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Courts

Commentary
The RAND Institute for Civil Justice: 40th Anniversary Reflections
The RAND Institute for Civil Justice (ICJ) has supplied government and private decisionmakers and the public with the results of objective, empirically based, analytic research. In this era of Truth Decay, the diminishing role of facts and analysis in public life, the ICJ's mission and research have never been more important.
Nov 6, 2019
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.
Oct 28, 2019
Report
Caseload Standards for Indigent Defenders in Michigan: Final Project Report for the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission
The Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) asked the RAND Corporation for assistance in determining maximum caseload standards for providers of indigent legal representation to adult defendants in Michigan. The authors present data and analysis.
Aug 26, 2019
Journal Article
Drug Offences: Assessment of Guideline
Using data collection exercises in the Crown and magistrates courts, researchers helped identify whether sentencing outcomes for drug and theft offences changed after new guidelines came into force, and examined factors affecting sentencing practice.
Jun 25, 2019
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.
Apr 18, 2019
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.
Apr 2, 2019
Research Brief
Holistic Representation Can Reduce Incarceration and Save Taxpayer Dollars
A public defense model that seeks to address the underlying challenges and needs of poor offenders prevented more than 1 million days of incarceration over 10 years, without reducing public safety.
Jan 11, 2019
Dissertation
Treatment Not Custody: Process and Impact Evaluation of the Santa Monica Homeless Community Court
This dissertation is a process and impact evaluation of the Santa Monica Homeless Community Court.
Sep 18, 2018
Commentary
Now's the Time to Act on Guantanamo
Most of the 41 terror suspects who remain confined at Guantanamo Bay are unlikely to be released from custody any time soon. But the possibility that new detainees may soon be sent to the facility argues for early action to accelerate the legal proceedings against those already being held.
Apr 16, 2018
Report
How Can We Mitigate the Impact of Communication Technologies on the Right to a Fair Trial?
Court practices to protect the right to a fair trial have not kept pace with rapidly evolving electronic communication and devices. In this context, a panel of judges, lawyers, educators, and other experts explored strategies to protect witnesses from intimidation and jurors from compromising their independence.
Apr 10, 2018
Commentary
Truth Decay and the Spirit of the Law
The widening gap between how the law is expected to be (and generally is) practiced, and certain events transpiring in America's political and policymaking realms, is of increasing concern.
Mar 23, 2018
Commentary
The Problem of Prosecuting International Jihadists
The International Criminal Court may be the most ideal institution to try accused terrorists. The court would take into account the legal status of terrorists, the nationalities of their victims, and the location of the crimes — while upholding the core values of Western democracies.
Mar 9, 2018
Commentary
The Immigration Debate: Building a Bridge Across the Deportation-Amnesty Divide
Discussions of U.S. immigration are dominated by arguments that pit “rule of law” proponents — focused on apprehension, detention, and deportation — against “humanitarian” supporters seeking a pardon or amnesty that will allow immigrants to stay in the country. Minor changes to the statute known as “Cancellation of Removal” could offer a compromise.
Feb 28, 2018
Report
Neither Deportation nor Amnesty: An Alternative for the Immigration Debate
About 11 million people live in the United States without lawful immigration status. Proposed solutions typically focus on deportation versus amnesty, but a minor change to the current immigration law could offer a compromise.
Feb 26, 2018
Report
An Alternative Future for the Corrections Sector
Experts agree that the main role of the U.S. corrections sector should be to help improve offenders' behavior. Better staff training, the elimination of operations that generate revenue, and a cultural shift to prioritize rehabilitation over punishment could help.
Oct 26, 2017
Commentary
The Intersection of Algorithms and an Individual's Rights
Data collection, and our reliance on it, have evolved extremely rapidly. The resulting algorithms have proved invaluable for organizing, evaluating and utilizing information. How do individuals' rights come in to play, when data about their lives is compiled to create algorithms, and the resulting tools are applied to judge them?
Sep 29, 2017
Report
Feasibility of a Survey Panel of Criminal Justice Agencies: For Small, Rural, Tribal, and Border Law Enforcement, Courts, and Institutional and Community Corrections Agencies
RAND conducted a feasibility study to establish a survey panel of representatives of small, rural, tribal, and border criminal justice agencies. Such a panel would enable policymakers to collect up-to-date information on priorities and challenges.
Sep 1, 2017
Commentary
Should California Drop Criminal Penalties for Drug Possession?
Californians have a lot to consider when it comes to decriminalizing possession. But now is the time for a rigorous discussion about removing criminal penalties for drug possession, rather than rushing to judgment in the heat of a future election season.
Jul 20, 2017
Report
Provider Fraud in California Workers' Compensation: Selected Issues
Workers' compensation fraud costs insurers and businesses billions of dollars each year nationwide. This report focuses on the intentional manipulation of rules and procedures by providers of health care services and supplies.
Jun 26, 2017
News Release
Too Little Evidence Available to Determine Cost Savings of Crime Reform Initiative for Los Angeles County
While a California ballot initiative reducing penalties for some criminal offenses promised to save local governments money, quantifying such savings will require significant changes in the way local agencies track workloads.
Jun 15, 2017

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RAND Topic:
Courts

Topic Synonyms:
Bar;
Judiciary;
Tribunal

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Melissa M. Labriola

Associate Research Department Director, Economics, Sociology, and Statistics Department, Senior Behavioral/Social Scientist

Melissa Labriola is associate research department director, Economics, Sociology, and Statistics Department, and a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation. Labriola is currently leading several projects studying police and prosecutor-led diversion, including a RCT of prosecutor-led…
James M. Anderson

Director, Justice Policy Program

James Anderson is director of the Justice Policy Program and the RAND Institute for Civil Justice and a senior behavioral/social scientist at the RAND Corporation. He has been the principal investigator on a wide range of projects, ranging from policy implications of autonomous vehicle…

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