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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
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Results for crime prevention programs
31 results foundAuthor: Hercik, Jeanette Title: Development of a Guide to Resources on Faith-Based Organizations in Criminal Justice - Final Report Summary: In developing a guide to faith-based organizations (FBO's) that have supplied resources to the criminal justice system, this project hoped to assist in the development of a research agenda that will determine whether and under what circumstances FBO's can promote public safety by reducing crime and delinquency. A literature review that examined theory and research on the impact of religion on crime and delinquent behavior found that religion is generally inversely related to delinquency and crime; however, the specific concepts and elements of faith and religion that cultivate positive behaviors have not been clearly identified. A broad-based environmental scan that identified promising faith-based programs that support criminal justice initiatives encompassed national networks, community organizations, and local church congregations. The scan identified a wide range of programs and services being provided by FBO's in order to improve outcomes in the areas of crime prevention, intervention, and aftercare. A research brief examines the evolution of religion's focus on criminal justice concerns, with attention to the theoretical foundation of its involvement, the historical context, prior research, contemporary challenges, and recommendations for future research. The brief concludes that the most methodologically rigorous studies show that religion reduces both minor and serious forms of juvenile delinquency and adult criminality. Future research is recommended. Finally, case studies portray innovative faith-based programs, including the Aleph Institute, Amachi Program, Kairos Horizon Communities in Prison, and the Masjid Al-Islam Da'wah Program. The case studies show that engaging FBO's in collaborative, problem-solving partnerships has the potential to improve outcomes for offenders in general, inmates, ex-inmates, and their families. Details: Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 3, 2012 at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/209350.pdf Year: 0 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/209350.pdf Shelf Number: 123952 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsFaith-Based OrganizationsVolunteers, Corrections |
Author: Welsh, Brandon C. Title: The Future of Crime Prevention: Developmental and Situational Strategies Summary: Crime prevention means many different things to many different people. Programs and policies designed to prevent crime can include the police making an arrest as part of an operation to deal with gang problems, a court disposal to a secure correctional facility, or, in the extreme case, a death penalty sentence. These measures are more correctly referred to as crime control. More often crime prevention refers to efforts to prevent crime or criminal offending in the first instance – before the act has been committed. Both forms of crime prevention share a common goal of trying to prevent the occurrence of a future criminal act, but what distinguishes crime prevention from crime control is that prevention typically operates outside of the confines of the formal justice system. There are, of course, exceptions, as in the case of problem-oriented policing initiatives that incorporate prevention measures (Braga, 2008; Braga and Weisburd, 2010; Weisburd et al., 2010). In this respect, prevention is considered the fourth pillar of crime reduction, alongside the institutions of police, courts, and corrections (Waller, 2006). This categorization draws attention to crime prevention as an alternative approach to the more traditional responses to crime. Situational prevention refers to interventions designed to prevent the occurrence of crimes by reducing opportunities and increasing the risk and difficulty of offending (Clarke, 1995b; Cornish and Clarke, 2003). Community prevention refers to interventions designed to change the social conditions and institutions (e.g., families, peers, social norms, clubs, 4 organizations) that influence offending in residential communities (Hope, 1995). Criminal justice prevention refers to traditional deterrent, incapacitative, and rehabilitative strategies operated by law enforcement and criminal justice system agencies (Blumstein et al., 1978; MacKenzie, 2006). In this paper we set out to address three main questions as they relate to developmental and situational crime prevention today and in the years to come: 1. What do we know? This pertains largely to the effectiveness of the two strategies. 2. What do we need to know? This concerns gaps in knowledge on effectiveness and related key issues. 3. How can we find out? This final question has to do with research strategies to address the gaps in knowledge and priorities for research. Details: Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, 2012. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 10, 2012 at http://www.nij.gov/nij/topics/crime/crime-prevention/working-group/future-of-crime-prevention-research.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.nij.gov/nij/topics/crime/crime-prevention/working-group/future-of-crime-prevention-research.pdf Shelf Number: 124045 Keywords: Crime PreventionCrime Prevention ProgramsSituational Crime Prevention |
Author: Centre for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities (CREHPA) Title: The Anti-Trafficking Program in Rural Nepal: Assessment of Change in Awareness and Communication among Adolescent Girls, Peers and Parents in Baglung District, 2002 - An Endline Survey Summary: In recent years, millions of women and girls have been trafficked across national borders and within countries. The global trafficking industry generates an estimated US$5 to 7 billion each year, more than the profits generated by the arms and narcotics trades (Widgren 1994). Over the last decade, the growing trafficking problem in South Asia has been particularly acute in Nepal, one of the least developed countries in the world, with 42 percent of its citizens living below the poverty line. While there are no reliable data on the magnitude of the trafficking problem in Nepal, the most widely quoted sources estimate that 5,000 to 7,000 girls are trafficked from Nepal to India and other neighbouring countries every year, primarily for prostitution: 200,000 Nepali girls and women currently are working in the sex industry in India (UNIFEM 1998, UNICEF 1997). Another study postulates that 20,000 minors are brought into India from Nepal for sex work every year (Haemeed 1997). The occurrence of trafficking in Nepal is generally attributed to widespread poverty, lack of female education, low status of girls and women and social disparities rooted in ethnic and caste groupings. Women living in an environment of restricted rights and limited personal freedom with few employment opportunities may decide that out-migration is their only hope for achieving economic independence and a higher standard of living. Those who are victimized by traffickers experience abuse, exploitation and greater vulnerability to human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The effort to abolish trafficking in Nepal intensified after the restoration of democracy in 1990. Since then, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations have started initiating programs to address and combat trafficking of girls. Details: Kathmandu, Nepal: Centre for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities (CREHPA), 2003. 88p. Source: Final Draft Report: Internet Resource: Accessed February 10, 2012 at http://www.childtrafficking.com/Docs/crehpa_2003__anti_trafficki.pdf Year: 2003 Country: Nepal URL: http://www.childtrafficking.com/Docs/crehpa_2003__anti_trafficki.pdf Shelf Number: 124070 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsFemale VictimsHuman Trafficking (Nepal)Juvenile Victims |
Author: Caldwell-Aden, Laura Title: Case Studies of Community-Base Self-Sufficient DWI Programs Summary: This report is intended to provide guidance to communities in developing or adapting existing programs to function more self-sufficiently. The report features five case studies of community-based, self-sufficient DWI programs operating at the local level in various communities across the country. Two of the programs are enforcement-oriented, one focusing on traffic safety violations, the other on vehicle forfeiture; two programs focus on offender supervision, one operating within the court system, the other as a human services program; one program is a multijurisdictional community traffic safety coalition providing prevention and intervention programming. While it is intended to provide information on self-sufficiency strategies and program components, it does not evaluate the specific program strategies (use of enforcement, offender supervision, coalitions, etc.). Community-based, self-sufficient DWI programs are independently managed and operated at the local level using sustainable funding sources to cover at least 75 percent of program costs. Sustainable funding sources may include fees or fines dedicated to the DWI program, as well as an established funding stream dedicated exclusively to the DWI program. A self-sufficient DWI program must be funded through sustainable sources to function efficiently if nonsustainable funding sources cease. Details: Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2011. 88p. Source: DOT HS 811 300: Internet Resource: Accessed February 10, 2012 at http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811300.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811300.pdf Shelf Number: 124076 Keywords: Alcohol Treatment Programs, Community-BasedCrime Prevention ProgramsDriving While Intoxicated (DWI) |
Author: Canada. Institute for the Prevention of Crime, University of Ottawa. Title: Making Cities Safer: Canadian Strategies and Practices Summary: Municipalities have a key role to play in reducing crime and enhancing community safety. This report examines themes and challenges facing 14 municipalities in Canada in their efforts to implement and sustain evidence-based community safety and crime prevention initiatives. It also identifies guiding principles for all orders of government that will assist municipalities in these efforts. In 2006, the Institute for the Prevention of Crime (IPC) at the University of Ottawa invited the mayors of 14 municipalities to delegate a representative to join the Municipal Network on Crime Prevention. The Network currently includes Vancouver, Surrey, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Waterloo Region, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Saint John, and Halifax. The Municipal Network exists to share knowledge and experience that will help strengthen the capacity of Canadian municipalities to reduce crime and enhance community safety. It is one component of Harnessing Knowledge for Crime Prevention, a project funded through the National Crime Prevention Centre at the Ministry of Public Safety Canada. In order to better understand municipal involvement in community safety and crime prevention in Canadian cities, IPC conducted in-depth consultations with members of the Municipal Network within the following framework: past involvement of the municipality in crime prevention initiatives/programs; current problems and challenges related to delinquency, violence, and safety in the municipality; strategic importance of safety and crime prevention within the municipality; current municipal safety and crime prevention initiatives and programs; and, challenges for the future. Based on an analysis of the information gathered through the consultations as well as the examination of municipally-based crime prevention initiatives at the international level, the Municipal Network has identified a set of guiding principles that will enhance efforts to reduce crime and victimization and improve community safety. A major challenge to implementing and sustaining coordinated initiatives that was identified in this review is the lack of coordination among levels of government in setting priorities and funding programs that target root causes of crime. Details: Ottawa, Canada: Institute for the Prevention of Crime, University of Ottawa, 2008. 71p. Source: Number 2: Internet Resource: Accessed February 17, 2012 at http://www.sciencessociales.uottawa.ca/ipc/eng/documents/IPC_MR2-Eng.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Canada URL: http://www.sciencessociales.uottawa.ca/ipc/eng/documents/IPC_MR2-Eng.pdf Shelf Number: 124166 Keywords: Community Safety (Canada)Crime Prevention ProgramsCriminal Justice Administration |
Author: Wolf, Angela M. Title: Operating and Managing Street Outreach Services Summary: Increasingly, cities have added street outreach to the mix of strategies used in comprehensive gang reduction efforts, drawing upon mounting evidence of impact. Street outreach relies on street workers to support and advocate on behalf of gang members, or those at high risk of joining gang, to change behavior patterns and link them to needed services and institutions. Street outreach workers work day and night to link marginalized and hard-to-serve individuals in communities with high levels of gang activity to social services, and play an important role in diffusing and stopping violence (Decker, Bynum, McDevitt, Farrell, & Varano, 2008; Spergel, 1966; Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention [OJJDP], 2002). These workers reach out to targeted community members at their homes, community events, on street corners, in parks, and in any neighborhood spaces where community members in gangs or at risk of joining gangs spend time (OJJDP, 2002, p. 54). Outreach workers often possess intimate familiarity with the communities in which they work. Their knowledge and skills allow them to work with individuals whom traditional service providers cannot access or support. California Cities Gang Prevention Network cities (the Network or CCGPN) note that street outreach services are an important piece of their cities’ primary intervention strategies, with ties to prevention and enforcement. Cities such as Stockton provide prevention-oriented outreach to clients at risk of gang involvement. Other Network cities, including San Francisco, follow the Chicago CeaseFire model—a violence reduction model that treats violence as a learned behavior that can be prevented using disease control methods. The Chicago Ceasefire approach directs outreach workers to prevent retaliation and intervene in conflicts to prevent escalation to violence. Like Network cities, High Point, North Carolina, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, use outreach services as a promising component of their cities’ crime prevention and intervention strategies. As a collaborative, community-based approach aiming to combat open-air drug markets, the High Point initiative employs outreach services to establish relationships and provide services to lowlevel street drug dealers and their families (Bass, 2009; Kennedy, 2007; Schoofs, 2008). Similarly, in Rio de Janeiro, outreach workers work closely with street children involved with the drug trade to provide them with housing and services, and to stifle gang activity (Sauma, 2008). and sustaining outreach programs. In particular, they find it challenging to operate and manage outreach services. Operating an outreach program can include dealing with a variety of dangers. Without weapons or bulletproof vests, outreach workers insert themselves into dangerous and violent situations to prevent or stop violence; they risk and sometimes become the targets of gang violence (Bass, 2008; Decker, 2011; Fenton, 2009). Operating an outreach program also involves securing and maintaining healthy relationships with law enforcement and communities. For outreach workers to perform their duties, law enforcement must be supportive and knowledgeable about the role and function of outreach workers. They must also be comfortable working with outreach workers with criminal records, in addition to not pressuring outreach workers to serve as an extension of law enforcement. If law enforcement and outreach programs do not mutually trust each other, it can reduce an outreach organization’s credibility among the community it serves and, consequently, its ability to reduce violence (Bass, 2009). A common fear among Network cities is outreach workers being arrested or misrepresenting their outreach organization. Such incidents could create negative credibility for cities and outreach organizations among important partners like the police department, the community, and clients. Maintaining a fully staffed outreach program is a longstanding challenge. Outreach work is inevitably stressful because it exposes outreach workers to dangerous and traumatic events. Because of the risky and stressful nature of outreach work, many outreach workers leave the profession after only a few years. Consequentially, outreach programs must make every effort to support and sustain current workers, and at the same time prepare to hire and train new outreach workers. This bulletin briefly explores the different types of outreach services that currently exist. Additionally, with examples from Network cities such as Richmond, San Francisco, and Oakland, as well as from outreach programs in High Point, North Carolina; Boston, Massachusetts; and Chicago, Illinois, this bulletin identifies ways outreach programs can strategically support, care for, and hire outreach workers as a way of managing the challenges of implementing an outreach program. Details: Oakland, CA: National Council on Crime and Delinquency, 2011. 7p. Source: The California Cities Gange Prevention Network: Bulletin 22: Internet Resource: Accessed February 19, 2012 at http://www.ccgpn.org/Publications/CA%20Cities%20Bulletin%2022.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.ccgpn.org/Publications/CA%20Cities%20Bulletin%2022.pdf Shelf Number: 124193 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsGangs (California)Intervention ProgramsVolunteers |
Author: Bateman, Sam Title: Staying the course: Australia and maritime security in the South Pacific Summary: This report, authored by Sam Bateman and Anthony Bergin, argues that we should develop a comprehensive approach to replace Australia’s Pacific Patrol Boat Program. Australia has supplied twenty-two boats to twelve island countries for maritime security. The vessels will start reaching the end of their service lives from 2018. But Australia’s future plans for Pacific maritime aid remain opaque. Details: Australia: Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), 2011. 19p. Source: ASPI Strategic Insights 52: Internet Resource: Accessed February 19, 2012 at http://www.aspi.org.au/publications/publication_details.aspx?ContentID=295 Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aspi.org.au/publications/publication_details.aspx?ContentID=295 Shelf Number: 124206 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsLaw Enforcement, PatrolMaritime Security (South Pacific) (Australia) |
Author: DuMont, Kimberly Title: Final Report: A Randomized Trial of Healthy Families New York (HFNY): Does Home Visiting Prevent Child Maltreatment? Summary: This study utilizes a seven-year randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a state-administered home visitation program, Healthy Families New York (HFNY), in preventing child maltreatment and risks for delinquency. Based on the Healthy Families America model, HFNY strives to promote positive parent-child interactions, prevent child maltreatment, support optimal child development, and improve parents’ self-sufficiency. In 2000, eligible families were randomly assigned to either an intervention group that was offered HFNY services or to a control group that received referrals to appropriate services. Baseline interviews were conducted with 1173 of the eligible women, with follow-up interviews at birth, and Ages 1, 2 and 3. At Age 7, interviews were completed with 942 of the original study participants and 800 of their children. The researchers also obtained administrative data on Child Protective Services (CPS) reports, foster care placements, federal and state-supported benefits, and program costs and services. HFNY produced markedly lower rates of confirmed CPS reports and initiation of child welfare services for a subgroup of mothers who had confirmed CPS involvement prior to random assignment, referred to as the Recurrence Reduction Opportunity (RRO) subgroup. There were no differences between the intervention and control groups in rates of confirmed CPS reports for the sample overall. However, consistent with prior findings, HFNY mothers reported engaging in serious physical abuse less frequently than mothers in the control group. HFNY children were also less likely to report that their mothers used minor physical aggression. In addition, sustained reductions in psychological and minor physical aggression were observed for a subgroup of young, first-time mothers, who enrolled in HFNY during pregnancy (the High Prevention Opportunity or HPO subgroup). HFNY also directly benefited children: Compared to children in the control group, HFNY children were more likely to participate in a gifted program, and less likely to receive special education services and to skip school. In addition, HFNY children in the HPO subgroup were less likely to score below average on a standardized vocabulary assessment and to repeat a grade. No differences were detected for problem behaviors. By age seven, participant earnings and savings from monetized benefits such as receipt of welfare and use of the child welfare system generated a return of more than $3.00 for every dollar invested in RRO families, but only partially recovered program expenditures for the HPO subgroup and sample as a whole. Home visiting presents a unique opportunity to forge enduring relationships with families at a time when parents are vulnerable and the developmental path of the newborn is particularly malleable. Findings from the current study demonstrate the benefits of providing HFNY services to families early in life. Details: New York: New York State Office of Children and Family Services, 2010. 155p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 28, 2012 at http://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/reports/NIJ%20ReportFINAL%20REPORT%2011-29-2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/reports/NIJ%20ReportFINAL%20REPORT%2011-29-2010.pdf Shelf Number: 124315 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentCrime Prevention ProgramsHome Visitation Programs (New York) |
Author: Hanson, Thomas Title: A Randomized Experimental Evaluation of the Tribes Learning Communities Prevention Program Summary: School-based violence prevention programs are often designed to reduce aggressive, violent or otherwise disruptive behavior in school, and to ameliorate risk factors for later violence or promote protective factors enhancing resiliency. Tribes is an intensive universal prevention strategy implemented in the class for the entire academic year, with children organized into smaller learning groups (i.e., ―tribes‖) and teachers trained to facilitate positive classroom climate, respect for others, teamwork, building of relationships, and accountability. The Tribes program has been listed as a promising prevention program by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and by a number of other ―best practice lists.‖ Almost no rigorous, experimental research has been conducted on the impact of Tribes on risk or protective factors or on longer-term child and classroom outcomes. To respond to this need, WestEd conducted a randomized trial to evaluate the impact of Tribes on 1st-4th grade classrooms and students. We examined program impacts on the classroom environment and teacher practices, student protective factors against violence, and disruptive and disorderly behavior. Impacts on student outcomes were assessed immediately after one academic year of exposure to Tribes and six months after students left their Tribes’ classrooms. The results provided little evidence that Tribes impacted teacher reports about the classroom environment or instructional practices. None of the estimated impacts on teacher survey measures were statistically or substantively significant. For the outcomes based on classroom observations, however, the analyses indicated that Tribes classrooms manifested more opportunities for small-group work, student collaboration, and student reflection; and students in Tribes classrooms appeared to be more engaged and exhibited more sharing behavior. The impact evaluation provided a mixed picture of the effects of Tribes on student outcomes, with beneficial effects observed for some outcomes and students, and detrimental effects observed for others. Little evidence was provided that Tribes had sustained impacts on student outcomes six months after leaving a Tribes classroom. In the short-term, however, Tribes appeared to have more beneficial impacts for boys and more detrimental impacts for girls. Boys in Tribes classrooms exhibited higher scores than those on control classrooms on teacher reports of intrapersonal and affective strengths and parent reports of intrapersonal strengths. Boys also had lower scores on parent reports of rule-breaking behavior. Few significant impacts of Tribes were detected for girls, with the exception that deleterious effects on student test scores were found. Details: San Francisco, CA: WestEd, 2011. 163p. Source: Final Report: Internet Resource: Accessed April 24, 2012 at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/237958.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/237958.pdf Shelf Number: 125058 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsEvaluative StudiesSchool Violence |
Author: Derks, Maria Title: Improving Security and Justice Through Local/ Non-State Actors: The Challenges of Donor Support to Local/Non-State Security and Justice Providers Summary: Local/non‐state actors often play an important role in the provision of justice and security services in many of the world’s fragile and (post‐)conflict countries. With a view to improving their effectiveness, donors seeking to support justice and security development in those countries frequently look for ways to incorporate them in their programmes. However, given that non‐state actors can also be detrimental to local security and justice (for example when they form part of organized crime), supporting them also involves huge risks. With this dilemma in mind, the Clingendael Institute’s Conflict Research Unit investigated conceptual, policy and practical opportunities and challenges for including local/non‐state security and justice networks in security and justice programming. The project consisted of a conceptual desk‐study; case studies in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi; and a synthesis phase focusing on the lessons learned from the project, complemented by an expert brainstorm meeting, on the practical issues that donors must deal with if they are to successfully include local/non‐state actors in security and justice programmes. The present report summarizes the findings from this synthesis effort. It concludes that in each of the cases examined, it was possible to identify local/non‐state actors suitable for support and ways to support them. They included actors such as local courts, lay judges, neighbourhood watch groups, community development councils, and trade associations. However, the research also identified a number of practical risks and challenges that donors need to manage and overcome in order to ensure that such actors are included effectively into broader, overall security and justice programmes. These broadly fall into five categories. Details: The Hague: Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’, 2012. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 14, 2012 at: http://www.clingendael.nl/publications/2012/20120400_derks_improving_security.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.clingendael.nl/publications/2012/20120400_derks_improving_security.pdf Shelf Number: 125257 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsNational SecurityNon-State Actors |
Author: Gabor, Thomas Title: Evidence-Based Crime Prevention Programs: A Literature Review Summary: The current fiscal crisis has led governments at all levels to reflect on their approaches to fighting crime. A decline in the revenues of local governments compels them to prioritize programs on the basis of their efficacy and cost effectiveness. A recent editorial in the Palm Beach Post (August 24th) stated that the pressure is on the Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) to demonstrate that cherished programs, such as the youth empowerment centers, are effective in reducing crime. Research and evaluation allow funding to proceed by demonstrating program effectiveness. They also contribute to a more impartial and transparent way of arriving at funding decisions. The present project involved a structured, scholarly literature review that was designed to achieve two objectives: 1) to assess the evidence underlying the key crime prevention programs and initiatives currently being funded by Palm Beach County; and, 2) to identify exemplary or promising programs that might be considered for implementation in the County. The ultimate goal was to provide evidence-based information that would inform crime policy, improve the operation of the criminal justice system, and reduce crime. Decisions taken on the project, including the selection of programs to be covered by the literature review, were made collaboratively with the Research and Planning Unit of the CJC. In short, this review aimed to answer the question of “what works” in crime prevention and what is likely to work in Palm Beach County. This paper describes the methodology used in the structured literature review as the aim was to minimize the bias that frequently intrudes in literature reviews. The selection of materials for literature reviews, the material extracted from each work, and the methods used to assess the literature as a whole can easily be influenced by one’s prior expectations and beliefs. Therefore, a systematic approach is taken in the present 2 Thomas Gabor, LLC Literature Review of Crime Prevention Programs review. A critical aspect of this review is to distinguish between evaluations on the basis of their methodological rigor. While some program evaluations are true experiments with randomization (also known as randomized control trials), the vast majority use less rigorous methods. The more rigorous a study, the more reliable will be the conclusions of the evaluation. Hence, the greater the confidence will be that the program will be effective if implemented elsewhere. Thus, the weight given to the conclusion of an evaluation study must take into account the methodology applied. Methods for rating evaluation studies and for drawing conclusions across studies are presented below. The ultimate goal of the review is to facilitate the implementation of politically neutral and evidence-based crime prevention programming in Palm Beach County. Details: West Palm Beach, FL: Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners and Criminal Justice Commission, 2011. 204p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 13, 2012 at: http://www.pbcgov.com/criminaljustice/youth/pdf/FinalReportStructuredLiteratureReview.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.pbcgov.com/criminaljustice/youth/pdf/FinalReportStructuredLiteratureReview.pdf Shelf Number: 125616 Keywords: Crime PreventionCrime Prevention ProgramsEvidence-Based Practices |
Author: Marshall, Phil Title: Re-Thinking Trafficking Prevention: A Guide to Applying Behaviour Theory Summary: Trafficking prevention, vulnerability reduction, and strengthened monitoring, evaluation, and analysis of programmes are all mandated under the 3rd COMMIT Sub‐regional Plan of Action (COMMIT SPA III, 2011‐2013) as well as the 2004 COMMIT Memorandum of Understanding. This Guide aims to support COMMIT Taskforces and partners in improving the effectiveness of trafficking prevention programmes though an analytical approach centred around the planning and measurement of behaviour change. The term “prevention” is used to describe a huge range of anti‐trafficking interventions and has accounted for a large proportion of the investment in anti‐trafficking. In source-based efforts to reduce vulnerability and migration, we find a host of awareness‐raising activities, microcredit schemes, vocational training, community protection networks, programmes to increase school attendance, and even the building of wells in rural communities to reduce seasonal migration. At destinations we find further awareness-raising efforts, emerging campaigns targeting consumers, migrant hotlines, and workplace inspections. Governments and other actors have also attempted to prevent trafficking in transit through strengthened border controls, restrictions on movement, particularly of young women and girls, and out‐reach services for potentially vulnerable migrants in border areas, boat and bus terminals. To date, however, there has been limited analysis to understand how these efforts ultimately impact human trafficking or how they fit together into a set of activities to prevent human trafficking. Further, although the prevention of trafficking requires changes in behaviour, there have been few attempts to define prevention activities in behavioural terms. This paper seeks to highlight the potential advantages of doing so, demonstrating the benefits of behavioural theory, developed and refined in other fields, as a basis for stronger programme design and evaluation in the anti‐trafficking sector. It will not provide extensive detail on behavioural theory, on which there is much documentation, but seeks to present core ideas in broad terms to anti‐trafficking practitioners. Details: Bangkok: United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking, 2011. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 14, 2012 at http://www.no-trafficking.org/pub/rethinkingTraffickingPreventionWeb.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.no-trafficking.org/pub/rethinkingTraffickingPreventionWeb.pdf Shelf Number: 126024 Keywords: Crime PreventionCrime Prevention ProgramsHuman Trafficking |
Author: Arnold, Leah Title: 'Breaking the Cycle of Violence': A Quantitative Evaluation of an Educative Intervention Aimed at Improving the Self-Concepts and Behaviours of Vulnerable Adolescents Summary: The present research offers an evaluation of the LINX Programme; an intervention for young people who have been exposed to domestic violence and ultimately have severe self-concept and violence related issues. The methodology primarily consists of quantitative likert-scale surveys which are administered to the participants both before they begin the programme and 12 weeks later upon its completion. Therefore the data collection has been a longitudinal process. Additionally, reoffending data has been collected from past LINX participants and is used in conjunction with the survey data. For a significant statistical majority of young people, both self-concepts and behaviours had improved following the LINX Programme. Likewise, to highlight further the achievement of this intervention, no significant variance of scores was found across either gender or age. This suggests that the programme has been consistently delivered and is applicable for the majority of young people in attendance; however due to certain limitations other alternative explanations for this statistical outcome are discussed. This study has an extensive rationale due to the currently very limited academic focus on intervention efforts. Particularly minimal are studies which adopt a quantitative approach. Furthermore, this investigation takes an original approach by developing very informative regional comparisons where the same intervention is employed within four different counties of the United Kingdom. Beyond its contribution to social psychological research, this study has implications for the LINX Programme itself, by effectively applying social scientific knowledge to the evaluation of an existing intervention. In conclusion to the project, recommendations for extensions to the present research and the future development of the LINX Programme are identified. Details: Southampton, UK: University of Southampton, 2011. 51p. Source: Dissertation: Internet Resource: Accessed September 4, 2012 at http://www.hamptontrust.org.uk/what_we_do/linx/la_dissertation_breakingthecycleofviolence.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.hamptontrust.org.uk/what_we_do/linx/la_dissertation_breakingthecycleofviolence.pdf Shelf Number: 126254 Keywords: AdolescentsCrime Prevention ProgramsDomestic ViolenceIntervention Programs |
Author: Taylor, Bruce Title: Shifting Boundaries: Final Report on an Experimental Evaluation of a Youth Dating Violence Prevention Program in New York City Middle Schools Summary: The purpose of this multi‐level experiment was to provide high‐quality scientific evidence concerning the effectiveness of targeting a young, universal primary prevention audience with classroom‐based curricula and school‐level interventions. We randomly assigned a schoolbased intervention to 30 public middle schools in New York City, and within these schools we identified 117 sixth‐ and seventh‐grade classes (over 2,500 students) to randomly receive our interventions called Shifting Boundaries. The classroom intervention was delivered through a six‐session curriculum that emphasized the consequences for perpetrators of DV/H, state laws and penalties for DV/H, the construction of gender roles, and healthy relationships. The building‐based intervention included the use of temporary school‐based restraining orders, higher levels of faculty and security presence in areas identified through student mapping of safe/unsafe “hot spots,” and the use of posters to increase awareness and reporting of DV/H to school personnel. Our study included quantitative and qualitative data. Our quantitative surveys were implemented at baseline, immediately after the intervention and six months post‐intervention and included the following measures: Knowledge, attitudes, behavioral intentions, intentions to intervene as a bystander, peer and dating partner physical and sexual violence (experienced as a victim and/or perpetrator), sexual harassment (experienced as a victim and/or perpetrator), and other background items. Our qualitative focus groups were conducted with interventionists and students to provide rich contextual to assess intervention implementation and student change associated with the interventions. Participating students ranged in age from 10 to 15, with 53% female. Our sample was 34% Hispanic, 31% African American, 16% Asian, 13% white and 6% “other.” About 40% of our sample had prior experience with a violence prevention educational program. About half reported being in at least one dating relationship. About 20% of our sample reported having been the victim of dating violence and 66% victims of peer violence. Overall, the “building only” intervention and the “both” interventions were effective at reducing DV/H. The success of the “building only” intervention is particularly important because it can be implemented with very few extra costs to schools. However, classroom sessions alone were not effective. Finally, our focus groups confirmed that the interventions were implemented as planned and straightforward to implement, teachers liked and were supportive of the interventions, and the positive survey results related to the interventions effectiveness were confirmed. Details: Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, 2011. 322p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 20, 2012 at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/236175.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/236175.pdf Shelf Number: 126377 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsDating ViolenceEvaluative StudiesExperimental MethodsJuvenile Victims |
Author: Bandy, Tawana Title: What Works for Male Children and Adolescents: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Programs and Interventions Summary: As young people transition through childhood to adolescence, they often face developmental challenges that can impede their quest to become flourishing, healthy adults. While both males and females experience difficulties, there are certain risk factors to which males are more susceptible. Compared with females, males tend to be more likely to drop out of school, engage in delinquency, use alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and act out. They are also less likely than females to go to college. While a number of evidence-based programs have been found to be effective at reducing risk factors for children and adolescents, many programs have differential impacts for females and males. Understanding what works for male children adolescent is critical to improving outcomes for youth. This Fact Sheet and its companion Fact Sheet, focused on female children and adolescents1, examine programs and strategies that work, as well as those that don’t work. This literature review synthesizes findings from 115 random assignment intent-to-treat evaluations of interventions that targeted male children and adolescents, or coed interventions that provide impact data specifically for male children and adolescents. Interventions were excluded from the review if they did not include at least 100 males in the evaluation sample. Overall, 57 of the 115 programs had a positive impact on at least one outcome reviewed, 27 had mixed findings, and 31 did not have any positive impacts for the males studied. While several themes emerged, we did not find any one program or practice that worked across all outcome areas. Details: Washington, DC: Child Trends, 2012. 28p. Source: Child Trends Fact Sheet #2012-22: Internet Resource: Accessed September 30, 2012 at http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_08_20_WW_MaleChildrenAdol.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_08_20_WW_MaleChildrenAdol.pdf Shelf Number: 126505 Keywords: Adolescents, MalesCrime Prevention ProgramsEvaluative StudiesIntervention ProgramsJuvenile Offenders, Males |
Author: Bell, Kelly Title: What Works for Female Children and Adolescents: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Programs and Interventions Summary: Girls face unique developmental challenges in childhood and adolescence. Compared to boys, girls tend to report more mental health problems, and they are susceptible to reproductive health risks, such as unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. While a number of evidence-based programs have been found to be effective at reducing risk factors for children and adolescents, many programs have differential impacts for girls and boys. Understanding what works for girls is critical to improving outcomes youth. This brief and its companion brief, focused on boys3, examine programs and strategies that work, as well as those that don’t for each gender. This research brief synthesizes findings from 106 random assignment intent-to-treat evaluations of social interventions that targeted female children, adolescents, and young adults, or co-ed interventions that provide separate data about impacts for the female subgroup. Interventions were excluded from the review if they did not include at least 100 girls in the evaluation sample. Overall, 51 of the 106 programs had a positive impact for girls on at least one of the outcomes reviewed, 27 had mixed findings, and 28 did not have a positive impact on any of the outcomes studied. While several themes emerged within each outcome area, there was no approach that worked across all outcome areas. Details: Washington, DC: Child Trends, 2012. 23p. Source: Child Trends Fact Sheet #2012-23: Internet Resource: Accessed September 30, 2012 at http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_08_20_WW_FemaleChildrenAdol.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_08_20_WW_FemaleChildrenAdol.pdf Shelf Number: 126506 Keywords: Adolescents, FemalesCrime Prevention ProgramsEvaluative StudiesIntervention ProgramsJuvenile Offenders, Females |
Author: Brash, Rachel Title: Youth Violence Prevention and Reduction: Strategies for a Safer Baltimore Summary: A wide spectrum of strategies has been developed to combat youth violence across the country. Some interventions focus on preventing violent behavior in the first place, while others focus on reducing such behavior after it has developed. Interventions fall into three broad categories: individual-level interventions, neighborhood-level interventions, and gun and police strategies. Individual-level interventions include parent training, prenatal and early childhood interventions, and social-cognitive and behavioral training. Each of these types of intervention has been associated with reductions in antisocial behavior or violence. Neighborhood interventions include comprehensive strategies and school-based programs. Comprehensive strategies—which provide extensive services to youth and their families and aim to improve social and economic conditions within neighborhoods—have gained popularity over the past decade. Because of their complexity, these types of strategies are difficult to implement and evaluate. School-based interventions are widespread and research suggests that they can help reduce risk factors associated with violence and violence itself. Lastly, many cities have implemented strategies involving gun and police policies. Some of these, including intensive patrols targeting gun possession and gun crimes, have been shown to be very promising. The research reviewed has several important implications for Baltimore and cities like it. Because of the wide range of programs that have been found to help reduce violence, cities do not need to focus all their resources on any one type of intervention. City leaders should keep in mind that not all popular programs have been found effective. For example, evidence suggests that mentoring programs help reduce substance abuse, but they have not been shown to reduce violence. As for gun buyback programs, evidence suggests they do not reduce violence either. Public resources might be better spent on other types of interventions. Additionally, policy makers and service providers should keep in mind that evidence suggests that parent training may not benefit families if parents have limited economic resources, mental health problems, little social support, or serious marital conflict. Given that these conditions are prevalent in Baltimore, parenting training may not be a successful strategy. The evidence from Baltimore and the rest of the country suggests that a successful violence prevention strategy for Baltimore should include at least five components: Wrap-around services for youth most at risk of violence; Targeted handgun patrols in high-violence areas; Home visitation by nurses and paraprofessionals; Evidence-based prevention instruction in schools; and, Intensive family therapy. Evidence from Baltimore also suggests that attention needs to be paid to continuity of programming over time, communication and collaboration among agencies and organizations, monitoring of programs, and sharing of information from past and current efforts. If Baltimore addressed these communication and programming issues and implemented, with integrity, the five strategies described above, the city could greatly improve its chances of significantly reducing the number of young people killed in its neighborhoods. Details: Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies, 2004. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 30, 2012: http://ips.jhu.edu/elements/pdf/ips/abell/brash.pdf Year: 2004 Country: United States URL: http://ips.jhu.edu/elements/pdf/ips/abell/brash.pdf Shelf Number: 126518 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsDelinquency Prevention ProgramsGun ViolenceIntervention ProgramsYouth Violence (Baltimore, Maryland)Youth Violence Prevention |
Author: Romaniuk, Peter Title: From Input to Impact: Evaluating Terrorism Prevention Programs Summary: In the years following 9/11, threat assessments necessarily focused on the dangers posed by al-Qaida, its affiliates, and those inspired by its ideology. There are signs, however, that the threat today is more complex and diffuse, comprising extremists from all parts of the ideological spectrum who may act in small “self-starter” groups or, in some cases, as “lone wolves.” The paths to extremism are more varied than ever before, and as our understanding of contemporary patterns of radicalization has advanced, terrorism prevention initiatives have become more prevalent in the counterterrorism repertoire at the national and multilateral levels. As many states have elaborated terrorism prevention strategies in recent years, they have begun to confront similar challenges. Among these is the challenge of program evaluation. Is the turn toward prevention an effective response to the diverse extremist threats that states face today? How can the effectiveness of prevention policies be measured? What approaches have states advanced in evaluating the impact of terrorism prevention initiatives? In responding to this challenge, can lessons be gleaned from efforts to evaluate programs in related policy domains? This policy report provides an initial discussion of these questions. It draws on the discussions during a meeting entitled “Colloquium on Measuring Effectiveness in Counterterrorism Programming” and held in Ottawa on 9–10 February 2012, as well as discussions with experts, government officials, and an initial desktop literature review. Details: New York: Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation, 2012. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 7, 2012 at http://www.globalct.org/images/content/pdf/reports/CGCC_EvaluatingTerrorismPrevention.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.globalct.org/images/content/pdf/reports/CGCC_EvaluatingTerrorismPrevention.pdf Shelf Number: 126571 Keywords: Crime PreventionCrime Prevention ProgramsEvaluative StudiesExtremist GroupsLone Wolves TerrorismTerrorismViolent Extremism |
Author: Arciaga, Michelle Title: Street Outreach and the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model Summary: Since the early 19th century and the emergence of street gangs within urban population centers of the United States, community members have sought to reach out to these disenfranchised and criminally involved youth to reengage and redirect them to more pro-social activities. Over the years, these efforts have yielded mixed results. For instance, the detached gang worker programs of the 1950s and ’60s, while well-intentioned, delivered almost uniformly flat results and may actually have increased the cohesion of the gangs they served, thus accelerating gang offending (Klein, 1971). It seems intuitive that social intervention directed at gang members is necessary and vital as a response to gang violence. However, programmatic results, when these programs have been evaluated, suggest that street-level outreach, by itself, is not sufficient to create a reduction in gang-related crime. In 1987, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention launched the Juvenile Gang Suppression and Intervention Research and Development Program, led by Dr. Irving Spergel at the University of Chicago. Spergel conducted a national assessment of agency and community responses to gangs. After reviewing multiple program models and existing programmatic evaluations, Spergel concluded: “neither a single minded suppression nor a single-minded social-intervention approach has demonstrated success in reducing gang crime, especially gang violence.” As a result of that assessment, Spergel and his colleagues created the Comprehensive Community-Wide Gang Program Model (Spergel, 1995; Spergel et al., 1992; Spergel and Curry, 1993). The Spergel Model included a multidisciplinary Intervention Team, composed of law enforcement, probation, and outreach personnel who worked together to case manage gang intervention targets within the context of five interrelated strategies: social intervention, opportunities provision, community mobilization, suppression, and organizational change and development. The success of the Little Village Gang Violence Reduction Project led to the creation of the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model (Model). Since the 1990s, the Model has been tested in targeted sections of more than 20 different communities around the United States, from large cities (Los Angeles, California; Houston, Texas; Miami, Florida; Milwaukee, Wisconsin) to mid-sized cities (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Richmond, Virginia; North Miami Beach, Florida) to small urban and rural communities (East Cleveland, Ohio; Mount Vernon, Illinois; Elk City, Oklahoma; Glenn County, California; Longview, Washington). (National Gang Center, 2010) This article provides an overview of best practices developed in these sites for street outreach in the context of the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model. Details: Tallahassee, FL: National Gang Center, 2012. 10p. Source: National Gang Center Bulletin No. 7: Internet Resource: Accessed October 8, 2012 at http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Documents/Street-Outreach-Comprehensive-Gang-Model.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Documents/Street-Outreach-Comprehensive-Gang-Model.pdf Shelf Number: 126639 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsGang PreventionIntervention ProgramsJuvenile OffendersStreet Gangs |
Author: The Centre for Social Justice Title: Time to Wake Up: Tackling Gangs One Year After the Riots Summary: In 2009 the Centre for Social Justice published Dying to Belong, a landmark review of street gangs in the UK. We argued that gang culture is symptomatic of even deeper social problems: chaotic families; absent fathers; young people cut adrift and lacking purpose; and a revolving door criminal justice system which does nothing to change lives. In Dying to Belong we argued that without concerted action to mend our broken society more violent and appalling disorder will rear its ugly head. There is nothing more dangerous than a group of people who feel they have nothing to gain and nothing to lose. This truth was loudly confirmed when last summer’s riots erupted. Gangs played a significant role in the riots and it is dangerous to pretend otherwise – in London at least one in five of those convicted was known to be part of a gang. One year on, we have talked to members of our UK-wide Alliance of small, frontline organisations and charities asking them how they feel gang culture has changed in the light of the government response. Worryingly, many have drawn us a picture of little or no progress, despite the publication of a positive political strategy. Some have even suggested that the problem is becoming worse with increased violence amongst younger gang members and growing numbers of girls joining gangs. There is also deep concern that the Government is not serious about making a long-term commitment to tackling gang culture and its roots. Many in Whitehall regard the riots as a random one-off and mistake the quashing of the disorder as control of the streets. They could not be more wrong.The alarming fact is that many streets across the country are besieged by anarchy and violence. There is no control in such neighbourhoods. Gangs policy cannot be allowed to drift. To do so would be to give up on children and young people who have already been badly let down. It would leave communities ever more vulnerable to even larger, more active gangs in the future. The Government must rediscover the momentum and commitment it once had to tackle gangs. Without a reversal of the social breakdown and disorder that characterises too much of life in our most deprived communities, we will continue to see wasted generation after wasted generation. And countless other young people will lose their lives to this tragic and pointless violence. In the aftermath of last year’s riots, the Prime Minister declared ‘an all-out war on gangs and culture’ in response to claims that such groups played a significant role in the disorder. Over the past 12 months their part has been continually called into question. Elements of the media have leapt upon the finding that, outside of London, fewer than one in ten arrestees were gang members, citing this as proof that gangs were not pivotal. Statistics revealing that one in five of those arrested in London was a known gang member have been downplayed. Details: London: The Centre for Social Justice, 2012. 15p. Source: Policy Paper: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2012 at http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/client/images/Gangs%20Report.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/client/images/Gangs%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 126862 Keywords: Antisocial BehaviorCrime Prevention ProgramsDisorderly ConductGang ViolenceGangs (U.K.)Intervention ProgramsNuisance Behaviors and DisordersRiots |
Author: Archer, Justin Title: Improving Strategic Planning through Collaborative Bodies Summary: Justice reinvestment is a systemwide process of data analysis and collaborative decisionmaking used to identify drivers of criminal justice costs and reinvest resources to yield a more cost-beneficial impact on public safety. It is not a single decision, project, or strategy, but rather a multistaged, ongoing process involving the collaboration of local stakeholders across city, county, and state systems. It is therefore critical that, at the onset of engaging in this process, sites establish a strategic planning entity whose primary mission is to direct efforts and ensure that goals are met. Beyond directing efforts and tracking goals, this type of collaborative body can also ensure that the right decisionmakers are involved in reinvestment efforts and that no critical stakeholders are excluded. This brief will first discuss the importance of strategic planning entities within criminal justice systems and explain why a jurisdiction may want to pursue the formation of a strategic planning body. The discussion should help localities examine the collaborative efforts among its agencies and determine if the formation of an organized planning body is appropriate. The brief will then outline how these bodies are structured and operated, giving guidance for those who wish to form such a collaboration. Finally, a case study from one local justice reinvestment site, Allegheny County, is presented to highlight how a successful collaborative body can conduct a case review to identify systemic issues and develop solutions. Details: Washington, DC: Justice Policy Center, Urban Institute, 2012. 10p. Source: Justice Reinvestment at the Local Level Brief 3: Internet Resource: Accessed November 12, 2012 at http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412542-Improving-Strategic-Planning-through-Collaborative-Bodies.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412542-Improving-Strategic-Planning-through-Collaborative-Bodies.pdf Shelf Number: 126918 Keywords: Costs of Criminal JusticeCrime Prevention ProgramsCriminal Justice AdministrationJustice Reinvestment |
Author: Great Britain. House of Commons. Committee of Public Accounts Title: Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour Summary: Anti-social behaviour by a small proportion of individuals and families brings misery and despair to local communities. Responding to reports of anti-social behaviour in England and Wales costs government agencies around £3.4 billion a year. There are also significant indirect costs to local communities and businesses, as well as emotional costs to victims and witnesses. In 2003 the Home Office formed the Anti-Social Behaviour Unit with an annual budget of £25 million to design and implement the Government’s policy on antisocial behaviour. In September 2005 the Government announced the creation of the cross government Respect Task Force to take forward the anti-social behaviour agenda and in January 2006 the Government published the Respect Action Plan. Anti-social behaviour measures were first introduced in the mid 1990s, and since this time more powers and measures have been added to give local authorities, the police and others a toolkit of measures with which to tackle incidents of anti-social behaviour. People’s perception of the level of anti-social behaviour varies by gender, area and age, with people most likely to perceive high levels in areas of greatest social deprivation. Comparable local areas use different approaches to dealing with anti-social behaviour and there has been no comparative evaluation of the success of these approaches. Nor has there has been a comprehensive evaluation of the use and success of the different measures and powers, making it difficult for the Home Office, the Respect Task Force and those dealing with anti-social behaviour to assess what works best. On the basis of a Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Committee examined the Home Office and the Respect Task Force on evidence emerging from the sample of 893 cases of individuals receiving anti-social behaviour interventions reviewed by the National Audit Office. Of this sample, around 46% related to people aged under 18 and 54% were over 18. In the absence of central data and national evaluations, the National Audit Office had used the sample to determine the apparent impact of the intervention applied in each case, in terms of whether there was evidence of further anti-social behaviour within the period covered by the case file review, and if so, after how long and what further intervention then occurred. Some 65% of the people in the sample received only one intervention. The National Audit Office review also found, however, that a small core of people engaged repeatedly in anti-social behaviour with around 20% of their sample cases receiving over half of all interventions issued. The Committee also questioned the Home Office about its recent disclosure that a backlog of 27,500 notifications of convictions of British citizens abroad had been passed to the Association of Chief Police Officers for checking and entering on the Police National Computer in March 2006 after being allowed to build up over several years. Details: London: The Stationery Office, 2007. 53p. Source: Forty-Fourth Report of Session 2006-07: Internet Resource: Accessed December 21, 2012 at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmpubacc/246/246.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmpubacc/246/246.pdf Shelf Number: 127252 Keywords: Anti-Social Behavior (U.K.)Costs of CrimeCrime Prevention ProgramsCriminal Justice PolicyIntervention Programs |
Author: Denman, Kristine Title: Evaluation of Dlo’ayazhi Project Safe Neighborhoods Summary: Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide crime reduction initiative sponsored by the Department of Justice (DOJ). It has been in operation for over a decade. It began with a focus on firearm crimes, and in 2006, expanded to include gang crimes. This initiative is typically implemented in urban areas; however, in 2008 the DOJ invited the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety to apply for the program. The successful application outlined a plan for implementing PSN in and around the Crownpoint area of the Navajo Nation. In 2011, DOJ provided supplemental funding to continue PSN efforts in Crownpoint and expand into the Shiprock area, which is in the northwestern part of New Mexico. This report summarizes a process evaluation of these expansion efforts, as well as ongoing PSN efforts in the Crownpoint area. There are three primary principles that guide the PSN model: it is meant to be community based, coordinated and comprehensive. PSN is designed to be centered on the community in which it is being implemented, recognizing and reacting to community needs and the local resources available to address those needs (http://www.psn.gov/about/index.html). For example, while PSN focuses on gun and gang crime, the Navajo Nation PSN program has been expanded to include a domestic violence component. This addition represents a Task Force response to concerns about domestic violence voiced by representatives of the Navajo Nation. Across the country, United States Attorney’s Offices (USAO) coordinate PSN efforts in their respective districts. The USAO designates a Task Force Coordinator whose charge is to convene a PSN Task Force that brings together representatives from law enforcement and prosecution at all jurisdictional levels (local, tribal, state and federal), as well as community leaders, research partners, and others. This Task Force then meets regularly to develop collaborative strategies to address PSN program goals. The Task Force meetings are a venue for planning, reporting on and refining PSN activities and initiatives. In addition to managing these efforts, the PSN Task Force Coordinator reports back to the Department of Justice regarding local PSN efforts. Finally, PSN is meant to be comprehensive. The Navajo Nation PSN focuses on intervention, prevention, and prosecution of gun crimes, gang related/motivated offenses, juvenile violence and domestic violence offenses occurring on the Navajo Nation. Intervention involves violence suppression through targeted law enforcement operations. Prevention includes educational programming, outreach and support services. For example, the educational component involves a program called Project Sentry which targets at-risk youth, and is designed to prevent their involvement in gun and gang crime. Other prevention efforts occur as well. Outreach includes family advocacy and support for domestic violence issues and related problems, such as substance abuse. Finally, prosecution of targeted crimes occurs at the tribal and federal levels. The Navajo Nation PSN program is unique among PSN programs. It is among the first to be implemented on tribal lands, and must address challenges that differ from those typically seen in urban areas. First, the geography of the area differs from that of a typical urban PSN site. It is a very large geographical area, with many undeveloped roads and many areas that are sparsely populated. Second, there are fewer law enforcement officers per square mile relative to that seen in an urban area. In addition, this PSN initiative must take into account tribal law, and be able to work with tribal government in addition to negotiating municipal, state and federal laws. Finally, there are cultural differences and sovereignty issues that PSN must be sensitive to and take into account when implementing the initiative. However, the area is also similar to other PSN sites in that the community leaders have identified violence and gangs as a problem. They note that these problems are associated with substance abuse and poverty issues, like other PSN locales. Further, there is concern that particular housing structures on the Navajo Nation have become crime magnets, similar to urban dwellings. The USAO for the District of New Mexico (USAO NM) requested evaluation services in support of the Navajo PSN initiative from the New Mexico Statistical Analysis Center at the University of New Mexico’s Institute for Social Research. The USAO NM outlined two primary evaluation goals. First, the USAO NM expressed particular interest in determining how well the Task Force was coordinating activities and forging connections between disparate groups. Second, they were interested in better understanding the challenges to PSN implementation on the Navajo Nation so that they could best meet these challenges. There are five questions guiding this evaluation: 1. What portions of PSN are being implemented? 2. How well are PSN Task Force partners coordinating activities to implement the program goals? 3. What are Task Force members’ perceptions of PSN’s impact and success? 4. What are the facilitators to PSN implementation in the target areas? 5. What are the barriers to PSN implementation in the target areas? The purpose of this evaluation, then, is to determine whether the initiative is being implemented in the way that it is intended, to understand the perceived success of the initiative, and to pinpoint facilitators and barriers to implementation, focusing especially on coordination of activities. The results are meant to be used to make decisions about whether and how to refine the program activities and to provide feedback to the funders regarding program compliance. Details: Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico, Institute for Social Research; New Mexico Statistical Analysis Center, 2013. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 6, 2013 at: http://nmsac.unm.edu/psn-process-evaluation-final-report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://nmsac.unm.edu/psn-process-evaluation-final-report.pdf Shelf Number: 0 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsDomestic ViolenceGang ViolenceGun ViolenceNavajo NationProject Safe Neighborhoods (New Mexico, U.S.)Violent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Braga, Anthony A. Title: SMART Approaches to Reducing Gun Violence Summary: Despite significant decreases in crime nationwide, America continues to experience criminal gun violence at extraordinarily high levels - more than 11,000 individuals are murdered by firearms and 75,000 are treated for nonfatal gunshot wounds at hospitals annually, and these incidents are certainly undercounted in our statistics. Beyond the devastating toll measured in injuries and loss of life, gun violence also imposes a heavy burden on our standard of living, from increased fear and reduced quality of life to depressed property values. While the public tends to focus its attention on mass shootings, the most common forms of gun violence occur on a daily basis involving gang members, violent youth, and others involved in crime. As a result, local police departments are in a strategic position on the front lines poised to curb or even prevent gun crime, injuries, and deaths. In response, a number of departments are experimenting with new, evidence-based strategies and tactics aimed at addressing the chronic and pervasive gun violence problem. Yet, the question remains: Can the police effectively reduce and prevent gun crimes and associated violence? The Smart Policing Initiative (SPI) emerged on the law enforcement landscape in 2009. With SPI, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) sought to identify effective and efficient solutions to chronic local crime problems, including gun violence. This program provides a valuable opportunity for local police agencies to partner with academic researchers and rigorously assess whether gun violence reduction strategies have the intended effects on crime, violence, and communities. Indeed, nine of thirty-five SPI-funded police agencies nationwide have targeted gun violence as part of their Smart Policing Initiatives (Boston, MA; Los Angeles, CA; Baltimore, MD; Joliet, IL; Las Vegas, NV; Cambridge/Somerville/Everett, MA; Kansas City, MO; Rochester, NY; and East Palo Alto, CA). This Spotlight report reviews the common strategies that police have employed across those nine sites. These evidence-based strategies, which reflect core tenets of the SPI, are grounded in a risk-focused framework that recognizes the importance of targeting efforts on the places, people, and times at greatest threat of violence. The common strategies identified for implementation in the nine SPI sites include: - Targeting persistent gun violence hot spots - Targeting prolific offenders in persistent hot spots - Employing new technologies and advanced crime analysis - Engaging a wide range of collaborative partners - Conducting advanced problem analysis We prepared the Gun Violence Spotlight to further the national conversation on the gun violence problem and to provide a resource for local officials seeking to make informed, evidence-based decisions regarding their prevention, intervention, and suppression efforts. Though many of the SPI projects are ongoing, several sites have produced important findings, derived through rigorous research methodologies, which indicate that their interventions have effectively reduced gun violence: - Boston's problem-oriented strategy focusing on micro-level hot spots reduced aggravated assaults by more than 15 percent, violent crime by more than 17 percent, and robberies by more than 19 percent. - Baltimore's strategy of targeted enforcement within selected crime hot spots reduced homicides by 27 percent; and a related focused deterrence intervention reduced non-fatal shootings in one neighborhood by 40 percent. - Baltimore's Gun Offender Registry reduced gun-related re-offending risks among participants by 92 percent. - Los Angeles' LASER initiative, which combined place and offender strategies with the use of criminal intelligence data, reduced homicides by more than 22 percent per month in the target division (Newton), and gun crimes by 5 percent in each reporting district of the target division. The Boston, Baltimore, and Los Angeles findings are certainly encouraging, and they strongly suggest that the SPI has generated significant declines in gun crime and related violence. Results for other SPI sites will be forthcoming in the near future. This Spotlight identifies a number of next steps for addressing gun violence, most notably the development of supply-side approaches that disrupt illicit gun supply lines and combat illegal gun sales. Details: Washington, DC: CNA Analysis & Solutions, 2014. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Smart Policing Initiative Spotlight Report: Accessed April 21, 2014 at: http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/SPIGunViolenceSpotlight.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/SPIGunViolenceSpotlight.pdf Shelf Number: 132098 Keywords: CollaborationCrime Prevention ProgramsGun ControlGun ViolenceHot SpotsIllegal MarketsPartnershipsViolent Crime |
Author: Burwick, Andrew Title: Costs of Early Childhood Home Visiting: An Analysis of Programs Implemented in the Supporting Evidence-Based Home Visiting to Prevention Child Maltreatment Initiative Summary: Home visiting programs offer a promising method for delivering support services to at-risk families and children and preventing child maltreatment. As interest grows in scaling up home visiting programs as a strategy to promote parent and child well-being and prevent child maltreatment, program implementers and policymakers are seeking more information about the costs of implementing these programs. The Cost Study of Evidence-Based Home Visiting Programs applied a uniform approach and common time frame to analyze costs among agencies implementing five different home visiting program models. The study assessed (1) the total cost of providing home visiting programs during a year of steady-state operation, (2) the allocation of annual costs among cost categories and program activities or components, (3) the cost to serve a participating family, and (4) variation in average costs across program models and other agency characteristics. Mathematica Policy Research and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago conducted the study with support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and in collaboration with Casey Family Programs. It included agencies that participated in the Supporting Evidence-Based Home Visiting to Prevent Child Maltreatment (EBHV) initiative, a five-year grant program launched in 2008 by the Children's Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families at HHS. In 2011, the EBHV grant program was formally incorporated into the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) State Formula Grant Program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration of HHS. The cost study sample includes 25 implementing agencies (IA) that delivered home visiting services in 13 states.3 The IAs offered one of five home visiting program models: (1) Healthy Families America (HFA, 7 IAs), (2) the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP, 10 IAs), (3) Parents as Teachers (PAT, 3 IAs), (4) SafeCare (SC, 4 IAs), and (5) the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P, one IA). Most of the IAs (15 agencies) were private nonprofit organizations. Seven were state or county government agencies, and 3 were hospitals or medical centers. IAs located in urban areas (16 agencies) were more common than those located in suburban or rural areas (5 and 4 agencies, respectively). We analyzed program costs from the implementing agency's perspective. Costs include all resources used by an agency to deliver a program during a one-year period of "steady-state" operation (July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012), and cost estimates provide an indication of the resources that an agency would need in order to replicate a program at a similar scale in a similar context. To conduct the study, we collected three types of data from IAs: (1) data on resources used for program operations, to estimate total costs; (2) data on staff time use, to allocate costs among program components; and (3) data on the number of families served and their receipt of home visiting services, to estimate costs per family. The cost analysis was conducted using the "ingredient" or resource cost method, which involved itemizing the types of resources (or ingredients) needed to provide services, gathering information on the types and value of resources used by each agency during the study period, and aggregating costs to estimate total program costs (Levin and McEwan 2001). To represent more accurately the total resources required to implement a program, we incorporated costs not typically captured by budgets or accounting records, including donated resources such as volunteer time and in-kind contributions of services or materials, as well as the value of staff time spent on the program beyond normal working hours (and not reflected in salaries or fringe benefits). Details: Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research, 2014. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 17, 2014 at: http://www.chapinhall.org/sites/default/files/documents/Costs%20of%20EC%20Home%20Visiting.Final%20Report.January%2030%202014.2.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.chapinhall.org/sites/default/files/documents/Costs%20of%20EC%20Home%20Visiting.Final%20Report.January%2030%202014.2.pdf Shelf Number: 132494 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentCost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticeCrime Prevention ProgramsEvidence-Based PracticesHome Visiting Programs |
Author: European Crime Prevention Network Title: Priorities in crime prevention policies across Europe Summary: In the European Crime Prevention Monitor 2012/2 (EUCPN, 2012b), the EUCPN Secretariat collected information from the Member States on their main priorities in the crime prevention policy/strategy in their countries. Obviously, each country has its own strategy and approach regarding crime prevention. Whereas some countries pay specific attention to certain crime types in their prevention strategy, others - like e.g., the Czech Republic, Denmark and the United Kingdom - have a broad and general preventative approach at the national level, with more room to focus on local crime prevention priorities. Overall, the crime types which were considered most in the various prevention policies are: 1. Property crimes (i.e. burglaries, theft); 2. Crimes against the person (i.e. violence, domestic violence); 3. Juvenile delinquency; 4. Drug use; and 5. Violent crime. In this third Monitor, we will have a closer look at some of these crime types which are currently prioritised by the Member States and which were identified in the previous Monitor (EUCPN, 2012b). For this, we will draw upon some of the findings of the International Crime Victimization Survey of 2005 and 2010, Eurostat's Statistics in Focus 2013, the Statistical Bulletin 2013 of the European Monitoring Centre for Drug and Drug Addiction and the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs 2011 (ESPAD). Details: Brussels: European Crime Prevention Network, 2013. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 11, 2014 at: www.eucpn.org/ Year: 2013 Country: Europe URL: www.eucpn.org/ Shelf Number: 132994 Keywords: Crime Prevention (Europe)Crime Prevention ProgramsCriminal Justice Policy |
Author: Berk-Seligson, Susan Title: Impact Evaluation of USAID's Community-Based Crime and Violence Prevention Approach in Central America: Regional Report for El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama Summary: The countries of Central America - especially "the Northern Triangle" of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras - are among the most criminally violent nations in the world. As part of the U.S. Government's (USG) Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has designed and implemented a set of programs to improve citizen security in Central America by strengthening community capacity to combat crime and by creating educational and employment opportunities for at-risk youth. USAID's crime prevention work has been implemented through its field Missions in five countries: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. USAID/Washington, via its Cooperative Agreement with the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) at Vanderbilt University, asked LAPOP to design and carry out an impact evaluation of the crime prevention interventions under CARSI in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Panama. This evaluation is part of a broader effort to determine the effectiveness of community-based crime prevention, in contrast to the traditionally more common law enforcement, or mano dura ("iron fist"), approach to addressing the widespread crime and violence permeating Central America. The crime prevention approach attempts to address the root causes of crime, rather than deal with crime after it has become endemic. This multi-method, multi-country, multi-year evaluation was designed to contribute to an understanding of the effectiveness of USAID's community-based crime and violence prevention approach. This package of interventions - that is, the "treatment" in this impact evaluation - includes activities such as planning by municipal-level committees; crime observatories and data collection; crime prevention through environmental design (such as improved street lighting, graffiti removal, cleaned up public spaces); programs for at-risk youth (such as outreach centers, workforce development, mentorships); and community policing. USAID's community-based crime prevention projects are inherently cross-sectoral. That is, they integrate education and workforce development, economic growth and employment, public health, and governance interventions. This scientifically rigorous impact evaluation is based on recommendations found in the comprehensive study by the National Academy of Sciences (National Research Council 2008). It presents a summary of the main findings for the region as a whole. For each of the four focus countries, a more extensive, detailed country-level report has been prepared and is available online at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/ carsi-study.php. Details: Nashville, TN: The Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP), Vanderbilt University, 2014. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 8, 2014 at: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/carsi/Regional_Report_v12c_final_W_111914.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Central America URL: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/carsi/Regional_Report_v12c_final_W_111914.pdf Shelf Number: 134288 Keywords: Community-Based ProgramsCrime Prevention ProgramsInterventionsSituational Crime PreventionViolence (Central America)Violence PreventionViolent Crime |
Author: Carmody, Moira Title: Less to lose and more to gain? Men and Boys Violence Prevention Research Project Final Report, Summary: Violence against women is a costly personal and social issue that has far reaching and long term impacts across the whole Australian community. Primary prevention takes these factors seriously and aims to intervene to prevent intimate partner violence and sexual violence before they occur. Our research found considerable interest at a state and national level in engaging men and boys in violence against women (VAW) primary prevention. The study findings indicate that VAW primary prevention is still in the early stages of development both in Australia and internationally. Effective intervention is acknowledged as more likely to occur if actions are taken at multiple levels within the community. This requires action at policy levels as well as within communities or organisations and at the local level of service provision. The survey that was undertaken for this study of prevention agencies and programs found a significant clustering of prevention efforts in Victoria and NSW with work also being undertaken in Queensland. Students at high school and university were the most common targets of primary prevention efforts, with adolescence and early adulthood recognised as key periods for VAW perpetration and victimisation. Other programs identified in our study worked specifically with Indigenous communities, CALD communities and sports organisations. Most stakeholders described their programs as underpinned by a gendered, ecological model of VAW that understands violence as a product of gender inequity and gender norms. The findings from surveys and interviews indicate that a coherent and identifiable field of prevention practice focused specifically on men and boys has yet to emerge in Australia. Activities in the field are piecemeal, ad hoc and dispersed. There is no peak organisation that provides support to areas of emerging practice except in relation to men's behaviour change programs (i.e. perpetrator programs). Primary prevention activities are scarce as well as programs focused on boys or men specific activities. Despite these findings, there are areas of prevention activity focusing on men and boys that indicate promising practice. These include programs and activities such as: respectful relationships education, bystander strategies, community development approaches, whole of organisation approaches, infant and parenting programs and social marketing. The strongest finding emerging from our research is that best practice in engaging men and boys occurs in two key areas of primary prevention: - Community strengthening and development; and, - Organisational and workforce development. Section 5 of the report provides a detailed evaluation of 2 programs that demonstrate these approaches. They are the Strong Aboriginal Men Program (SAM) and the NRL Respectful Relationship Sex & Ethics Program. These two programs share the primary prevention goal of preventing violence before it occurs as well as other important similarities, in particular: - They are underpinned by a gendered analysis of violence against women; - They involve working specifically or mainly with men; - They emerge from and are supported by organisations with significant experience and expertise in violence against women; and, - They engage men in multi-systemic change including at the community or organisational level. While both programs have been developed in response to men and boys in specific settings they are potentially adaptable and replicable in other settings. The knowledge gained from the design and implementation of the SAM program could be applied well to working with CALD communities and emerging refugee settings. The NRL program has many key features that can be used by diverse sporting codes and with other male workforce based programs. Both programs therefore demonstrate a potential for reach and influence beyond their immediate program base. This is important to enhance further primary prevention activities and in addressing long term cost effectiveness. Primary prevention is both a short and long term investment in challenging deep seated practices. Without a clear commitment and investment in policies and programs focused on intervening before violence occurs, personal and financial costs will continue to grow leading to increased tertiary sector expenditure. Leadership is needed within organisations and across our diverse communities to promote policies and practices that build on existing international evidence to progress primary prevention of VAW. In particular, attending to the following issues will increase engagement by men and boys in the prevention of VAW: - Addressing the role of gender in VAW in a manner that is relevant and boys and men can understand - Utilising educators who men and boys can relate to as role models will increase their willingness to 'hear' violence prevention messages - Recognising that masculinities are diverse, fluid and sometimes contradictory within individuals, groups and communities - Experiences of masculinity are effected by class, location, ethnicity, cultural background, sexuality and other factors; there is no 'one size fits all' experience - This has implications for ensuring educational programs and other prevention activities are tailored to the specific needs of men; for example using methods of education that Indigenous men can relate to - Engaging men and boys in the contexts and institutions in which they live, work and play may assist in enhancing the relevance of VAW prevention. Details: Sydney: University of Western Sydney: 2014. 118p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 23, 2015 at: http://www.women.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/file/0019/300619/PDF_2_Final_Report_Men_and_Boys.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 134662 Keywords: Abusive Men and BoysCrime Prevention ProgramsEducational ProgramsFamily ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceSexual ViolenceViolence Against Women (Australia)Violence Prevention Programs |
Author: Savignac, Julie Title: Guide on the Implementation of Evidence-Based Programs: What Do We Know So Far? Summary: Through its National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC), Public Safety Canada fosters the development and implementation of evidence-based crime prevention interventions in Canada. To this end, the NCPC supports the implementation and evaluation of community-based initiatives to identify what works, how it works, and what it costs. The question of "how" has often been overshadowed in favour of the demonstration of program impacts. Yet the quality of the implementation of prevention programs is a key factor in their success. For example, an effective implementation of a promising program has a greater chance of producing positive results than a less rigorous implementation of a model program. Program results that demonstrate little effectiveness may not be caused by a lack of sound treatment and intervention, but by weaknesses in the program's implementation. Practitioners and researchers in crime prevention increasingly face a common challenge: the successful, effective implementation of evidence-based practices. The emergence of this interest in implementation-related issues coincides with the realization that merely selecting an effective program is not enough and that, even with the development of best practice guides, various experiences in the field have shown that effective programs have not delivered the expected results. An effective program, combined with a high-quality implementation, increases the likelihood of achieving positive results among the clients served. Emphasis should be placed not only on program selection, but also on the identification of effective conditions for implementation. Presently, the literature confirms that some aspects of implementation are generalizable, particularly with regard to the stages and key components. Whether it is a crime prevention program or a program in a related field, for example in the education or health and social services sector, implementation is based on the same general core principles. However, certain conditions in the implementation of crime prevention programs suggest that there may be certain elements, even particular challenges and facilitative strategies that are specific to this sector. The fact that these programs target a population with multiple risks, sometimes even clients with a criminal record; the identification of young people with the right profile to participate in the program and their recruitment; the use of retention strategies to maintain participation in the program; the sometimes limited involvement of families; and the dual role of certain partners are just a few instances illustrating that the implementation of prevention programs requires strategies adapted to these conditions. An approach including empirical studies specific to the implementation of crime prevention programs must be pursued in order to shed light on these questions. This guide on the implementation of evidence-based programs outlines current knowledge on key elements, proposes implementation planning tools and provides examples from various case studies. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, National Crime Prevention Centre, 2014. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report: 2014-01: Accessed March 4, 2015 at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/gd-mplmnttn-vdnc-prgrms/gd-mplmnttn-vdnc-prgrms-en.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/gd-mplmnttn-vdnc-prgrms/gd-mplmnttn-vdnc-prgrms-en.pdf Shelf Number: 134739 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsEvidence-Based Practices |
Author: Rosnick, David Title: Have US-Funded CARSI Programs Reduced Crime and Violence in Central America? Summary: In October 2014, the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) at Vanderbilt University published an impact assessment study of community-based violence prevention programs that have been implemented under the umbrella of the US State Department's Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI). The study looked at survey data measuring public perceptions of crime in 127 treatment and control neighborhoods in municipalities in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama where the violence prevention programs have been implemented. The study's authors stated that the data shows that "in several key respects the programs have been a success" and note, for instance, that 51 percent fewer residents of "treated" communities reported being aware of murders and extortion incidents during the previous 12 months, and 19 percent fewer residents reported having heard about robberies having occurred. As the LAPOP study is, to date, the only publicly accessible impact assessment of programs carried out under CARSI - a notoriously opaque regional assistance scheme that has received hundreds of millions of dollars of US government funding - a thorough review of the LAPOP study data seemed appropriate. This report examines the data collected during the LAPOP study and subjects them to a number of statistical tests. The authors find that the study cannot support the conclusion that the areas subject to treatment in the CARSI programs showed better results than those areas that were not. This report identifies major problems with the LAPOP study, namely, the nonrandomness of the selection of treatment versus control areas and how the differences in initial conditions, as well as differences in results between treatment and control areas, have been interpreted. In the case of reported robberies, if the areas subject to treatment have an elevated level of reported robberies in the year prior to treatment, it is possible that there is some reversion to normal levels over the next year. The LAPOP methodology does not differentiate between effective treatment and, for example, an unrelated decline in reported robberies in a treated area following a year with an abnormally high number of reported robberies. The series of statistical tests in this report indicate that this possibility is quite plausible, and cannot be ruled out; and that the LAPOP study, therefore, does not demonstrate a statistically significant positive effect of treatment. The same can be said for the other variables where the LAPOP study finds significant improvement. Details: Washington, DC: Center for Economic and Policy Research, 2016. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 29, 2016 at: http://cepr.net/images/stories/reports/carsi-2016-09.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Central America URL: http://cepr.net/images/stories/reports/carsi-2016-09.pdf Shelf Number: 146137 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsViolenceViolence PreventionViolent crime |
Author: Gill, Charlotte E. Title: Evidence-Based Assessment of the City of Seattle's Crime Prevention Programs Summary: In October 2011, the City of Seattle Office of City Auditor, at the request of the members of the City Council Public Safety and Education Committee, Council members Tim Burgess, Sally Clark, and Sally Bagshaw, tasked the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy at George Mason University (CEBCP) with conducting an evidence-based assessment of the City of Seattle's crime prevention programs. Earlier in 2011, the City Budget Office (CBO) developed an inventory of 72 "services that have crime prevention either as a primary purpose or a secondary or indirect purpose," and a review of both the resources required to run these services and their desired outcomes. In response to that report, City Councilmember Burgess requested that the CEBCP, an academic research center that specializes in evidence-based crime prevention research, conduct a follow-up study that would include a comprehensive review of the crime prevention mechanisms, theoretical bases, and existing evaluative literature underlying the 63 programs in the inventory that were not primarily security-based. Details: Fairfax, VA: Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, George Mason University, 2012. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 25, 2017 at: http://cebcp.org/wp-content/evidence-based-policing/seattle-assessment Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://cebcp.org/wp-content/evidence-based-policing/seattle-assessment Shelf Number: 131694 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsEvidence-Based Practices |