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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.

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Violent Extremism in America: Can It Be Stopped?

Jul 15, 2021

Co-authors of the RAND report, Violent Extremism in America, discuss the findings from their interviews with former members of radical organizations.
Commentary

Stop, Start, or Continue? A National Survey of the Police About Traffic Stops

Jun 30, 2021

As research continues to show widespread racial disparities of those stopped by police, it is increasingly seen as a practice that, if ended, would serve the cause of social justice. Should the police continue to conduct traffic stops? Police1 conducted a survey of officers to find out what they think.

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Explore Homeland Security and Public Safety

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
News Release

Liaison and Diversion Services Can Help Vulnerable People in the Criminal Justice System

An NHS England programme aimed at supporting vulnerable people in the criminal justice system may significantly reduce the chances of those with mental and other health needs from receiving custodial sentences.

Apr 12, 2021
News Release

Public Trust of the Centers for Disease Control Falls During Coronavirus Pandemic

Public trust in the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has fallen during the coronavirus pandemic, with the decline bringing overall population-level trust in the agency to the same lower level of trust long held by Black Americans about the agency.

Apr 5, 2021
News Release

Interviews with Former Extremists Reveal Multiple Paths to Developing Extreme Ideologies; Rejection of Extremism Often ...

People who radicalize to extremist ideologies often are triggered by negative life events or exposure to propaganda, and those who escape from extreme groups frequently are aided by an individual or group that intervenes to help them reject the philosophy.

Apr 2, 2021
News Release

Risk of Sexual Assault in Military Higher in Locations and Units Where Sexual Harassment Is More Common

U.S. military service members who serve in locations with high levels of so-called ambient sexual harassment—harassment of others within their unit or installation—have a higher risk of being sexually assaulted.

Mar 2, 2021
News Release

Traditional U.S. Approaches to Middle East Not Working: Reimagined Strategy Would Lean Less on Massive Arms Sales, More ...

U.S. policies in the Middle East are built on outdated “legacy” aid packages, massive arms sales, and a disproportionate focus on the Iranian threat that fail to advance American interests—or help the region's people—and need to be rethought.

Feb 23, 2021
News Release

Odds of Leaving Military Double After Sexual Assault

Exposure to sexual assault in the U.S. military doubled the odds that a service member would leave the military within 28 months, and sexual harassment was associated with roughly 4% of all military separations during this same time period.

Feb 8, 2021
News Release

Preliminary Report Suggests Baltimore Aerial Investigation Research Pilot Was Associated with Small Improvements in ...

A preliminary report about an effort to use aerial surveillance to aid police investigations in Baltimore finds that the effort was associated with small increases in the rate at which police solved serious crimes, but an overall evaluation of the program will require a wider review of citywide police efforts.

Jan 27, 2021
News Release

Interest in a U.S. Grand Strategy of Restraint May Be Growing, So Advocates Need to Provide More Details

As the Biden Administration takes over, some U.S. policymakers have expressed interest in a new approach to America's role in the world: a realist grand strategy of restraint under which the U.S. would cooperate more with other powers, reduce its forward military presence and end or renegotiate some security commitments.

Jan 22, 2021
News Release

Density of Marijuana Outlets Associated with More and Higher Use Among Young Adults

As marijuana outlets open after the drug is legalized, the density of those recreational retailers is associated with more use and a greater intensity of use among young adults.

Jan 13, 2021
News Release

Survey Estimates More Than 1 in 4 FEMA Workers Experienced Civil Rights Violations

About 29% of employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency experienced a sex- or race/ethnicity-based civil rights violation in the past year, according to research undertaken by the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC), a federally funded research and development center operated by the RAND Corporation under contract with the Department of Homeland Security.

Dec 2, 2020
News Release

No Silver Bullet for Determining Safety of Automated Vehicles; Public Trust in AV Technology Rides on Multiple ...

No single method is sufficient to determine whether an automated vehicle is safe enough for the road, and ultimately consumers are most likely to trust the government about AV safety.

Oct 29, 2020
News Release

Alcohol Consumption Rises Sharply During the Pandemic; Heavy Drinking by Women Rises 41%

American adults have sharply increased their alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 shutdown, with women increasing their heavy-drinking episodes (four or more drinks within a couple of hours) by 41 percent.

Sep 29, 2020
News Release

Firearm Use and Storage Restrictions Associated with Reduction in Deaths

Three common types of gun laws are associated with changes in the rate of firearm deaths, with the most-restrictive combination of the laws estimated to result in an 11 percent reduction in deaths.

Jun 15, 2020
News Release

New Tool Employs Air Travel Data to Predict Global Spread of COVID-19

As the pandemic enters a new phase, punctuated by emerging hot spots and continuing global spread, a new RAND tool allows policymakers to predict regional risks of importing cases of COVID-19.

Jun 5, 2020

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RAND Topic:
Homeland Security and Public Safety

Topic Synonyms:
Homeland Defense

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