criminal justice
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A Call to Simplify and Broaden Expungement Laws
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Formerly incarcerated individuals are often released only to find social and economic barriers harsher than the penalty itself. The internet age makes this problem even worse given the ease of accessing criminal records. Recognizing these barriers, most jurisdictions have enacted laws that permit individuals who show good behavior to obtain…
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Can an Algorithm Identify Repeat Offenders?
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Assessing the likelihood that a defendant will reoffend in the future is a vital task in the criminal justice system. Judges weigh the risk of recidivism when making decisions about bail and sentencing, and their conclusions can have a significant impact on defendants’ lives. In 1998, the software company Northpointe…
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Understanding Recidivism Through Child Abuse and Mental Health
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In 2016, Chicago struggled with the highest number of homicides the city has seen in more than a decade. Lawmakers are now scrambling to find solutions to curb the violence plaguing neighborhoods across the city. Recently, Illinois state legislators representing Chicago have suggested increased sentencing for repeat offenders as a…
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Professor Martha C. Nussbaum: A Conversation on Emotion and Public Policy
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This interview is the last part of the Chicago Policy Review’s 20th Anniversary Series. Please visit us here to learn more about the series from our Executive Editors. When discussing social responses to crime, you mention that punishment implies a recognition of failure of our current mechanisms to prevent crime. Additionally, you…
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To Ban the Box, or Not to Ban the Box? How Policy Change Can Affect Hiring and Employment
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Evidence suggests that Ban the Box policies in high-crime neighborhoods have a positive effect on employment, compared to other high-crime neighborhoods that have not yet implemented the measure. Adopting this measure could impact employment opportunities in high-crime neighborhoods, although more research is needed to fully understand the overall effect on…
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Entrepreneurship: The Modern Day Crime-Stopper
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A study finds that the growth of African-American-owned businesses in urban communities plays a role in decreasing the rate of youth violent crime.
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Prisons as Asylums: Looking at Correctional Treatment of Mentally-Disordered Inmates
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It is unclear what proportion of inmates in correctional facilities have mental disorders, but the current methods for treating these inmates can be more effective, more rehabilitative, and less punitive.
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All Eyes on Reform: How Criminal Justice is Changing in Cook County
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Juliana Stratton lays out the accomplishments and complexities of justice reform in a county struggling for change.
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Bullet Proof: The Role of Policy and Data in Gun Control
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The Director of the Violence Inquest for Solutions and Alliance (VISA) discusses the slow process of changing the culture of gun violence
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Municipal CFO Series: Ben Rosenfield, San Francisco
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San Francisco’s Controller discusses the financial implications of public investment in everything from mass transit to sports arenas
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A Pro for Cons
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Joan Brody discusses how to bridge the gap between academic research and policy practice.