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

Access to Justice

Intellectual, Developmental, and Physical Disabilities in U.S. Legal Settings
Nov 30, 2023
Estimating the Lifetime Prevalence of Incarceration in the U.S. Veteran Population
Nov 28, 2023
Autonomous Vehicles

A Comparative Look at Various Countries' Legal Regimes Governing Automated Vehicles
Nov 27, 2023
Racial Discrimination

Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Technical Violations of Probation or Parole Supervision
Nov 8, 2023

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

Autonomous Vehicles

A Comparative Look at Various Countries' Legal Regimes Governing Automated Vehicles

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Report
Intellectual, Developmental, and Physical Disabilities in U.S. Legal Settings: A Scoping Review
The authors conducted a scoping review to assess the current state of the literature related to individuals with disabilities who interact with the criminal and civil legal systems, with the goal of developing a future research agenda.
Nov 30, 2023
Stephanie Brooks Holliday, Andrew Scruggs, Allyson D. Gittens, Samantha Matthews, Catria Gadwah-Meaden, Rebecca L. Wolfe, Jack Kroger, Alina I. Palimaru
Report
Intellectual, Developmental, and Physical Disabilities in U.S. Legal Settings: Perspectives from People with Relevant Experience
The authors conducted interviews with professionals and people with lived experience to understand what it is like to interact with the civil or criminal legal system while having a disability, with the goal of developing a future research agenda.
Nov 30, 2023
Alina I. Palimaru, Allyson D. Gittens, Stephanie Brooks Holliday
Report
Intellectual, Developmental, and Physical Disabilities in U.S. Legal Settings: A Proposed Agenda for Future Research
In this report, the authors propose recommendations to guide researchers as they examine the experience of individuals with disabilities and their interactions with the U.S. criminal and civil legal systems.
Nov 30, 2023
Stephanie Brooks Holliday, Alina I. Palimaru, Allyson D. Gittens
Tool
A Toolkit for Community-Police Dialogue
This guide provides background on the purpose for the development of the RAND Corporation’s community-police dialogue exercise, guidance for planning and implementing the dialogue, and materials to help carry out the dialogue effectively.
Nov 27, 2023
Dionne Barnes-Proby, Samuel Peterson, Alexandra Mendoza-Graf, Pierrce Holmes, Danielle Sobol, Nipher Malika, Meagan Cahill
Journal Article
Estimating the Lifetime Prevalence of Incarceration in the U.S. Veteran Population
This brief report estimates the lifetime prevalence of incarceration among U.S. military veterans using data from three nationally representative U.S. samples.
Nov 27, 2023
Jack Tsai, Robert H. Pietrzak, Stephanie Brooks Holliday, Shoba Sreenivasan
Journal Article
A Comparative Look at Various Countries' Legal Regimes Governing Automated Vehicles
This article summarizes the makeup of AV legal regimes of Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom, with a focus on law and policy relating to highly to fully automated vehicles.
Nov 27, 2023
Brittany Eastman, Shay Collins, Ryan Jones, J.J. Martin, Marjory S. Blumenthal, Karlyn D. Stanley
Report
Testing the Efficacy of Pretrial Diversion: A Randomized Trial at the San Francisco Neighborhood Courts
An evaluation of Neighborhood Court, a restorative justice diversion program, indicates a statistically insignificant reduction in recidivism, positive perceptions of the program among stakeholders, and a public willingness to pay for its features.
Nov 27, 2023
Melissa M. Labriola, Jessie Coe, Isaac M. Opper, Danielle Sobol, Amy Mahler
Report
Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Technical Violations of Probation or Parole Supervision
This report presents findings from an expert panel that explored ways to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the handling of technical violations of probation and parole — violations that, while not criminal, can be a driver of incarceration.
Nov 6, 2023
Joe Russo, Samuel Peterson, Michael J. D. Vermeer, Dulani Woods, Brian A. Jackson
Journal Article
Examining the Effects of Perceptions of Police Effectiveness, Procedural Justice, and Legitimacy on Racial Differences in Anticipated Cooperation With Law Enforcement in Pennsylvania
This study used data from a representative sample of PA residents to measure public perceptions of police. The authors examined racial differences in these perceptions and whether normative or instrumental assessments can explain these differences.
Oct 27, 2023
Nathan E. Kruis, Richard H. Donohue, Nicholas Glunt, Nicholas J. Rowland, Jaeyong Choi
Report
Assessing and Suing an Algorithm: Perceptions of Algorithmic Decisionmaking
As use of artificial intelligence algorithms in decisionmaking spreads, public perceptions will have many implications — including for jury judgments and support for regulation. This report describes a survey experiment that explored such perceptions.
Oct 12, 2023
Elina Treyger, Jirka Taylor, Daniel Kim, Maynard A. Holliday
Research Brief
Modest Financial Incentives for Businesses Can Increase Employment of People with Criminal Records
This brief summarizes research into financial incentives that increase employers’ willingness to hire applicants with criminal records. The researchers find that tax credits and insurance increase employers’ willingness to hire such individuals.
Oct 2, 2023
Shawn D. Bushway, Justin T. Pickett
Report
Evaluation of the California County Resentencing Pilot Program: Year 2 Findings
The California County Resentencing Pilot Program was established to support and evaluate a collaborative approach to prosecutorial discretion in resentencing eligible incarcerated individuals. The authors document results from year 2 of the program.
Sep 27, 2023
Lois M. Davis, Louis T. Mariano, Melissa M. Labriola, Susan Turner, Andy Bogart, Matt Strawn, Lynn A. Karoly
Report
Prevalence of Veteran Support for Extremist Groups and Extremist Beliefs: Results from a Nationally Representative Survey of the U.S. Veteran Community
The authors conducted a nationally representative survey of the U.S. veteran community to examine the prevalence of support for specific extremist groups and ideologies, including support for political violence.
Sep 11, 2023
Todd C. Helmus, Ryan Andrew Brown, Rajeev Ramchand
Journal Article
The Thin Blue Line in Schools: New Evidence on School-Based Policing Across the U.S.
We find that school resource officers reduce some forms of violence, but do not prevent gun-related incidents. We also find that SROs intensify the use of suspension, expulsion, police referral, and arrest of students.
Sep 11, 2023
Lucy C. Sorensen, Montserrat Avila-Acosta, John Engberg, Shawn D. Bushway
Report
Indigent Defense Environmental Scan: Identifying Research Needs to Support Fair and Equitable Indigent Defense in the United States
The systems that provide counsel for indigent adult and juvenile defendants in the United States vary across states, localities, and jurisdictions. Researchers developed priorities to advance knowledge around effective indigent defense strategies.
Aug 30, 2023
Duren Banks, Lynn Langton, Madison Fann, Michael G. Planty, Michael J. D. Vermeer, Brian A. Jackson, Dulani Woods
Journal Article
Addressing Homelessness Among People With Justice Involvement: Los Angeles County's Just in Reach Pay for Success Demonstration Project
This article provides an overview of the implementation and outcomes of Los Angeles County’s first Pay for Success (PFS) initiative.
Aug 10, 2023
Sarah B. Hunter, Stephanie Mercier
Journal Article
Federal Criminal Sentencing: Race-Based Disparate Impact and Differential Treatment in Judicial Districts
Race-based inequity in federal criminal sentencing is widely acknowledged, and yet our understanding of it is far from complete.
Aug 7, 2023
Chad M. Topaz, Shaoyang Ning, Maria-Veronica Ciocanel, Shawn D. Bushway
Report
Alternative Payment Models for California's Workers' Compensation System: A Review of Issues and Possible Next Steps
The authors consider possible alternative payment models for use in the California workers' compensation (WC) system, including discussion of the unique constraints and factors embedded within the California WC environment.
Jul 31, 2023
Denise D. Quigley, Petra W. Rasmussen, Nabeel Qureshi, Michael Dworsky, Melony E. Sorbero
Report
National Public Defense Workload Study
Excessive caseloads prevent public defense attorneys from effectively representing clients. Researchers used the Delphi method to determine the average time needed to provide reasonably effective assistance and establish national workload standards.
Jul 27, 2023
Nicholas M. Pace, Malia N. Brink, Cynthia G. Lee, Stephen F. Hanlon
Research Brief
The Impact of Defense Counsel at Bail Hearings
Roughly half of U.S. counties do not provide defense counsel at bail hearings. A field experiment in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, shows that providing counsel can decrease the use of monetary bail and pretrial detention.
Jun 30, 2023
Shamena Anwar, Shawn D. Bushway, John Engberg