Courts

  • Prison cells

    Report

    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

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    Desistance Mandates Compared with Treatment Mandates in Criminal Justice Populations

    Empowering those under criminal justice supervision to cease drug use on their own - rather than forcing them into formal treatment against their will - is a policy approach that warrants further evaluation.

    Jun 8, 2017

  • Somerset County courthouse building, Pennsylvania

    Report

    Discount Justice: State Court Belt-Tightening in an Era of Fiscal Austerity

    Following the 2008 financial crisis, fiscal pressure on the states has led to corresponding pressure for court system retrenchment. In January 2015, the UCLA–RAND Center for Law and Public Policy held a conference to examine the depth of the resourcing problem and identify policy options and practical steps to mitigate the challenges.

    May 26, 2017

  • A mobile phone with an app to control wireless devices in a smart home like a washing machine, security camera, door lock, and music player

    Commentary

    Using Digital Data in Criminal Investigations

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

    May 15, 2017

  • Empty courtroom with scales of justice

    Commentary

    Discount Justice: Fiscal Austerity and State Courts

    Budget cuts at the state court level can mean courthouse closures, hiring freezes and layoffs, leading to longer wait times for the public. Educating the public about the role and importance of the state courts is key to preventing more budget cuts in the future.

    Apr 18, 2017

  • Cyber gavel illustration

    Commentary

    Does the Court System Know as Much About ESI as Your Teenager? It Should.

    Electronically stored information (ESI) 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.

    Feb 21, 2017

  • Man opening a black box with a light inside

    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.

    Jan 18, 2017

  • In Camp 4 of Camp Delta at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, highly compliant detainees live in a communal setting

    Commentary

    What Should Trump Do About Gitmo?

    The new administration has options to deal with the detention facility established 15 years ago at Guantánamo Bay. It could maintain the status quo, make improvements to speed the trials, close the facility and relocate the remaining inmates, or accept new detainees.

    Jan 11, 2017

  • News Release

    News Release

    Rise of Technology in Criminal Proceedings Poses Risk to Protecting Individuals' Rights

    Personal devices like fitness trackers and smartphones are likely to be used increasingly in criminal investigations. Such technology offers new tools to law enforcement, but raises unique issues regarding constitutional rights such as self-incrimination.

    Jan 10, 2017

  • Police desk with crime case records containing a mobile phone, photos, and keys

    Report

    Preparing the U.S. Legal System for Emerging Technologies

    Personal technology gathers data that can be useful in criminal justice proceedings. But this can also pose challenges for protecting individual rights. Identifying future conflicts ahead of time can help.

    Jan 10, 2017

  • Report

    Report

    The Justice Innovation Center: Identifying the Needs and Challenges of Criminal Justice Agencies in Small, Rural, Tribal, and Border Areas

    The Justice Innovation Center provides information on technology needs, priorities, and solutions for small, rural, tribal, and border criminal justice agencies. This report summarizes the center's first year of efforts.

    Nov 16, 2016

  • Handcuffed man standing in a courtroom

    Commentary

    Drug Dependence: Treatment Over Incarceration

    Drug dependence imposes significant costs to society and traditional criminal justice responses like imprisonment do not reduce crime. More quality research on alternative sanctions could help police, prosecutors, and judges expand their options while helping users get treatment.

    Oct 3, 2016

  • Cyber illustration of a judge's gavel

    Commentary

    The Future of Cyber Investigations at the FBI Is Unclear

    Evidence presented by the FBI in the case of U.S. v. Jay Michaud was excluded because the agency was unwilling to reveal the software exploit used to collect it. If the FBI exposes its capabilities, other criminals can patch their computers, but concealing its techniques risks the ability to prosecute cyber criminals.

    Aug 24, 2016

  • Tool

    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.

    Jul 22, 2016

  • Judge Merrick Garland speaks after President Obama announced him as his nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, March 16, 2016

    Commentary

    A Spotlight on the Supreme Court, and Its Vacancy

    More than four months have passed since President Obama nominated Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. In a time of contentious politics, a clear majority of Americans want the court to have a full bench. But they appear unlikely to get it soon.

    Jul 19, 2016

  • Report

    Report

    Evaluation of the Offender Liaison and Diversion Trial Schemes

    In 2014 a new model for liaison and diversion schemes, which identify people with vulnerabilities in the criminal justice system, was implemented in ten areas of England. This evaluation looks at the implementation of the new model in these sites.

    Jul 12, 2016

  • Periodical

    Periodical

    RAND Review: July-August 2016

    This issue highlights the stress of military deployments and resilience of military families; RAND research on cybercrime, network defense, and data breaches; the 40th anniversary of RAND's landmark Health Insurance Experiment; and more.

    Jun 27, 2016

  • A keyboard with a justice button and U.S. flag

    Report

    Fostering Innovation in the U.S. Court System

    The court system needs to adapt to today's challenges and respond to new opportunities. Identifying high-priority needs provides a menu of innovation options for addressing key problems or capitalizing on emerging opportunities.

    May 10, 2016

  • Car keys on the table while someone is drinking

    Testimony

    A New Way to Reduce Heavy Drinking and Alcohol-Related Crime?

    After South Dakota adopted an innovative sobriety program, the number of arrests for repeat drunk driving fell by 12 percent at the county level. Evidence suggests the program can work elsewhere. However, stakeholders will face many choices about how to implement it.

    Mar 29, 2016

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    Fixing Judicial Recusals

    If judges or justices own stock in the company of a litigant, they must recuse themselves from hearing the case.

    Mar 16, 2016

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