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Criminal Law

Report
The Potential of Blind Collaborative Justice: Testing the Impact of Expert Blinding and Consensus Building on the Validity of Forensic Testimony
RAND researchers investigated two potential contributors to biased testimony within adversarial litigation involving forensic evidence: experts' knowledge of which side they were testifying for, and lack of input from relevant scientific communities.
Aug 7, 2015
Report
Digital Evidence and the U.S. Criminal Justice System
There are significant challenges to successfully using digital evidence in criminal prosecutions. Through structured interaction with police digital forensic experts, prosecuting attorneys, a privacy advocate, and industry representatives, researchers identified and prioritized specific needs to improve utilization of digital evidence in criminal justice.
Apr 20, 2015
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.
Apr 20, 2015
Report
The Changing Role of Criminal Law in Controlling Corporate Behavior
What should be the role of criminal law in controlling corporate behavior? Researchers measure the current use of criminal sanctions in controlling corporate behavior and offer suggestions about how doing so might be improved.
Dec 9, 2014
News Release
Marijuana Consumption in Washington State Twice as Large as Previously Estimated
In Washington state, marijuana consumption likely will range from 135 to 225 metric tons during 2013. Understanding the current market should help state policymakers with decisions about the number of marijuana sales licenses to issue, to project tax revenues, and provide a foundation for assessments of legalization.
Dec 18, 2013
Report
Marijuana Consumption in Washington State Twice as Large as Previously Estimated
In Washington state, marijuana consumption likely will range from 135 to 225 metric tons during 2013. Understanding the current market should help state policymakers with decisions about the number of marijuana sales licenses to issue, to project tax revenues, and provide a foundation for assessments of legalization.
Dec 18, 2013
Report
Case Weights for Federal Defender Organizations
This report presents a system of case weights for estimating the funding and staffing requirements of federal defender organizations, discusses factors that might influence defender time expenditures, and describes how such weights should be used.
Aug 18, 2011
Report
Police Recruiting Is Affected by Compensation, City Size, and Crime Rates
A survey sent to U.S. police agencies on recruitment and retention practices found that compensation, city size, and crime rates affected recruiting while advertising and incentives had little effect.
Sep 21, 2010
Report
Understanding Forfeitures: An Analysis of the Relationship Between Law Enforcement Funding and High Asset Forfeiture
The Treasury Executive Office for Asset Forfeiture (TEOAF) administers the forfeitures that result from the prosecution of criminal enterprises - such as drug cartels, terrorist organizations, and individual embezzlers - can be used to fund future investigations. TEOAF commissioned RAND to examine such funding and forfeiture outcomes.
Mar 18, 2009
News Release
RAND Study Finds Substantial Amounts of Ammunition Bought by Felons, Others Prohibited from Buying Bullets
October 5, 2006 News Release: RAND Study Finds Substantial Amounts of Ammunition Bought By Felons, Others Prohibited from Buying Bullets.
Oct 5, 2006
News Release
RAND Study Finds No Evidence of Racial Bias in Federal Prosecutors' Decisions to Seek Death Penalty from 1995-2000
July 17, 2006 News Release: RAND Study Finds No Evidence of Racial Bias in Federal Prosecutors' Decisions to Seek Death Penalty from 1995-2000.
Jul 17, 2006
Report
Federal Death Penalty Cases Are Not Racially Biased
Federal prosecutors' decisions about whether to seek the death penalty are not racially biased but instead can be very accurately predicted based on the characteristics of the crime, according to an analysis of data from 1995 to 2000.
Jul 11, 2006
Report
Handbook of Legal Procedures of Computer and Network Misuse in EU Countries
A comprehensive and up-to-date collection of information on rules, regulations and laws concerning computer misuse in all 25 European Union (EU) countries.
Mar 24, 2006
Report
Substantial Amounts of Ammunition Bought by Felons
In a study supported by the National Institute of Justice, researchers found that substantial amounts of bullets and shotgun shells sold in Los Angeles are purchased by felons and others who are prohibited by law from buying ammunition.
Jan 1, 2006
Report
Oregon’s Measure 11 Sentencing Reform: Implementation and System Impact
The impacts of Measure 11 on crime and its prosecution in Oregon.
Dec 13, 2004
Research Brief
How State Medical Marijuana Laws Vary: A Comprehensive Review
This research brief summarizes a comprehensive review of medical marijuana provisions, as well as insights into the policy implications of those provisions.
Jan 1, 2003
Report
Do Drug Prohibition and Enforcement Work?
Do Drug Prohibition and Enforcement Work?
Jan 1, 2000
Report
Needs and Prospects for Crime-Fighting Technology: The Federal Role in Assisting State and Local Law Enforcement
Provides information on the current status of technology assistance, technology deployment, crime lab improvements, and training. Gives examples of what has been accomplished, and suggests prospects for improvements.
Jan 1, 1999
Report
Are mandatory minimum drug sentences cost-effective?
Are mandatory minimum drug sentences cost-effective?
Jan 1, 1998
Report
Cyberpayments and Money Laundering: Problems and Promise
At the request of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), RAND conducted and analyzed a strategic decisionmaking exercise to examine money laundering concerns raised by the deployment of cyberpayment systems.
Jan 1, 1998

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Douglas C. Ligor

Senior Behavioral/Social Scientist

Doug Ligor is a senior behavioral/social scientist at the RAND Corporation. His research areas include: homeland and national security law, regulation and policy, particularly as they relate to immigration, border security, migration, asylum, and refugee processing; space governance and…
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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