Research

Overview

Research, evaluation and dissemination play an essential role in the Center for Court Innovation's brand of justice reform. The Center uses a variety of research methodologies to evaluate whether new initiatives are successful or not, to identify areas for improvement and to document lessons for innovators around the world. The Center's research department contains more than a dozen social scientists who perform quantitative and qualitative studies. The Center shares its findings in a variety of formats, from academic publications geared to a research audience to how-to manuals for busy frontline justice system professionals to op-eds intended for the general public. While the means of dissemination may vary, the underlying goal is always the same: to use information to improve the fairness and effectiveness of the justice system.

Below are additional topics of research not covered in the main search list below:

Author

Multi-Site Evaluation Demonstrates Effectiveness of Adult Drug Courts

By Michael Rempel, Janine M. Zweig, Christine H. Lindquist, John K. Roman, Shelli B. Rossman and Dana Kralstein

Funded by the National Institute of Justice, the Multi-Site Adult Drug Court Evaluation is a comprehensive study of outcomes at 23 drug courts and six comparison jurisdictions around the country. The study found that adult drug courts substantially reduce crime and drug use and produce a particularly large return on investment (in terms of both recidivism reductions and cost savings) among offenders who would otherwise be at a high risk of re-offending. The study also underlines the critical importance of the judge in explaining the positive impact of drug courts. This brief article summarizes all major study findings and discusses their policy implications. Published in Judicature 95: 4: 154-157.

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Why Good Programs Go Bad

By Greg Berman and Aubrey Fox

Criminal Justice magazine excerpts a chapter from Trial and Error in Criminal Justice Reform in its Summer 2011 issue. The article focuses on the St. Louis Consent to Search program, a promising police initiative that struggled to sustain its initial success.

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Community Perceptions of Brownsville: A Survey of Neighborhood Quality of Life, Safety, and Services

By Suvi Hynynen

The results of a community survey in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The survey, conducted in 2010, focuses on perceptions of neighborhood quality of life, youth issues, public safety, and criminal justice agencies.

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