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Latin American Social Policy

RAND's research on social policy in Latin America is dedicated to improving the well-being of the Latin American population and conducts objective, independent research on topics relevant to Latin Americans living and working at home and in the United States.

Featured Research

Race-Based Disparate Impact on Federal Criminal Sentencing
RAND researchers analyzed over one-half million sentencing records to quantify the race-based disparate impact and differential treatment at the national level and the individual federal judicial district level. Researchers found that at the individual district level, 14 districts showed significant differences for minoritized defendants.
Aug 7, 2023
Chad M. Topaz, Shaoyang Ning, et al.
National Preparedness for 988: The New Mental Health Emergency Hotline in the United States
988, a national mental health emergency hotline with the aim of expanding access to crisis care, went live throughout the United States in July 2022. Through a national survey, researchers found that communities throughout the U.S. appeared ill-prepared for the rollout and counties with majority Hispanic/Latinx individuals were less likely to report adequate preparedness.
Jul 14, 2023
Samantha Matthews, Jonathan H. Cantor, et al.
Exploring How Teach for All's Networks Connect Local Educational Organizations
Using data from the annual alumni survey of Enseña Perú (EP), the Peru chapter of the global Teach for All network, researchers evaluated alumni professional interactions with each other and the extent to which these collaborations span organizations, sectors, and geographic regions in Peru.
Jul 3, 2023
Benjamin K. Master, Harold D. Green, et al.

Publications

Migration Narratives in Northern Central America: How Competing Stories Shape Policy and Public Opinion in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador 2023

Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan, Aaron Clark-Ginsberg, Alejandra Lopez, Alejandro Vélez Salas
This report identifies and compares migration narratives within El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to understand how they influence critical policy debates and decisions in the region.
A Parish-Based Multilevel Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial to Reduce Stigma and Mental Health Treatment Disparities Among Latino Communities 2023

Eunice C. Wong, Vanessa N. Torres, Mario O. Martinez, Bing Han, Melen Vue, Kathryn Pitkin Derose
A trial by the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Diocese of San Bernardino aims to use a parish-based intervention, potentially bridging gaps through education, reducing stigma, and improving access for Latinos.
Federal Criminal Sentencing: Race-Based Disparate Impact and Differential Treatment in Judicial Districts 2023

Chad M. Topaz, Shaoyang Ning, Maria-Veronica Ciocanel, Shawn D. Bushway
Race-based inequity in federal criminal sentencing is widely acknowledged, and yet our understanding of it is far from complete.
Discrimination and Adherence in a Cross-Sectional Study of Latino Sexual Minority Men with HIV: Coping with Discrimination as a Mediator and Coping Self-Efficacy as a Moderator 2023

Joanna Barreras, Laura M. Bogart, Sarah MacCarthy, David J. Klein, David W. Pantalone
Among 82 Latino sexual minority men with HIV, intersectional discrimination was associated with non-adherence. Disengagement coping mediated this association, and coping self-efficacy moderated this association.

See all Publications