Resource Results
Social network analysis is a technique for describing interaction patterns between people to better understand and predict behavior. The investigation of an organized fencing operation being run by members of a local gang from a tavern is an example of the potential use of this technique. In this hypothetical example, the police watch the tavern during the evening hours to determine who may be involved in the operation.
Over the last 20 years, a critical mass of social science evidence has accumulated challenging what had previously been the prevailing notion that “nothing works” in the rehabilitation of offenders. Findings from academic and program evaluation literatures in the fields of psychology, criminal justice, sociology, and public policy suggest that evidence-based interventions, which effectively combine the core principles of rehabilitation (risk-need-responsivity), deterrence, procedural… Read More
The idea of using law to change the built environment in ways that reduce opportunities to commit crimes has a long history. Unfortunately, this idea has received relatively little attention in the legal academy and only limited rigorous empirical scrutiny. In this Article, we review the considerable literature on the relationship between zoning, the built environment, and crime. We then report the results of two empirical studies on these relationships.
Denise O'Donnell, director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, discusses the Bureau's strategic mission and holistic approach to justice reform. She also outlines the Bureau's new suite of Smart on Crime programs.
The movement toward the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) has been sweeping the criminal justice community in recent years. The purpose of this briefing paper is to provide policymakers with an introduction and overview of the key concepts and issues associated with the identification and use of EBPs in criminal justice.
This Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Case Study describes key elements of promising interventions that have been shown to prevent and reduce levels of crime and violence at the local level.
As police forces worldwide increase the number of specialist units within their organizational structures, they require innovative performance measurement frameworks to properly evaluate the effectiveness of these units within the broader policing context. Specialist units are generally either technical in nature (e.g. forensics) or operational (e.g. drug or fraud squads).
The two innovations of community policing and community prosecution are similar in their core characteristics: greater agency responsiveness to citizen input, a focus on problemsolving that uses an expanded range of options, broader measures of success, and collaborative partnerships with other public and private community organizations. Recognizing that most research has focused on one or the other community-oriented innovations in prosecutor offices and police agencies, the current… Read More
The evaluation found that each of the 12 fully functional geospatial software tools provided the law enforcement community with a new, expanded, or different capability in addressing crime. In addition, NIJ selected a spectrum of qualified developers with novel approaches for extending the use of geospatial tools to law enforcement responsibilities. Collectively, the tools provide the law enforcement community with access to new and improved geospatial capability that improves crime… Read More
Community engagement is an essential component of a well-functioning justice system. By strategically engaging the public, justice agencies can foster trust and mutual understanding, build partnerships, and solve local problems. Through community engagement, the justice system can also access local resources, including community volunteers.
This fact sheet focuses on a single community engagement strategy: community advisory boards, providing guidance to justice… Read More
