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Homeland Security and Public Safety

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RAND conducts analyses and makes recommendations to strengthen the U.S. Department of Homeland Security across its full set of missions to prevent terrorism and enhance security, secure and manage America's borders, enforce and administer immigration laws, safeguard and secure cyberspace, and strengthen preparedness and resilience. In the area of public safety, RAND research addresses drug policy, crime, prison reform, and prisoner reentry, and other topics.

Essay
How to Prevent, Prepare for, and Respond to Mass Attacks
A new step-by-step guide can help communities prevent shootings and other mass attacks before they happen, and save lives when they do. It's written for a variety of public- and private-sector audiences—everyone from emergency responders and school officials to security personnel and community leaders.
Aug 30, 2022
Q&A
Reducing Police Violence: Q&A with Melissa Labriola
A succession of high-profile police killings has prompted some departments and communities to seek change. But data is sparse, and research is thin. Melissa Labriola helped lead a study of police violence and developed a road map for future research that could move the field forward.
Sep 1, 2022

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Explore Homeland Security and Public Safety

News Release
Out-of-Pocket Cost of Naloxone May Keep Many Uninsured from Using Lifesaving Treatment
The cost of buying the opioid antidote naloxone is out of reach for many uninsured Americans, a hurdle that may keep the treatment from saving more people who overdose on opioids.
Aug 19, 2022
News Release
L.A. Program to Divert Homeless from Jail into Supportive Housing Decreases Use of County Services
A program that diverts some people with a history of homelessness from Los Angeles County jails into permanent supportive housing can significantly lower taxpayer spending on services such as hospital care and shelter use.
Aug 16, 2022
News Release
Rise in U.S. Firearm Homicides Disproportionately Affecting South-Central and Midwest States
A rise in U.S. firearm homicides in recent years has primarily affected states in the South-Central and Midwest portion of the nation, as well as disproportionately affecting people who are American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Black.
Jul 14, 2022
News Release
Preparedness Appears Low for Rollout of National 988 Mental Health Hotline
A survey of a large group of public health officials responsible for helping to roll out the nation's new 988 emergency mental health telephone service found that fewer than half expressed confidence their jurisdiction was prepared in terms of financing, staffing, or infrastructure.
Jun 2, 2022
News Release
Most People Who Receive Medication in Emergency Departments to Treat Opioid Use Disorder Do Not Sustain the Treatment
Most people who fill prescriptions from emergency physicians to treat their opioid use disorder do not continue to receive the medication, suggesting new approaches are needed to help people continue drug treatment begun on an emergency basis.
Mar 21, 2022
News Release
More Than Half of Unemployed Young Men Have Criminal Records; New Approach Needed to Aid the Unemployed
More than half of unemployed American men in their 30s have a history of being arrested or convicted of a crime, a stigma that poses a barrier to them participating in the nation's labor force.
Feb 18, 2022
News Release
COG-UK Consortium's Pathogen Genomics Expertise Played Important Role in UK Response to COVID-19; Valuable Contribution to Public Health Genomics Should Not Be Lost
The COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium's efforts to sequence and understand the diverse variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, have been key to informing public health decisionmaking and efforts to control its spread.
Feb 15, 2022
News Release
Alcohol Consumption Among Men Declined During Pandemic; Men and Women Report More Alcohol-Related Problems
Alcohol consumption during the coronavirus pandemic declined among men, while it remained steady among women. Researchers found that alcohol-related problems increased during the pandemic, by 49% for women and 69% for men, but the reasons for the problems remain unclear.
Jan 24, 2022
News Release
Opioid Prescribing Declines, but Cuts Are Not Uniform Across Locations, Age Groups, or Type of Prescriber
The volume of prescription opioids dispensed from retail pharmacies declined by 21 percent from 2008 to 2018, but the decline was not uniform across geographic areas, among types of patients, or by type of prescriber.
Dec 27, 2021
News Release
Addressing Anti-Asian Racism Requires Gathering Better Information About the AAPI Community and Its Needs
The recent rise of anti-Asian attacks across the United States has galvanized the community to build newfound alliances and resilience, with advocates working to increase reporting of hate incidents and developing strategies to fight anti-Asian racism.
Nov 30, 2021
News Release
Wide Disagreement Remains Among U.S. Gun Policy Experts; Five Policies Show Less Disagreement
Wide disagreement remains among U.S. experts who study gun policy issues, with differing opinions about how much individual policies may reduce gun violence and other harms caused by firearms. Researchers found there were generally two ideological camps—a restrictive group (who favor more-restrictive regulatory approaches to gun ownership and use) and a permissive group (who favor more-permissive regulatory approaches to gun ownership and use).
Nov 30, 2021
News Release
Stronger Leadership Action in L.A. Sheriff's Department Needed to Curb Influence of Problematic Subgroups, Address ...
Leadership of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department can best discourage involvement in deputy subgroups by clarifying current policy language to prohibit subgroups, and by delivering strong and consistent messages to its staff opposing membership in the groups and related banned conduct.
Sep 10, 2021
News Release
Linking U.S. Prescription Drug Prices to Those in Other Nations Could Cut Costs in Half
High prescription drug prices in the United States drive up overall health care costs and lead many patients to forgo their medications. Linking U.S. drug prices to those in other countries would have cut U.S. spending on insulins and 50 top brand-name drugs by 52 percent in 2020—a savings of $83.5 billion.
Sep 10, 2021
News Release
Lack of Diversity in U.S. Coast Guard Greater in Higher Ranks; Comprehensive and Sustained Changes Recommended to ...
Women and racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented at all levels of the United States Coast Guard—especially in higher ranks and among senior leadership—and comprehensive changes across the organization are needed to improve diversity rates among all ranks.
Aug 11, 2021
News Release
Historic Lynchings in the U.S. South Are Linked to Lower Levels of Voter Registration Among Black People
Black Americans who reside in counties in the South where there was a higher number of lynchings from 1882 to 1930 have lower voter registration today, a likely sign of the lasting effects of historical racial animus.
Jul 27, 2021
News Release
Sexual Assault, Harassment Likely to Persist in U.S. Military Without Bold Action
Sexual assault and harassment may continue to undermine the U.S. military unless the Department of Defense takes bold steps such as hiring dedicated, well-trained prevention staff and revisiting the chain of command for reporting incidents.
Jul 19, 2021
News Release
Guide to Help Prison Officials Create College-Level Educational Programs Created by RAND Corporation
A guide to help prison officials create high-quality college educational programs for inmates has been created by the nonprofit RAND Corporation. The toolkit—available online for free—is intended as a starting point for corrections officials who are considering whether to have a college program within their prison system or who may seek additional information to ensure the success of an existing program. The guide is relevant for both two-year and four-year college programs.
Jun 29, 2021
News Release
Risk of Sexual Assault in Army Varies Widely Across Bases, Units, and Occupational Specialties
Risk of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the U.S. Army varies widely—particularly for female soldiers—across different Army bases, commands, and career fields.
Jun 18, 2021
News Release
Most Prescriptions for Opioid Addiction Medication Buprenorphine Are Written by a Small Number of Providers
Half of all patient-months of buprenorphine treatment during 2016 and 2017 were prescribed by just 4.9% of the physicians and other providers who prescribed the drug during the period.
Jun 1, 2021
News Release
U.S. Service Members in Generally Good Health, but Risky Behaviors Persist
U.S. military service members are mostly healthy but the level of risky behaviors such as binge drinking, tobacco use, and unprotected sex is cause for concern.
Apr 28, 2021

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RAND Topic:
Homeland Security and Public Safety

Topic Synonyms:
Homeland Defense

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