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Less Prison, More Police, Less Crime: How Criminology Can Save the States from Bankruptcy

April 2010
Series
Research for the Real World

Professor Lawrence Sherman explains how policing can prevent far more crimes than prison per dollar spent. His analysis of the cost-effectiveness of prison compared to policing suggests that states can cut their total budgets for justice and reduce crime by reallocating their spending on crime: less prison, more police.

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Strengthening Forensic Science at Its Foundations to Improve Public Safety

With National Forensic Science Week beginning on August 9, I can’t think of a better time to highlight the importance of NIJ’s investment in forensic science research and how that...

Alternative Sentencing Policies for Drug Offenders

June 2009

The panel presentations from the 2009 NIJ Conference are based on an NIJ-sponsored evaluation of the effectiveness of Kansas Senate Bill 123, which mandates community-based drug abuse treatment for drug possession by nonviolent offenders in lieu of prison. 

Transcript
Alternative Sentencing Policies for Drug Offenders
Audio file
1 of 5: Alternative Sentencing Policies for Drug Offenders, Linda Truitt, National Institute of Justice , 2 of 5: Alternative Sentencing Policies for Drug Offenders, Roger Werholtz, Secretary of Corrections, Kansas Department of Corrections , 3 of 5: Alternative Sentencing Policies for Drug Offenders, Don Stemen, Assistant Professor, Department of Criminal Justice, Loyola University Chicago , 4 of 5: Alternative Sentencing Policies for Drug Offenders, Andres F. Rengifo, Assistant Professor, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Missouri-St. Louis , 5 of 5: Alternative Sentencing Policies for Drug Offenders, Question and Answer Session

Cell Phones in Prison

June 2010

Criminals are using cell phones illegally in prisons and jails to conduct their business and intimidate witnesses. Although technology solutions to this problem are available, they can create new challenges, such as legal and implementation issues associated with cell phone use in correctional facilities. Panelists will discuss various aspects to consider from how prisoners use cell phones, to day-to-day and operational aspects, to legal and regulatory concerns.

Transcript
Cell Phones in Prison
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1 of 7: Cell Phones in Prison, Ellen Scrivner, National Institute of Justice , 2 of 7: Cell Phones in Prison, Gary D. Maynard, Secretary, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Service , 3 of 7: Cell Phones in Prison, Harley Lappin, Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Department of Justice , 4 of 7: Cell Phones in Prison, Aaron D. Kennard, Executive Director, National Sheriffs' Association , 5 of 7: Cell Phones in Prison, James Arden Barnett, Jr., Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Federal Communication Commission , 6 of 7: Cell Phones in Prison, Larry D. Atlas, Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Washington, D.C. , 7 of 7: Cell Phones in Prison, Question and Answer Session

NIJ Journal Issue 261, October 2008

Date Published
October 1, 2008

Research-based information that can help inform policy decisions and improve understanding of the criminal justice system.

Situational Approaches to Making Communities and Correction Institutions Safer

June 2010

NIJ Conference panelists will present the results of three studies that applied situational crime prevention (SCP) principles: (1) an evaluation of the Safe City initiative in Chula Vista, Calif., designed to combine the expertise and resources of local law enforcement, retailers and the community to increase the safety of designated retail areas; (2) a randomized controlled trial (in partnership with the Washington Metro Transit Police) that assessed the effectiveness of SCP to reduce car crime in Metro's parking facilities; and (3) an evaluation of the impact of SCP

Transcript
Situational Approaches to Making Communities and Correction Institutions Safer
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1 of 4: Situational Approaches to Making Communities and Correction Institutions Safer, Winnie Reed, National Institute of Justice , 2 of 4: Situational Approaches to Making Communities and Correction Institutions Safer, Nancy La Vigne, Director, Justice Policy Institute, Urban Institute , 3 of 4: Situational Approaches to Making Communities and Correction Institutions Safer, Gary Wedge, Captain, Administrative Services Division, Chula Vista Police Department, Calif. , 4 of 4: Situational Approaches to Making Communities and Correction Institutions Safer, Tara H. Wildes, Chief, Jails Division, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Fla.

An Examination of Justice Reinvestment and Its Impact on Two States

June 2010

Funded in part by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Pew Center on the States, the justice reinvestment project is a data-driven strategy aimed at policymakers to "reduce spending on corrections, increase public safety and improve conditions in the neighborhoods to which most people released from prison return." Representatives from two states where the justice reinvestment strategy is currently being implemented will discuss how it is being used to reduce the rate of incarceration and how states can reinvest in local communities.

Transcript
An Examination of Justice Reinvestment and Its Impact on Two States
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1 of 5: An Examination of Justice Reinvestment and Its Impact on Two States, Marie Garcia, National Institute of Justice , 2 of 5: An Examination of Justice Reinvestment and Its Impact on Two States, Jake Horowitz, Project Manager, Public Safety Performance Project, Pew Center on the States , 3 of 5: An Examination of Justice Reinvestment and Its Impact on Two States, John Lazet, Chief of Staff, The Office of Senator Alan Cropsey, Lansing, Mich. , 4 of 5: An Examination of Justice Reinvestment and Its Impact on Two States, Anne Rice, Associate Attorney General, New Hampshire Office of Attorney General , 5 of 5: An Examination of Justice Reinvestment and Its Impact on Two States, Marshall Clement, Project Director, Justice Center, The Council of State Governments

What Works in Probation and Parole

June 2009

How can we prevent reoffending and reduce costs? Research points to a number of solutions. At the Tuesday plenary, Judge Steven Alm from Hawaii will describe his successes with hard-core drug offenders. “Swift and sure” is his motto. West Virginia Cabinet Secretary James W. Spears will discuss the issues from his state's perspective, and Adam Gelb, Director of the Pew Charitable Trust's Public Safety Performance Project, will lend a national overview.

Transcript
What Works in Probation and Parole
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1 of 7: What Works in Probation and Parole, Kristina Rose, Acting Director, and Thomas Feucht, Executive Senior Science Advisor, National Institute of Justice , 2 of 7: What Works in Probation and Parole, Adam Gelb, Director, Public Safety Performance Project, Pew Center on the States , 3 of 7: What Works in Probation and Parole, James W. Spears, Cabinet Secretary, West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety , 4 of 7: What Works in Probation and Parole, Honorable Steven S. Alm, Judge, First Circuit Court, Honolulu, Hawaii , 5 of 7: What Works in Probation and Parole, Tom Williams, Associate Director, Court Services and Offender Supervision, Washington, D.C. , 6 of 7: What Works in Probation and Parole, Pamela Lattimore, Principal Scientist, RTI International , 7 of 7: What Works in Probation and Parole, Question and Answer Session

Sex Offenders in the Community: Post-Release, Registration, Notification and Residency Restrictions

May 2010

The management of sexual offenders in the community post-release is an issue of increasing concern to law enforcement, policymakers and the public. In recent years, efforts to strengthen registration and notification have been enhanced. At the same time, comparatively little attention has been paid to related matters, such as how residency restrictions may impact offenders' efforts to find stable work and living arrangements once they are released from prison, whether rates of recidivism have changed, and whether these policies increase the safety of potential victims.

Transcript
Sex Offenders in the Community: Post-Release, Registration, Notification and Residency Restrictions
Audio file
1 of 4: Sex Offenders in the Community: Post-Release, Registration, Notification and Residency Restrictions, Karen J. Bachar, National Institute of Justice , 2 of 4: Sex Offenders in the Community: Post-Release, Registration, Notification and Residency Restrictions, Elizabeth Letourneau, Assistant Professor, Medical University of South Carolina , 3 of 4: Sex Offenders in the Community: Post-Release, Registration, Notification and Residency Restrictions, Kristen M. Zgoba, Research Scientist, New Jersey Department of Corrections , 4 of 4: Sex Offenders in the Community: Post-Release, Registration, Notification and Residency Restrictions, Alisa Klein, Public Policy Consultant, Association for the Treatment of Sex Abusers