment of agricultural workers in America but the decision is hardly the last human-rights battle to be won on behalf of this long-oppressed work force.

Susan L. Marquis @susanlmarquis

commentary

After NSA Spying Revelations, US Must Reform Rules on Secrecy and Data

The U.S. should make two key reforms. First, the over-designation of material as classified makes it is harder to protect the few real secrets; this must be change. Second, the FISA court must become a gatekeeper for NSA access to communications data.

Gregory F. Treverton

commentary

Police Need to Do a Better Job of Explaining Stop-and-Frisk

Good relations between the police and the public are a cornerstone of civil society. Everyday interactions between cops and citizens are at the heart of what defines those relations, write Jack Riley and Greg Ridgeway.

K. Jack Riley @K_Jack_Riley, Greg Ridgeway

commentary

Selecting for Security

The recent decision to conduct random searches of backpacks and packages carried by passengers on New York and Boston subways, commuter trains, and buses has provoked controversy. Americans want better security, but remain wary about how it is provided.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

commentary

Terrorism in India is Not Just an Internal Threat

The car bombs that last month killed 52 people and wounded more than 150 in Mumbai are the latest and deadliest manifestation of a widening Islamic terrorist campaign in India. The campaign may signal an important new centre of terrorist activity and needs to be closely watched by governments around the world.

Rollie Lal

commentary

Connect the Cops to Connect the Dots

commentaries by RAND Staff: insightful commentaries on current events, published in newspapers, magazines and journals worldwide.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins