Justice Policy Publications

Publications from the RAND Justice Policy program cover topics related to public safety and the performance of the U.S. criminal justice system for federal law enforcement and other agencies, police departments, and other clients.

RAND Justice Policy also conducts research on topics related to civil justice through the RAND Institute of Civil Justice (ICJ).

Featured Research

Police-Community Relations

Better Data Collection Could Support Efforts to Reduce Deaths in Police Custody
Oct 11, 2022
Criminal Justice

Evaluation of the California County Resentencing Pilot Program
Oct 3, 2022
Crime and Violence Prevention

Preventing Intimate Partner Abuse
Jul 27, 2022
Workers' Compensation

COVID-19's Impacts on California's Workers' Compensation System
May 26, 2022

Browse by Topic

RAND Justice Policy publications are categorized in the following issue areas; some publications are cross-listed in multiple categories:

Law Enforcement

Occupational Safety

Crime, Violence, and Public Safety

Drug Abuse and Drug Policy

Courts and Corrections

Children and Adolescents

Civil Justice

Cyber: Prepare, Prevent, Mitigate, Restore

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Report
Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Needs for Law Enforcement
As cryptocurrency is increasingly used for both legitimate business transactions and illegal activities, law enforcement must adapt. In this report, researchers describe cryptocurrency-related research and development needs for law enforcement.
Jan 12, 2023
Dulani Woods, John S. Hollywood, Jeremy D. Barnum, Danielle Fenimore, Michael J. D. Vermeer, Brian A. Jackson
Report
Gun Buyback Programs in the United States
Gun buyback programs compensate individuals who turn over firearms to a public agency or private organization. This essay provides an overview of gun buyback programs in the United States and concludes with an exploration of policy considerations.
Jan 10, 2023
Amanda Charbonneau
Report
The Science of Gun Policy: A Critical Synthesis of Research Evidence on the Effects of Gun Policies in the United States, Third Edition
This report, now in its third edition, synthesizes the available scientific evidence for the effects of various firearm policies on firearm deaths, violent crime, the gun industry, defensive gun use, and other outcomes.
Jan 10, 2023
Rosanna Smart, Andrew R. Morral, Rajeev Ramchand, Amanda Charbonneau, Jhacova Williams, Sierra Smucker, Samantha Cherney, Lea Xenakis
Report
A Multi-Site Evaluation of Law Enforcement Deflection in the United States
The authors describe how law enforcement deflection programs have been implemented at six U.S. sites and identify key program facilitators and barriers. The authors also conducted outcome analyses at two of the sites.
Jan 10, 2023
Melissa M. Labriola, Samuel Peterson, Jirka Taylor, Danielle Sobol, Jessica Reichert, Jon Ross, Jac Charlier, Sophia Juarez
Report
Promising Services for Justice-Involved Youth: A Scoping Review with Implications for the Los Angeles County Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act
The authors of this report provide a review of the literature that evaluates programs for youth who are involved in the juvenile justice system to identify promising and effective practices, describing implications for Los Angeles County.
Jan 5, 2023
D. Michael Applegarth, P'trice Jones, Stephanie Brooks Holliday
Report
Psychedelics and Veterans' Mental Health: The Evolving Legal and Policy Landscape in the United States
The federal government must consider how best to support veterans and their health care providers as the legal and policy landscape surrounding the therapeutic use of psychedelics continues to evolve.
Dec 21, 2022
Bryce Pardo, Beau Kilmer, Rajeev Ramchand, Carrie M. Farmer
Journal Article
The Kids Aren't Alright: The Effects of Medical Marijuana Market Size on Adolescents
We exploit shocks to U.S. federal enforcement policy to assess how legal medical marijuana market size affects youth marijuana use and consequences for youth traffic-related fatalities.
Dec 9, 2022
Rosanna Smart, Jacqueline Doremus
Journal Article
The Quality of Occupational Healthcare for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Healthcare Expenditures, and Disability Outcomes: A Prospective Observational Study
We sought to examine whether quality of care for work-associated carpal tunnel syndrome is associated with healthcare expenditures or disability. Quality of care was associated with health care expenditures, but not with disability.
Nov 18, 2022
Teryl K. Nuckols, Michael Dworsky, Craig Conlon, Michael W. Robbins, Douglas Benner, Seth A. Seabury, Steven M. Asch
Report
State Firearm Laws After Bruen
The Supreme Court's decision in Bruen is a major change to Second Amendment jurisprudence and could lead to significant changes in the U.S. firearm regulations. The authors describe how state regulations will now be evaluated by lower courts.
Nov 4, 2022
Darrell A. H. Miller, Andrew R. Morral, Rosanna Smart
Journal Article
Do Temporary Workers Experience Additional Employment and Earnings Risk After Workplace Injuries?
We find large and persistent earnings and employment losses after workplace injury for temporary workers over and above losses for direct-hire workers at the same job. Workers' compensation benefits reduce, but do not eliminate, this income loss.
Oct 19, 2022
Nicholas Broten, Michael Dworsky, David Powell
Report
Reducing Deaths in Law Enforcement Custody: Identifying High-Priority Needs for the Criminal Justice System
On behalf of the National Institute of Justice, RTI International and the RAND Corporation convened a panel of experts to discuss challenges and potential solutions to developing and using a national data collection of law enforcement–related deaths.
Oct 11, 2022
Duren Banks, Michael G. Planty, Madison Fann, Lynn Langton, Dulani Woods, Michael J. D. Vermeer, Brian A. Jackson
Report
Evaluation of the California County Resentencing Pilot Program: Year 1 Findings
This evaluation of the California County Resentencing Pilot Program seeks to determine how the program is implemented in nine pilot counties and what the characteristics are of a possible candidate for resentencing.
Oct 3, 2022
Lois M. Davis, Louis T. Mariano, Melissa M. Labriola, Susan Turner, Matt Strawn
Journal Article
The Demand for Insurance and Rationale for a Mandate: Evidence from Workers' Compensation Insurance
Workers' compensation insurance is mandatory in nearly all states. We use data from a unique market without a coverage mandate to estimate the demand for workers' comp insurance. Our analysis suggests that several forms of market failure may not justify a mandate.
Sep 23, 2022
Marika I. Cabral, Can Cui, Michael Dworsky
Journal Article
Do Noneconomic Damage Caps Reduce Medical Malpractice Insurance Premiums? Evidence from North Carolina
The impact of medical malpractice reforms, especially caps on noneconomic damages, is of special interest to policymakers and physicians. This study uses data from North Carolina to examine how caps implemented in noncrisis periods affect malpractice premiums.
Sep 23, 2022
Hao Yu, Olesya Baker
Tool
Using National Instant Criminal Background Check Data for Gun Policy Analysis: A Discussion of Available Data and Their Limitations
In this tool, researchers provide detailed information about data associated with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and discuss the data's strengths and weaknesses for various gun policy evaluation objectives.
Sep 8, 2022
Sierra Smucker, Max Griswold, Amanda Charbonneau, Rose Kerber, Terry L. Schell, Andrew R. Morral
Report
Amplifying the Speakers: Identifying High-Priority Needs for Law Enforcement Public Information Officers
Law enforcement communications staff are crucial to meeting public expectations for transparency and responsiveness to concerns, but little is known about their needs. Researchers held a workshop to identify priorities for improving the profession.
Sep 8, 2022
Michael J. D. Vermeer, Jeremy D. Barnum, Siara I. Sitar, Dulani Woods, Brian A. Jackson
Report
Broadband Communications Prioritization and Interoperability Guidance for Law Enforcement: Critical Considerations in the Transition to the Public Safety Broadband Network
In this report, RAND researchers present practical knowledge to inform law enforcement agencies about available broadband options and opportunities, governance issues, funding options, costs, and barriers to implementation.
Aug 23, 2022
Bob Harrison, James Dimarogonas, Jarrett Catlin, Richard H. Donohue, Thomas Goughnour, John S. Hollywood, Jason Mastbaum, Kristin Van Abel, Jay Balagna
Journal Article
How Much Illegally Manufactured Fentanyl Could the U.S. Be Consuming?
This article provides guidance through two thought experiments that provide a hypothetical upper bound on U.S. consumption of fentanyl.
Jul 28, 2022
Beau Kilmer, Bryce Pardo, Jonathan P. Caulkins, Peter Reuter
Report
Intimate Partner Abuse Solution Programs: Identifying High-Priority Needs Within the Criminal Justice System for Programs Focused on Intimate Partner Violence Prevention
Despite widespread use of intimate partner abuse solution programs by court systems and communities, there remains limited information on their effectiveness. The authors convened a panel of experts to better understand the needs of these programs.
Jul 27, 2022
Lynn Langton, Madison Fann, Duren Banks, Michael G. Planty, Dulani Woods, Michael J. D. Vermeer, Brian A. Jackson
Journal Article
Geographic Disparities in Rising Rates of Firearm-Related Homicide
Our study shows that the rise since 2014 in firearms homicides is concentrated in south-central and midwestern states, and in American Indian and Alaskan Natives, and Black communities, thereby exacerbating existing disparities.
Jul 19, 2022
Rosanna Smart, Terry L. Schell, Andrew R. Morral, Nancy Nicosia