In this review, we find that (a) US employers' use of conviction information is not clearly aligned with the risk of future criminal behavior or employer costs, and (b) using such information leads to hiring errors that pose costs to society.
Data from wearable sensor technologies (WSTs) could be used to assess and improve police officer health and well-being, but these technologies are not yet sufficiently developed for law enforcement purposes. A panel of experts identified ways for law enforcement to participate in the development of WSTs, determine what WSTs are suitable, implement them in law enforcement settings, evaluate their performance, and obtain buy-in from officers.
Narrated presentation describing a RAND Europe project to evaluate the Ex-Service Personnel in the Criminal Justice System Programme, to understand how projects have helped reduce reoffending and provide support to ex-Service personnel.
Most ex-Service personnel transition effectively into civilian life, but some face challenges that hinder a successful transition. This can lead to some individuals committing crimes and finding themselves within the criminal justice system. RAND Europe was commissioned to evaluate the Ex-Service Personnel in the CJS Programme, to understand how projects have helped reduce reoffending and provide support to ex-Service personnel in the CJS.
Scorecards are a common tool for public policy decisionmaking, but none highlight racial disparities in incarceration. We constructed county-level scorecards for racial disparities in incarceration rates for the NY State Permanent Commission on Sentencing.
Our study highlights that the crime-punishment wave in the 1980s and 1990s created cohort differences in incarceration over the life course that changed the level of incarceration even decades after the wave.
The authors examine liability and compensation issues relating to the future distribution and administration of a COVID-19 vaccine. They provide a brief history of how liability and compensation concerns have been addressed in previous public health threats, discuss how the global pandemic might complicate matters of legal immunity, and suggest consideration of appropriate compensation for adverse effects to encourage vaccinations.
Prison systems are highly complex, are often underresourced, and might lack the internal capacity to effectively implement evidence-based risk and needs assessments (RNAs) in their operations. Furthermore, it can be difficult to change institutional culture to accept an evidence-based approach in an environment in which custody objectives are paramount. A panel of experts identified ways to address and improve the use of RNA tools in prisons.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted social safety net programs on which both those at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness and those involved with the criminal justice system depend. The authors of this report conducted interviews with social services organizations in Los Angeles County to assess how service providers are responding to COVID-19 and to compile lessons learned from and innovative strategies for dealing with the pandemic.
Police have expressed frustration with being expected to handle complex social problems, such as homelessness and substance use, that could be solved using nonenforcement strategies. In this Perspective, the authors describe police perspectives on defunding the police — i.e., budgeting less money for police and more for other public safety strategies — and explain why revisiting law enforcement's role in society could have broad appeal.
How much taxpayer money is spent on police, courts, and legal services to respond to crime? RAND researchers provide estimated costs by crime type and by state in a new tool. The tool includes a map that allows users to visualize the differences in costs across the United States. Users can download parts of the data or the full data set in a variety of formats.
Driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) is a serious and growing threat to public safety. Addressing DUID cases involves various challenges, including identifying and characterizing impairment and presenting complex evidence in court. A panel of experts from law enforcement, forensic toxicology, the research community, and government agencies discussed the challenges related to DUID cases and identified ways to overcome these obstacles.
Jails produce vast amounts of data because of the expanding scope of services they are expected to provide. However, most jails are not using these data to improve operations or outcomes. An expert panel of administrators, researchers, and representatives from national organizations discussed the challenges related to using data in jails and identified ways to overcome these obstacles.
This article reviews prior literature, evaluating an algorithm used to determine prison sentencing for criminals with prior history.
Many individuals on probation in Los Angeles County face challenges with housing and employment, placing them at risk for further involvement with the criminal justice system. This report presents early findings on the progress of the Breaking Barriers program, which provides Los Angeles County adults on probation with a time-limited rental housing subsidy, case management, and employment supports.
In this report, the authors focus on common needs that apply to all three sections of the justice system: law enforcement, the courts, and corrections agencies. Starting with the deep pool of feedback and input collected from the practitioner community across the five-year Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative project, the authors abstracted insights about innovation needs for the justice system as a whole.
The RAND Corporation and partners are carrying out a research effort to assess and prioritize technology needs across the criminal justice community. Since 2015, the Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative has published more than 20 reports identifying and prioritizing criminal justice needs for innovation. This product provides a database of all of the needs generated during the first five years of the Initiative.
Summarizes findings of a report in which researchers estimated the percentage of individuals with mental health disorders in Los Angeles County jails who could be diverted from traditional criminal justice processing to community-based care.
Telepresence technology, which allows an individual or group to appear in a court proceeding from a remote location, has the potential to increase court safety, reduce costs, and enhance court efficiency. However, its use might have unintended consequences. In November 2018, the Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative convened a workshop to examine the benefits of this technology and identify solutions for addressing potential problems.
Researchers studied the Los Angeles County jail mental health population to identify those who would likely be appropriate for diversion with the aim of providing them with needed care and reducing recidivism. The report includes the results from a legal and clinical review of recently incarcerated individuals identified with a serious mental illness, as well as relevant recommendations for diversion in Los Angeles County.
AssetPlus is an assessment and planning framework used by youth offending teams throughout England and Wales. RAND Europe was commissioned by the Youth Justice Board to explore the experiences and perceptions of youth justice practitioners using AssetPlus. The study found that practitioners strongly supported the ideas underpinning the assessment tool but faced challenges related to its user interface and information-sharing capabilities.
An expert workshop of correctional administrators and researchers explored how technology can be used to address key challenges faced by community corrections agencies. Participants recommended developing best practices for leveraging technology to improve officer safety, improve officer competencies, facilitate positive offender behaviors, hold offenders accountable, and improve agencies' operational effectiveness.
Having a college education is necessary to compete for many jobs, and the stakes for ex-offenders are higher than for others. This Perspective summarizes research on the effectiveness of educational programs in reducing recidivism and lessons learned from one state's experience in providing college programs to incarcerated individuals. Focusing on the Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Initiative, it outlines key issues to address.
In 2017, the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) asked the RAND Corporation for assistance in determining maximum caseload standards for providers of indigent legal representation to adult defendants in the trial-level courts of Michigan. This project conducted three data collection efforts to provide an empirical foundation for these standards. The authors present recommended caseload standards based on analysis of the collected data.
This tool shows criminal justice policymakers how state policies affect the size and racial composition of forensic DNA databases. Users can view current state policies or change inputs and assumptions to see how database composition is impacted.
