Randomized Field Experiments In Criminal Justice Agencies

As the 21st Century becomes the era of evidence-based policy, the role of experimental evidence has become more important than ever. It is also critical to improve the quality of field experiments in crime and justice, more of which are now conducted each year than ever before. This book is the indispensable introduction to reading, understanding, evaluating, using and doing randomized field experiments in and around the criminal justice system, including policing bail and pre-trial processes prosecution sentencing probation prison administration parole and re-entry family-based crime prevention community-based crime prevention private security Using case studies of both successful and unsuccessful experiments, this book shows novices and senior scholars alike how experiments can be done better, analyzed better, and put to better use for evidence-based crime policy. It also shows how experiments can be combined in systematic reviews of evidence, which make the most of their potential to predict the best results from any policy decision. Designed for use in both graduate and undergraduate research methods courses in criminology, criminal justice, sociology, community psychology, education and public health, the book is also designed for mid-career government and business executives in crime prevention and justice policy. Compact Criminology is an exciting series that invigorates and challenges the international field of criminology. Books in the series are short, authoritative, innovative assessments of emerging issues in criminology and criminal justice - offering critical, accessible introductions to important topics. They take a global rather than a narrowly national approach. Eminently readable and first-rate in quality, each book is written by a leading specialist. Compact Criminology provides a new type of tool for teaching, learning and research, one that is flexible and light on its feet. The series addresses fundamental needs in the growing and increasingly differentiated field of criminology.

Boruch untangles the complexities of randomized field experiments, exploring the criteria for deciding whether a programme has worked or not, standards used to judge the ethcial propriety of the experiments and baseline measures.

The Encyclopedia of RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIMINOLOGY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE The most comprehensive reference work on research designs and methods in criminology and criminal justice This Encyclopedia of Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice offers a comprehensive survey of research methodologies and statistical techniques that are popular in criminology and criminal justice systems across the globe. With contributions from leading scholars and practitioners in the field, it offers a clear insight into the techniques that are currently in use to answer the pressing questions in criminology and criminal justice. The Encyclopedia contains essential information from a diverse pool of authors about research designs grounded in both qualitative and quantitative approaches. It includes information on popular datasets and leading resources of government statistics. In addition, the contributors cover a wide range of topics such as: the most current research on the link between guns and crime, rational choice theory, and the use of technology like geospatial mapping as a crime reduction tool. This invaluable reference work: Offers a comprehensive survey of international research designs, methods, and statistical techniques Includes contributions from leading figures in the field Contains data on criminology and criminal justice from Cambridge to Chicago Presents information on capital punishment, domestic violence, crime science, and much more Helps us to better understand, explain, and prevent crime Written for undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers, The Encyclopedia of Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice is the first reference work of its kind to offer a comprehensive review of this important topic.

Measurement Issues in Criminology examines the techniques and procedures crucial to successful research. Topics appropriate for specific research designs, data sources, and analytic techniques are identified, as well as topics for which such measurement methods are inappropriate. Subjects explored include ethical obligations and social research, the offender's perspective, longitudinal research design, advantages of time series studies over other procedures when investigating important ques- tions of process and change, and the strength and weakness of studies utilizing secondary data sources.