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Writing policy proposals in criminal justice.

This article delves into the intricate process of developing policy proposals within the United States criminal justice system. The introduction contextualizes the significance of policy proposals, emphasizing their pivotal role in shaping the landscape of law enforcement, judiciary, and community relations. The exploration of historical perspectives and contemporary challenges provides a nuanced understanding of the evolving nature of criminal justice policies. The article outlines key elements crucial for effective policy proposals, including rigorous research, stakeholder engagement, and adherence to legal and ethical standards. Delving into the legislative process, the discussion navigates the intricacies of crafting, presenting, and ultimately advocating for policy proposals within the dynamic political landscape. Drawing on case studies, the article analyzes both successful and failed policy initiatives, offering valuable insights and lessons for future endeavors. In conclusion, the article underscores the importance of evidence-based, collaborative, and ethically sound policy-making, urging continued research and engagement to shape a more equitable and effective criminal justice system.

Introduction

In the intricate web of the United States criminal justice system, the formulation of policy proposals stands as a cornerstone for fostering systemic change and addressing evolving societal needs. This section provides a succinct exploration of the pivotal role that policy proposals play in shaping the multifaceted landscape of law enforcement, judiciary, and community interactions. As societal dynamics continually shift, the ability to adapt and reform policies becomes paramount in ensuring the system’s responsiveness to emerging challenges.

Defining the essence of policy proposals within the context of criminal justice, this subsection elucidates the nuanced nature of these proposals as strategic instruments for effecting change. Policy proposals encapsulate comprehensive plans and recommendations designed to address issues, enhance efficiency, and ultimately bring about positive transformations within the criminal justice framework. By dissecting their essential elements, this section underscores the significance of policy proposals as dynamic instruments that shape the very fabric of the criminal justice system.

The effectiveness of policy proposals hinges on a foundation of evidence-based and data-driven decision-making. This subsection highlights the paramount importance of relying on empirical evidence and robust data analyses in crafting policies that are not only responsive to societal needs but also rooted in a sound understanding of the complex issues at hand. As the criminal justice system grapples with intricate challenges, an emphasis on evidence-based practices ensures that policy proposals are not only theoretically sound but also practical and capable of fostering positive, measurable impacts. This commitment to data-driven approaches serves as a guiding principle throughout the article, emphasizing the critical role of empirical support in shaping policies that stand the test of real-world implementation.

Understanding the Context

This section delves into the historical evolution of policies within the criminal justice system, tracing their development in response to dynamic societal shifts and challenges. Examining key historical junctures, it explores how the landscape of criminal justice policies has been shaped by societal transformations, ranging from shifts in public attitudes to significant cultural, economic, and political changes. By understanding the historical context, we gain insight into the adaptive nature of policies, illustrating their capacity to mirror and respond to the evolving needs and expectations of society.

Building on the historical perspective, this subsection examines the profound impact of landmark legal cases on the formulation of criminal justice policies. By analyzing key court decisions that have shaped the interpretation and application of laws, we uncover how legal precedents serve as catalysts for policy evolution. The section illuminates the intricate interplay between judicial rulings and policy development, showcasing the role of the legal system in influencing and often necessitating revisions to existing policies.

Turning the focus to the contemporary landscape, this part of the article identifies and analyzes pressing challenges within the current criminal justice system that demand policy attention. By scrutinizing issues such as disparities in sentencing, police-community relations, and the overburdened correctional system, we aim to pinpoint areas where policies can play a transformative role. This analysis lays the groundwork for the subsequent discussion on the formulation of targeted and responsive policy proposals.

Acknowledging the dynamic nature of society, this subsection explores how contemporary challenges in the criminal justice system are intertwined with broader social, economic, and technological changes. The impact of these factors on crime rates, law enforcement strategies, and the administration of justice necessitates a nuanced understanding of the evolving landscape. By scrutinizing the intersection of these influences, policymakers can better anticipate and address emerging challenges, ensuring that policy responses remain adaptive and effective in the face of a rapidly changing world.

Key Elements of Effective Policy Proposals

This segment underscores the fundamental role of empirical evidence in crafting effective policy proposals within the criminal justice system. By emphasizing the necessity of grounding proposals in robust data and research findings, policymakers can ensure that their initiatives are informed by a deep understanding of the issues at hand. This subsection explores how empirical evidence serves as a foundation for identifying problems, evaluating their scope, and proposing targeted solutions, thereby enhancing the likelihood of policy success.

Building on the empirical foundation, this section highlights the significance of conducting thorough literature reviews and case studies in the policy development process. By delving into existing research, policymakers can contextualize their proposals, identify gaps in current understanding, and draw on successful models from other jurisdictions. An examination of relevant literature and case studies contributes to the formulation of well-informed, contextually aware policy proposals that stand up to scrutiny and enhance the likelihood of successful implementation.

This subsection emphasizes the necessity of engaging a diverse array of stakeholders throughout the policy development process. From law enforcement and the judiciary to community groups and advocacy organizations, the involvement of key stakeholders ensures that policies are comprehensive, responsive, and reflective of the varied perspectives within the criminal justice system. By fostering inclusive participation, policymakers can harness collective expertise, address potential blind spots, and increase the likelihood of policy acceptance and success.

Building on stakeholder identification, this section delves into the importance of establishing collaborative relationships with various entities involved in the criminal justice process. Effective communication and collaboration with law enforcement, the judiciary, community groups, and advocacy organizations are essential for garnering support, navigating potential challenges, and ensuring that proposed policies align with the practical realities of implementation. The establishment of these collaborative partnerships contributes to the development of policies that are not only well-informed but also garner broader support and acceptance.

Turning attention to the legal framework, this subsection underscores the imperative of ensuring that policy proposals align with constitutional principles. By adhering to the fundamental tenets of the Constitution, policymakers can craft policies that withstand legal scrutiny and adhere to the principles of justice and fairness. This section explores how a keen awareness of constitutional considerations is pivotal in safeguarding the legitimacy and effectiveness of proposed criminal justice policies.

Complementing the legal focus, this part of the article delves into the importance of addressing ethical concerns associated with civil liberties and human rights in policy proposals. Recognizing the potential impact of policies on individual rights and freedoms, policymakers must navigate the delicate balance between public safety and protecting the rights of citizens. By incorporating ethical considerations into the policy development process, proposals can align with broader societal values, fostering a criminal justice system that is not only effective but also just and equitable.

The Legislative Process

This section provides an overview of the legislative process in the United States, delineating the roles of both the federal Congress and state legislatures in shaping and passing criminal justice policies. By elucidating the distinct functions and responsibilities of these legislative bodies, policymakers can navigate the intricate pathways through which policies evolve from proposals to enacted laws. Understanding the federal-state interplay is essential for crafting policies that align with the legal frameworks of each jurisdiction.

Building on the legislative overview, this subsection explores the committee system within legislative bodies and its profound impact on the fate of policy proposals. An in-depth analysis of how committees vet and shape proposed legislation provides valuable insights into the hurdles and opportunities for policy advocates. Understanding the committee system’s dynamics is crucial for tailoring policy proposals to align with committee priorities and garnering influential support for successful advancement.

Transitioning to the practical aspects of policy development, this segment emphasizes the necessity of drafting clear and concise policy language. Clarity in language not only ensures that policymakers and legislators understand the intent and impact of proposals but also facilitates public comprehension. This section delves into the art of crafting precise language that encapsulates the policy’s objectives, parameters, and anticipated outcomes, minimizing ambiguity and maximizing the proposal’s effectiveness.

Effective communication is paramount in presenting policy proposals to legislators and policymakers. This subsection explores strategies for conveying complex ideas, evidence, and the societal significance of proposed policies. By examining communication methods such as testimony, briefings, and public forums, policymakers can enhance their ability to articulate the rationale behind proposals, respond to inquiries, and build persuasive narratives that resonate with decision-makers.

This segment delves into the intricate political dynamics that influence the adoption of criminal justice policies. By examining the influences of public opinion, interest groups, and election cycles, policymakers can anticipate challenges and opportunities in advancing their proposals. Understanding the political landscape is vital for tailoring policy approaches that align with prevailing sentiments while also addressing the systemic issues at the core of criminal justice challenges.

Acknowledging the inherently political nature of policy adoption, this subsection underscores the importance of building bipartisan support for criminal justice policy proposals. By transcending partisan divides, policymakers increase the likelihood of policy acceptance and long-term success. Strategies for fostering bipartisan collaboration, coalition-building, and outreach to lawmakers with diverse ideological perspectives are explored, emphasizing the collaborative efforts necessary for effective policy advancement in a politically diverse landscape.

Case Studies

This section engages in an analysis of successful criminal justice policy proposals that have yielded positive outcomes. By scrutinizing policies at both the federal and state levels, this examination seeks to identify key initiatives that have effectively addressed specific challenges within the criminal justice system. Through a lens of empirical evidence and real-world impact, policymakers can glean valuable insights into the factors contributing to the success of these policies and their applicability to broader systemic improvements.

Building on the analysis, this subsection aims to distill common elements present in the successful implementation of criminal justice policies. By identifying recurring themes, strategies, and approaches employed in these success stories, policymakers can extract valuable principles that contribute to the efficacy of policy implementation. Understanding these commonalities lays the groundwork for the development of evidence-based best practices, facilitating the creation of policies with a higher likelihood of achieving positive, tangible outcomes.

Shifting focus to the other side of the spectrum, this section delves into the examination of failed criminal justice policy proposals. Through an in-depth analysis of policies that did not achieve their intended objectives, policymakers gain valuable insights into the pitfalls, challenges, and contextual factors contributing to failure. Understanding these shortcomings is crucial for refining future policy initiatives, avoiding recurrent issues, and fostering a more resilient approach to criminal justice reform.

Concluding the case study analysis, this subsection extracts valuable insights from failed proposals to inform future policy development. By critically evaluating the root causes of failure and the complex interplay of factors involved, policymakers can enhance their capacity to anticipate challenges, adjust strategies, and develop more resilient and adaptive policies. The lessons learned from failed proposals contribute to the iterative nature of policy development, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and improvement in the pursuit of effective criminal justice reform.

As we conclude this exploration of the intricate process of developing policy proposals within the United States criminal justice system, it is imperative to reaffirm the central role that these proposals play in shaping the trajectory of law enforcement, judiciary, and community relations. Policy proposals stand as dynamic instruments for fostering systemic change, addressing societal challenges, and ensuring the continued evolution of a responsive and effective criminal justice system.

Throughout this article, a consistent theme has emerged – the critical importance of evidence-based, collaborative, and ethical policy-making. Grounding policies in empirical evidence, engaging diverse stakeholders, and navigating legal and ethical considerations are foundational principles for crafting initiatives that stand up to scrutiny and bring about meaningful change. The emphasis on these principles underscores the commitment to ensuring that policy proposals not only address immediate challenges but also contribute to the long-term integrity and effectiveness of the criminal justice system.

In conclusion, this article serves as a call to action for continued research, innovation, and active engagement in shaping the future of criminal justice policies. The challenges facing the criminal justice system are multifaceted and ever-evolving, requiring a sustained commitment to staying informed, adapting strategies, and collaborating across disciplines. Policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and community members alike are urged to contribute to the ongoing dialogue, drawing on the lessons learned from successful and failed policies, to collectively forge a more equitable, transparent, and responsive criminal justice system. By embracing the principles outlined in this article and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, we can collectively strive towards a criminal justice system that reflects the values of justice, fairness, and the well-being of all members of society.

Bibliography

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• Cresswell, J. W. (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage Publications.
• Garland, D. (2001). The culture of control: Crime and social order in contemporary society. University of Chicago Press.
• Holton, R. (2018). Making law and policy that work: A handbook for law and policy makers on reforming criminal justice and related areas. Hart Publishing.
• Lipton, D., Martinson, R., & Wilks, J. (1975). The effectiveness of correctional treatment: A survey of treatment evaluation studies. Praeger Publishers.
• Mastrofski, S. D., Ritti, R. R., & Hoffmaster, D. (1987). Organizational models of police: A theoretical and empirical analysis. Journal of Criminal Justice, 15(1), 1-18.
• Nagin, D. S., & Telep, C. W. (2017). Procedural justice and legal compliance: A theoretical perspective. Annual Review of Law and Social Science, 13, 5-28.
• Reiss, A. J. (1992). Police organization in the twentieth century. Crime and Justice, 15, 327-377.
• Rosenbaum, D. P., & Lurigio, A. J. (1994). Measuring the deterrent effect of imprisonment: A methodological note. Criminology, 32(3), 355-376.
• Sampson, R. J., & Wilson, W. J. (1995). Toward a theory of race, crime, and urban inequality. In J. Hagan & R. Peterson (Eds.), Crime and inequality (pp. 37-56). Stanford University Press.
• Skogan, W. G. (2006). Asymmetry in the impact of encounters with police. Policing and Society, 16(2), 99-126.
• Thacher, D. (2001). The rise of community policing as an ideal type. Annual Review of Law and Social Science, 7(1), 239-258.
• Tyler, T. R. (2003). Procedural justice, legitimacy, and the effective rule of law. Crime and Justice, 30(1), 283-357.
• van Dijk, J. J. (2008). The world of crime: Breaking the silence on problems of security, justice, and development across the world. Sage Publications.
• Weisburd, D., & Eck, J. E. (2004). What can police do to reduce crime, disorder, and fear? The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 593(1), 42-65.

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Criminal Justice Research Proposals Samples For Students

207 samples of this type

Do you feel the need to check out some previously written Research Proposals on Criminal Justice before you get down to writing an own piece? In this open-access directory of Criminal Justice Research Proposal examples, you are provided with a thrilling opportunity to discover meaningful topics, content structuring techniques, text flow, formatting styles, and other academically acclaimed writing practices. Implementing them while composing your own Criminal Justice Research Proposal will surely allow you to finish the piece faster.

Presenting superb samples isn't the only way our free essays service can help students in their writing endeavors – our experts can also create from point zero a fully customized Research Proposal on Criminal Justice that would make a strong basis for your own academic work.

Criminal Justice Research Proposal Example

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Example Of Restorative Justice Policy Proposal For Juvenile Justice System Research Proposal

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Research Proposal On Global Crimes Analysis

Major global crimes and criminal issue affecting international justice systems.

The rise and growth of global crimes is dated back, after the cold war, where people adopted a capitalism and individualism way of conducting their operations. They include, money laundering, drug trafficking, arms smuggling, extortion, fraud schemes, human tracking bribery among others. These crimes have hit highest levels because of the post-cold war effects, which criminal have capitalized; lessened political and economic barriers. In addition, the advancement in new technology has also played a vital role in enhancing their criminal activities.

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Counterfeit goods in the market have caused a lot of havoc both on trader’s and manufactures of original goods. Production of these goods denies the producers of genuine goods to earn money from their goods: this is because counterfeit goods may come at lower prices than genuine goods. Consumers have had their fair share of the problems caused by the goods. Counterfeit goods do not last that long. Thus, due to the problems caused by counterfeit goods it is wise to do a research on it (Lin 2011).

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1). Introduction This section should introduce the topic that you plan to research. You should detail the specific question you seek to answer (e.g. what is the nature of the relationship between CCTV installation and burglary reduction?) and set out a short list of clear aims and objectives.

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The SAGE Guide to Writing in Criminal Justice Research Methods

• Jennifer M. Allen - Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
• Steven Hougland - Florida Sheriffs Association
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Clear and helpful guidelines for writing in social sciences!

• Effective writing strategies for research methods  guide students through the process and best practices for writing literature reviews, abstracts, research and grant proposals, and academic papers. 
• Writing assignments and exercises provide students with opportunities to apply course material.
• A discussion on plagiarism clearly defines the concept to students as well as offers advice on how plagiarism can be avoided. 
• An entire chapter devoted to information literacy explains to students how to better identify, obtain, and evaluate information. 
• Two chapters on formatting and writing an academic paper guide students through the writing process and help them develop a well-researched academic paper.   

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1. The Basics of Writing

Chapter 2. What is Information Literacy?

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The Full List of Criminal Justice Research Proposal Topics

Researches in the criminal justice system are essential for society. With the help of statistics, data, and other important information the law enforcement can guarantee a high level of justice and safety for law-abiding citizens. That’s why all researches in this field will be useful for both average people and employees of the justice system.

What Is a Research Paper in Criminal Justice?

This is the traditional research that scopes the topics of justice and crimes. It aims to reveal important tendencies, methods, and reasons to understand the current situation in society. Also, such a job can help to reduce the level of crimes and improve the punishment system.

We can compare the meaning of research papers in this field with the meaning of justice. It is said this science aims to study, analyze, and prevent the breaking the laws. No matter what we talk about theoretical rules or real case studies: the results of your research will be valuable for people.

If you study at college or university you are required to prepare different types of academic papers including comprehensive research. Experience in other areas will be very useful but it’s better to find out more about criminal justice before starting your task. First of all, start with the topic selection.

It is very important to be good at the topic selection. The list of potential subjects below will make your task easier but you need to understand the relevance of each option.

How to Pick Up a Perfect Topic for Criminal Justice Research

Thanks to the particularities of criminology, all subjects in this field are very flexible and valuable. You can research everything from the justice of punishment to particular crime cases. So, criminal justice is a very wide area for scientists to research.

Brainstorming is the most efficient method to collect the library of great topics for current and further researches in criminal justice. Here are special questions that will help you to brainstorm:

• is this topic good and relevant enough;
• why this topic bothers people;
• how this subject can help society to improve relationships between people;
• what kind of criminal justice research you can make;
• is this topic unique and valuable, etc.

Usually, students do not worry about the paper structure and pay more attention to the content. The author takes care of the quality of primary and secondary sources, analyzes cases, make conclusions. So, you shouldn’t use all your strength on the selection of the topic. Just pick one from this list and start your writing job.

You can also read interesting cases and use them in your researches. Such empirical material will increase the practical value of your research paper.

But the best option is to pick one topic you like the most from the list created by experts in this field. Here is this comprehensive list specifically for you.

Basic topics to make research on criminal justice

• What are the main weaknesses of the current prison system?
• How to prevent crimes?
• What are the top motives for kidnapping?
• How social media and mass media influence crimes?
• Should justice punish corruption criminals more severely?
• How to solve violence in prisons?
• Why capital punishment is more spread among men than among women?
• What are the meaning and aims of forensic science?
• What does strain theory mean?
• Is aggressive behavior a sign the person will cause a crime someday?

Controversial topics in criminal justice

• Do criminals face racism in the modern justice system?
• Which strategy is better for people: a punishment or reform?
• Are boot camps efficient for young people or they should go to standard prisons?
• Can gun control change the level of criminals and help to avoid murders?
• Can we consider pornography to be violence?
• Is it possible to protect yourself from a false accusation in a crime?
• Are parents of criminals responsible for their crimes?
• Is it ethical to check employees’ criminal backgrounds before hiring them?
• Can we consider the restorative model of justice to be the most efficient nowadays?
• Is it ethical to legalize prostitution?

Criminal justice topics to provoke debates

• Should we accept the death penalty as the supreme penalty?
• Why extradition laws exist in several countries and do not exist in others?
• Is it acceptable to cooperate with prisoners to detect crimes?
• Can social shaming help in punishing a criminal and improve his personality?
• Is it fair to send criminals to supermax prisons or such establishments are too cruel?
• Will marijuana legalization cause more criminals?
• Is it fair for young criminals to deviate from the punishment?
• Should drunk drivers carry stronger responsibility for their crimes?
• What is zero tolerance and how it can reduce crimes?
• Will prostitution legalization cause more criminals?

Thesis topics in criminal justice

• Is the current judicial system efficient? Could it be improved with some reforms?
• Why do private companies exist in the current justice system?
• Is it fair to register sexual abusers in special public records?
• How to reduce the impact of the Mexican drug war on the USA justice system?
• Why so many people were falsely accused of crimes they hadn’t committed?
• Do criminals deserve their rights to be obligated even in prisons?
• What are the best strategies to prevent crimes?
• How would the justice system change if the drugs could be legalized?
• What are the main steps to improve the current justice system?
• What are the main reasons former criminals commit crimes again?

General topics for criminal justice researches

• Are parents responsible for their children’s crimes?
• How to make the current justice system better in the nearest future?
• What are the main particularities of New York criminal justice laws?
• Is it possible to reduce the number of economic crimes with more strict laws?
• What are the main advantages of the gun control system?
• How detention criminal process of kids differs from the same process with adults?
• Should organized crimes be punished more severely?
• Why do single crimes allow minimizing the punishment for a criminal?
• How to reduce the crime figure among young people?
• How to reduce the abuse of police authority?

Topics about discrimination in criminal justice

• Is racial prejudice still happen in American prisons?
• How slavery history impact on criminal justice?
• Who are the most famous criminals with African roots in the USA?
• Should immigrants be deported to their countries and be sentenced there?
• Is it ethical for the American justice system to judge immigrants?
• How gender influences the punishment of a criminal?
• Is rap music considered to be a feature of criminals?
• Is there any place for religious discrimination in American prisons?
• Does the number of immigrants increase the crime rate?
• Are there any signs of discrimination in the negotiation process?

Research topics in criminology

• What are the most efficient methods of cyber criminology?
• How to minimize drunk driving with social ads?
• Why crimes in the army happen?
• How social media help to identify criminals?
• How to help witness avoid danger because of the depositions?
• Why people demonstrate aggression to homeless people?
• Does unemployment increase the crime rate?
• How modern technologies help to identify criminals?
• How society and government can help victims to come back to normal life?
• Is it rational to make news reports on TV during a criminal investigation?

Research topics in the criminal justice system

• How to help police officers to reduce stress and professional deformation?
• Is it ethical to record the suspected people during interrogation without their will?
• What does transitional justice mean?
• How child protective services could help to prevent crimes?
• What are the basic principles of prison labor ethics?
• Can reform be more efficient than traditional punishment?
• How to avoid power abuse in the modern justice system?
• What are the main disadvantages of parole?
• How to punish underage girls and boys?
• What are the main particularities of white-collar crimes in the USA?

Research topics in international crimes

• What are the main particularities of the international crime investigation?
• How international criminal tribunal holds justice?
• What is a famous example of plea bargaining?
• What feminists think about the role of gender in international crime investigation?
• How to deal with international cybercrimes?
• What are the main reasons for child soldiers to be recruited in Africa?
• How to investigate sexual crimes committed by immigrants?
• Should immigrants have more rights during the interrogation process?
• What is the human rights situation in Asian countries?
• How to prevent human rights violations during international crime investigation?

These topics will suit any academic level of students. Such options are unique and exciting so will help the scientists to reveal important findings. Use this list of the best topics for criminal justice system analysis and find relevant assistant here!

CCJ4701 - Research Methods in Criminal Justice

Starting your search, research methods in criminal justice, tips for writing research proposals, literature reviews & empirical research articles.

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Identify your topic and possibly even your thesis statement.  Unlike in Google, in our databases, you need to search by using keywords.  Keywords are the words that describe your topic.  So, start brainstorming about what words you can use to describe your topic.  

Here is a sample topic:  I am conducting a literature review on drug use by Hispanic gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender adults, possibly even polysubstance use.  I would also like try to find research that incorporates information from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).  

Right away you can identify some key concepts:

• Polysubstance use
• National Survey on Drug Use (NSDUH)

Now that you have identified your key concepts, you need to flesh these out to include all the various forms of these concepts - this allows for your search to be as inclusive as possible:

• drug use or drug abuse or substance abuse or substance use or recreational drug use
• polysubstance use or polysubstance abuse
• drug users or drug abusers or drug addicts
• hispanic or latino or latina or mexican or central american or south american or hispanics or latin or Latinx
• gay or lesbian or glbt or homosexual or transgender or lgbt or lgbtq or queer
• National Survey on Drug Use and Health or NSDUH

You're now ready to begin searching!  Just remember to check-out the recommended databases to search for peer-reviewed articles!

Research Questions Research proposals outline a planned research project and the research questions that will be investigated. Requirements and expectations may differ based on the discipline and whether the proposal is for a class assignment, a thesis or dissertation, or to apply for research funding or grants. However, regardless of the type, all proposals require clearly defined research questions. Some challenges for choosing good research questions often include identifying questions that have a manageable scope and locating sources that include scholarly research about the issues.

Identifying a Manageable Scope Research questions that have a manageable scope are neither too broad nor too narrow. If a research question(s) is too broad, there will be too much information and too many issues to cover. If a research question(s) is too narrow, there may not be enough information. Keep in mind that assigned topics are often designed to be broad to allow you to choose the focus and specific issues you want to investigate. To select an appropriate scope, investigate the topic and issues by reviewing books, ebooks, encyclopedias, or handbooks that provide topic overviews.

Locating Criminal Justice Research To narrow a research question think about the issues associated with the broader topic or problem. Then, explore the topic by locating academic research that discusses evidence about the issues. The library provides access to thousands of criminal justice resources where you can find background information about topics and scholarly research articles that discuss issues.

Developing an outline early in the writing process using section headings and sub headings is a good first step to get organized and begin thinking through your proposal. It is also good to establish a habit of regularly reviewing sources about your topic (books, journal articles, etc.) and keep track of the sources you read and will potentially use. Listed below are some writing tips to consider as you begin to write your proposal.

Research Proposals should include: 

• concise title that describes the focus of your research (working titles are often changed while investigating a topic)
• document elements that include appropriate headings/subheadings (Title, Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Method,  Proposed Timeline, References)
• explanation of why your research is important and useful within your discipline (how does the research fit in with existing research)
• statement of aims that indicate the goals and scope of your investigation (focus on developing a manageable topic) 
• synthesis of "the literature" related to your research topic/questions (the literature refers to relevant research found in scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles)
• describe the research method you propose (research setting, sample, and a protocol showing the steps you will use in the process) 
• citations to the sources you consulted for your proposal (APA style requires in-text citations and complete reference entries)

References & Resources

Creswell, J.W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Feig, E. (n.d.). Writing the research proposal . In OER Commons . Retrieved from https://www.oercommons.org/courseware/module/13393 Grand Canyon University. (n.d.). Developing a research proposal . In Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching . Retrieved from https://cirt.gcu.edu/ University of Central Florida Writing Center. (n.d.). Grammar and punctuation . Retrieved from  http://uwc.cah.ucf.edu/find-resources/ University of Southern California USC Libraries. (2018). Writing a research proposal. In Organizing Y our Social Sciences Research Paper. Retrieved from http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/researchproposal  

Literature Reviews

Literature reviews provide a synthesis of the scholarly literature related to a research question(s) or topic. They include a discussion of information reported by researchers in empirical journal articles along with your own analysis and evaluation of sources. Preparing a literature review is a two-step process that includes conducting literature searches to locate relevant empirical articles and your own analysis and synthesis of the research in the written review.

Keep in mind that there are various types of literature reviews. The most common are included as a section in an empirical research article, a chapter in a thesis or dissertation, a standalone literature review article, or a section in an academic paper.

• Literature reviews in empirical research articles, theses and dissertations, or standalone review articles are considerably broader in scope and involve comprehensive literature searches.
• Literature reviews in academic papers are narrower in scope and requirements are typically based on course assignments. Often, students are required to locate a certain number of empirical journal articles (research articles). Secondary sources (journal articles, books, book chapters, government reports, etc.) that often discuss empirical research or provide background information might also be included.

Academic Databases & Google Scholar

Empirical articles are published in peer-reviewed journals (sometimes called refereed), which means that articles are reviewed by experts in their field prior to publication to ensure that only reliable, high-quality information is published. Empirical journal articles for all disciplines are accessible by searching academic databases that are provided by the Libraries. The video below provides an example of how to locate Criminal Justice databases and search strategies to locate peer-reviewed research articles.

Google Scholar can also be helpful to use in combination with library database searches because it provides citations and links to empirical journal articles. Typically Google Scholar does not provide full text access to most articles. You must link to, but you can use the links provided to access the full text from the UCF Libraries pages. Google Scholar also does not include options to limit searches to view only peer-reviewed journal articles or filter options to refine searches.

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• Policy Solutions

A Proposal to Reduce Unnecessary Incarceration

Summary: For decades, the federal government used its grant-making power to spur states to incarcerate more people and to impose longer sentences. It should now use that power to reverse course.

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Few issues have received more sustained attention from U.S. policymakers over the last decade than the country’s unique overuse of incarceration. After decades of growth in imprisonment rates, states have attempted to reduce the number of people behind bars. Their reforms have been driven by a recognition that incarceration is expensive and often counterproductive and by research demonstrating that many people can be safely supervised in the community. footnote1_u5a8mt4 1 James Austin et al.,  How Many Americans Are Unnecessarily Incarcerated?,  Brennan Center for Justice, 2016, 5, 7–8,  https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/how-many-americans-are-unnecessarily-incarcerated .  Much incarceration is also unnecessary. According to a 2016 Brennan Center for Justice report, nearly 40 percent of the U.S. prison population is incarcerated without any compelling public safety justification. footnote2_1j19r04 2 Austin et al.,  How Many Americans Are Unnecessarily Incarcerated? , 7. Incarceration degrades people’s humanity, disrupts their social networks, and causes lifelong social and financial disadvantage through restricted access to education, jobs, and housing. footnote3_noun70u 3 Rebecca Vallas and Sharon Dietrich,  One Strike and You’re Out: How We Can Eliminate Barriers to Economic Security and Mobility for People With Criminal Records , Center for American Progress, 2014,  https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/VallasCriminalRecordsReport.pdf ; and Terry-Ann Craigie, Ames Grawert, and Cameron Kimble,  Conviction, Imprisonment, and Lost Earnings: How Involvement With the Criminal Justice System Deepens Inequality , Brennan Center for Justice, 2020, 6–8,  https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/conviction-imprisonment-and-lost-earnings-how-involvement-criminal . It also devastates families and communities, disproportionately affecting society’s most marginalized segments. footnote4_uw9koi8 4 Brian Elderbroom et al.,  Every Second: The Impact of the Incarceration Crisis on America’s Families , FWD.us, 2018, 21,  https://everysecond.fwd.us/downloads/everysecond.fwd.us.pdf .

Reforms have reduced the population behind bars from its 2009 peak, yet an astonishing level of incarceration persists: today over 1.2 million people are confined to federal and state prisons, and just over 636,000 more are locked up in local jails. footnote5_4lql0mm 5 E. Ann Carson and Rich Kluckow, Correctional Populations in the United States, 2021 — Statistical Tables , United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2023, 4, table 1, https://bjs.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh236/files/media/document/cpus21stB.pdf . Few states have achieved significant reductions in their prison populations, and in some places these populations have begun to grow again. footnote6_nfmm6bu 6 The Sentencing Project, “Growth in Mass Incarceration: Prison Population Over Time,” accessed September 5, 2022,  https://www.sentencingproject.org/research/ .

For a half century, the federal government has harnessed its grant-making power to spur states to incarcerate more people and to impose longer sentences, making the United States the most punitive country in the world. footnote7_fsxq1eg 7 Mike Crowley and Betsy Pearl,  Reimagining Federal Grants for Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform , Center for American Progress, 2020, 1,  https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DOJgrants-brief1.pdf ; and Inimai Chettiar et al.,  Reforming Funding to Reduce Mass Incarceration , Brennan Center for Justice, 2013, 18,  https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/reforming-funding-reduce-mass-incarceration . See also, generally, Emily Widra and Tiana Herring, “States of Incarceration: The Global Context 2021,” Prison Policy Initiative, September 2021,  https://www.prisonpolicy.org/global/2021.html . It can now use that same funding power to reverse course.

The idea of using federal funding to reduce incarceration is not new, but recent programs have had mixed results. For example, between 2010 and 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) provided state and local governments with technical assistance and direct funding to reduce their prison populations. footnote8_g73m9mc 8 Samantha Harvell et al.,  The Justice Reinvestment Initiative: A Guide for States , U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, 2021, iii,  https://bja.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh186/files/media/document/JRI-Guide-for-States.pdf . But this funding did not always produce the intended outcome. footnote9_hyd68us 9 In practice, JRI’s focus was on improving efficiency in the criminal justice system, such as by reestablishing good-time credits, creating a more streamlined parole process, and expanding parole eligibility, rather than on reducing overly long sentences — the biggest driver of bloated state prison populations. William J. Sabol and Miranda L. Baumann, “Justice Reinvestment: Vision and Practice,”  Annual Review of Criminology  3 (2020): 317–39, 323–25,  https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-criminol-011419–041407 . Some states, such as Kentucky, actually saw their prison populations grow after implementing reforms with JRI funding and assistance. footnote10_nirggf3 10 Kentucky’s HB 463 included reduced charges for lower-level drug crimes, mandatory reentry supervision, and graduated sanctions so that fewer people on probation and parole returned to prison immediately after a technical violation of a condition of their release. At the time HB 463 was signed into law, in 2011, the state’s prison population was at 21,545. Seven years later, in 2018, despite technical assistance and direct funding through JRI, Kentucky’s total prison population had climbed to 23,431. E. Ann Carson and William J. Sabol,  Prisoners in 2011 , Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2012, 3,  https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/p11.pdf ; E. Ann Carson,  Prisoners in 2018 , Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2020, 4,  https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/p18.pdf ; and HB 463 (Ky. 2011),  https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/11RS/documents/0002.pdf . Compounding matters, between 2018 and 2021, under President Trump, JRI pivoted away from prison population reduction as a primary objective, refocusing it on crime and recidivism reduction, particularly as it relates to violent crime. footnote11_mbhn8pe 11 U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Justice Reinvestment Initiative: Reducing Violent Crime by Improving Justice System Performance FY 2018 Competitive Grant Announcement, 2018, 5–8,  https://bja.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh186/files/media/document/BJA-2018–13700.PDF .

Yet since assuming office in 2021, the Biden administration, while retaining JRI’s focus on recidivism reduction, now specifically allows grant money to support efforts to reduce incarceration for new crimes or technical violations of community supervision. footnote12_ztnc79o 12 U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, BJA FY 21 Justice Reinvestment Initiative: State-level Training and Technical Assistance Program, 2021, 4,  https://bja.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh186/files/media/document/O-BJA-2021–108001.pdf . And more recently, in August 2022, as part of his 2023 budget proposal to Congress, President Biden unveiled a grant program called Accelerating Justice System Reform, which would dedicate $15 billion over 10 years for jurisdictions to implement crime prevention and public health approaches to public safety. footnote13_8b0owhy 13 The White House, “Fact Sheet: President Biden’s Safer America Plan,” press release, July 21, 2022,  https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/21/fact-sheet-president-bidens-safer-america-plan . Recommended policies include expanding drug courts; creating or expanding co-responder programs; and investing in job training, employment, housing, and other stabilizing services that can help formerly incarcerated people return to society.

Building on this momentum, the Brennan Center for Justice calls on Congress to enact a new, $1 billion federal funding program, called the Public Safety and Prison Reduction Act, to channel money to states with the goal of reducing unnecessary incarceration while promoting humane and fair criminal-justice policies that preserve public safety. The proposal, based on a previous Brennan Center policy solution — the Reverse Mass Incarceration Act — was crafted in consultation with a variety of stakeholders, including formerly incarcerated individuals. footnote14_58fbfus 14 Lauren-Brooke Eisen and Inimai M. Chettiar,  The Reverse Mass Incarceration Act , Brennan Center for Justice, 2015,  https://www.brennancenter.org/publication/reverse-mass-incarceration-act .

The grant program would be structured to do the following:

• offer states federal dollars to study the drivers of unnecessary incarceration and additional money to reduce prison populations;
• reward states that shrink their prison populations by 20 percent over three years with an extra three years of funding;
• afford states freedom to implement federal funding on the basis of local considerations by providing them a slate of 21 policy options from which to choose;
• track and measure success of grantees’ policy changes by mandating that states, in partnership with researchers or an academic institution, submit annual progress reports to the federal government describing and evaluating expenditures;
• require states to convene an advisory board composed of a diverse array of local stakeholders, including formerly incarcerated people;
• prohibit states from enacting punitive sentencing laws such as mandatory-minimum rules or truth-in-sentencing statutes during the lifetime of the funding; and
• establish subgrants for organizations that are led by formerly incarcerated individuals or that serve high numbers of people who have been arrested or convicted.

The impact of this policy would be historic. If the 25 states with the largest prison populations used these funds to reduce imprisonment by 20 percent, 178,000 fewer people would be confined (see figure 1). footnote15_2k3w4ka 15 We calculated the projected prison population by first identifying the 25 states with the highest prison populations and then applying to those states a 20 percent reduction. Prior to the reduction, the prison population in the top 25 states totaled 895,745 in 2020. After the 20 percent reduction, the total was 716,596. The difference between the two numbers was then subtracted from the actual national prison population (1,040,138 – 179,149). The resulting projected figure totaled 860,989. That would slash state prison populations by more people than are currently incarcerated in the entire federal prison system. The United States’ incarcerated population would decrease to numbers last seen before 1993, the year before the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 — often called the 1994 crime bill — was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. footnote16_tcc67xm 16 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Pub. L. No. 103–322, 108 Stat. 1796 (1994).

This prison population reduction estimate is a conservative one. States that reduced their prison populations by 20 percent in the first three years of the grant period would be eligible for additional funds under the program, providing them with resources to make even greater reductions.

Although criminal justice administration is a core function of state and local governments, the federal government nonetheless has a vital role to play in both messaging the need to dismantle mass incarceration and incentivizing states to pursue systemic reforms toward that end. This report first delves into the history of the federal government’s role in encouraging overly punitive responses to crime and social disorder. It then outlines the new policy proposal, for which model statutory language is provided in the appendix. Given the fiscal costs and social harms of mass incarceration, the federal government must reorient its grant spending to press states to end punitive policies that fail to deliver public safety.

A Proposal to Reduce Unnece… by The Brennan Center for Justice

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University Libraries

Cjus 4700: research methods in criminal justice: select a topic.

• Introduction
• Select a Topic
• Search the Literature
• Find Statistics
• Write a Literature Review
• Use APA Style

Websites to help identify and research a topic

Browsing these websites may help you identify a topic you are interested in researching.

• Congressional Research Service Reports Search CRS by topic to find reports from 2018 and forward on major policy issues. Reports include research and analysis to support Congress' legislative, oversight, and representational duties. All reports adhere to the core values of CRS; they are authoritative, objective and nonpartisan. Reports range in length from several pages to more than one-hundred pages and cover the full breadth of topics of interest to Congress.
• Center for Problem-Oriented Policing "The mission of the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing is to advance the concept and practice of problem-oriented policing in open and democratic societies. It does so by making readily accessible information about ways in which police can more effectively address specific crime and disorder problems. The Center for Problem-Oriented Policing is a non-profit organization comprising affiliated police practitioners, researchers, and universities dedicated to the advancement of problem-oriented policing."
• Office of Justice Programs "The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. Therefore, OJP does not directly carry out law enforcement and justice activities. Instead, OJP works in partnership with the justice community to identify the most pressing crime-related challenges confronting the justice system and to provide information, training, coordination, and innovative strategies and approaches for addressing these challenges."
• CrimeSolutions.gov - National Institute of Justice The National Institute of Justice’s CrimeSolutions.gov is comprised of two components — a web-based clearinghouse of programs and practices and a process for identifying and rating those programs and practices.

Learn more about topics

Oxford Bibliographies in Criminology provides a list of criminal justice-related topics. Each topic entry defines/introduces the problem and provides a list of suggested readings and key articles on that topic.

You can search Credo Reference to get an overview of a topic and current research related to the topic.

Sage Research Methods Cases provides examples of criminal justice research projects. These examples could help you choose a methodology for your research proposal. Search by "criminal justice" generally to browse some research projects or search with a specific criminal justice-related topic.

• Oxford Bibliographies Online: Criminology Oxford Bibliographies Online: Criminology offers peer-reviewed annotated biblgraphies on the study of crime as a social phenomenon. You can browse by topic or search. Entries contain introductions and overviews of the issue + a list of scholarly sources on that topic.
• Credo reference Credo Reference offers full-text, aggregated content which covers every major subject from the world's best publishers of reference. Patrons gain access to over 3,400,000 entries, from over 675 reference books, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, etc. Dates of Coverage: Current
• Sage Research Methods Cases SAGE Research Methods Cases is a collection of case studies of real social research that faculty can use in their teaching. Cases are original, specially commissioned, and designed to help students understand often abstract methodological concepts by introducing them to case studies of real research projects. Subject coverage includes sociology, health, criminology, education, anthropology, psychology, business, political science, history, economics, among others.
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Criminology & Criminal Justice

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What is a Literature Review?

The scholarly conversation.

A literature review provides an overview of previous research on a topic that critically evaluates, classifies, and compares what has already been published on a particular topic. It allows the author to synthesize and place into context the research and scholarly literature relevant to the topic. It helps map the different approaches to a given question and reveals patterns. It forms the foundation for the author’s subsequent research and justifies the significance of the new investigation.

A literature review can be a short introductory section of a research article or a report or policy paper that focuses on recent research. Or, in the case of dissertations, theses, and review articles, it can be an extensive review of all relevant research.

• The format is usually a bibliographic essay; sources are briefly cited within the body of the essay, with full bibliographic citations at the end.
• The introduction should define the topic and set the context for the literature review. It will include the author's perspective or point of view on the topic, how they have defined the scope of the topic (including what's not included), and how the review will be organized. It can point out overall trends, conflicts in methodology or conclusions, and gaps in the research.
• In the body of the review, the author should organize the research into major topics and subtopics. These groupings may be by subject, (e.g., globalization of clothing manufacturing), type of research (e.g., case studies), methodology (e.g., qualitative), genre, chronology, or other common characteristics. Within these groups, the author can then discuss the merits of each article and analyze and compare the importance of each article to similar ones.
• The conclusion will summarize the main findings, make clear how this review of the literature supports (or not) the research to follow, and may point the direction for further research.
• The list of references will include full citations for all of the items mentioned in the literature review.

Key Questions for a Literature Review

A literature review should try to answer questions such as

• Who are the key researchers on this topic?
• What has been the focus of the research efforts so far and what is the current status?
• How have certain studies built on prior studies? Where are the connections? Are there new interpretations of the research?
• Have there been any controversies or debate about the research? Is there consensus? Are there any contradictions?
• Which areas have been identified as needing further research? Have any pathways been suggested?
• How will your topic uniquely contribute to this body of knowledge?
• Which methodologies have researchers used and which appear to be the most productive?
• What sources of information or data were identified that might be useful to you?
• How does your particular topic fit into the larger context of what has already been done?
• How has the research that has already been done help frame your current investigation ?

Examples of Literature Reviews

Example of a literature review at the beginning of an article: Forbes, C. C., Blanchard, C. M., Mummery, W. K., & Courneya, K. S. (2015, March). Prevalence and correlates of strength exercise among breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors . Oncology Nursing Forum, 42(2), 118+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.sonoma.idm.oclc.org/ps/i.do?p=HRCA&sw=w&u=sonomacsu&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA422059606&asid=27e45873fddc413ac1bebbc129f7649c Example of a comprehensive review of the literature: Wilson, J. L. (2016). An exploration of bullying behaviours in nursing: a review of the literature.   British Journal Of Nursing ,  25 (6), 303-306. For additional examples, see:

Galvan, J., Galvan, M., & ProQuest. (2017). Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences (Seventh ed.). [Electronic book]

Pan, M., & Lopez, M. (2008). Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches (3rd ed.). Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Pub. [ Q180.55.E9 P36 2008]

Useful Links

• Write a Literature Review (UCSC)
• Literature Reviews (Purdue)
• Literature Reviews: overview (UNC)
• Review of Literature (UW-Madison)

Evidence Matrix for Literature Reviews

The  Evidence Matrix  can help you  organize your research  before writing your lit review.  Use it to  identify patterns  and commonalities in the articles you have found--similar methodologies ?  common  theoretical frameworks ? It helps you make sure that all your major concepts covered. It also helps you see how your research fits into the context  of the overall topic.

• Evidence Matrix Special thanks to Dr. Cindy Stearns, SSU Sociology Dept, for permission to use this Matrix as an example.
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Funding strong, causal evidence on what works: Q & A with Jennifer Doleac

Accompanying the release of a new criminal justice research Request for Proposals, AV ’s executive vice president for criminal justice talks about the motivations and goals behind this  RFP .

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Today, Arnold Ventures ( AV ) issued a major new Request for Proposals ( RFP ) titled ​ “ Causal Research on Community Safety and the Criminal Justice System .” As long as they meet certain methodological and other criteria, submissions across all issues related to crime and criminal justice are encouraged. The RFP will also remain open indefinitely, with letters of interest being reviewed and responded to on a rolling basis. 

Ahead of the RFP ’s release, we sat down with Jennifer Doleac to discuss what makes this RFP unique and what AV hopes to achieve.

The interview has been edited for clarity. 

Arnold Ventures

Could you tell us a little bit about the new RFP and why it is a priority for the criminal justice program at  AV ?

Jennifer Doleac

Our priorities at AV are to help build the evidence base on what works, and then push for policy change based on that evidence. In the criminal justice field, there are many open questions about how to improve community safety and how to make our criminal justice system fairer and more effective. This new RFP will be a cornerstone of our approach going forward. In particular, we are doubling down on funding strong, causal evidence on what works. Our goal is to generate new, innovative solutions that we can bring to policymakers as quickly as possible.

AV has issued many RFPs in the past related to components of the criminal justice system or to specific policy solutions. What is the motivation behind issuing an open RFP covering any and all aspects of the criminal justice system?

There are at least three reasons for this shift.

First, it is increasingly obvious how interconnected our safety and criminal justice challenges are. For instance, there may be some problems regarding prisons that are best solved by intervening in courts or with law enforcement or even outside the criminal justice system – and vice versa. This RFP moves beyond our traditional policy siloes to ensure that we’re always thinking outside the box to identify the most efficient, effective paths forward.

Second, we want to make sure that we’re never doing the research equivalent of just focusing on where it is easiest to look. Expertise and good intentions may make particular interventions seem promising. But we need to stay humble about the possibility that the most effective solutions aren’t yet on our radar. By allowing the academic and practitioner communities to work together to evaluate existing innovations and pilot new ones with limited restrictions from us at AV , we are seeking to maximize our chances of finding policies that work.

Lastly, while our criminal justice program is focused on evidence-based solutions that can make a difference today, we never know what crises or opportunities may present themselves tomorrow. We want to be ready with policy ideas that meet the moment. By steadily building a broad evidence base in the background, we can ensure that we are always equipped with new, evidence-based solutions when they are needed.

The RFP has a specific focus on causal research projects. What are the advantages of causal research projects and how can they advance the twin goals of making communities safer and making the criminal justice system more equitable and effective?

AV ’s priority across our portfolios, including but not limited to criminal justice, is supporting evidence-based policy. But not all evidence is created equal. Research based on causal research designs – such as difference-in-differences, regression discontinuities, instrumental variables, and randomization – is best suited to answering the question that is always front of mind for us: Is this intervention effective? 

These research designs aim to cleanly divide people or places into treatment and control groups – a real-world approximation of a lab experiment. As we all know, correlation doesn’t equal causation. Causal methods allow us to isolate the treatment effect of an intervention from other underlying differences between groups – differences like motivation or income. Those other differences might make it seem like the intervention worked if we were less careful. 

There is of course a place for strong qualitative and descriptive research in the policy process, but those types of research are best suited for describing problems and generating hypotheses about how to solve them. Causal research tests those hypotheses. In AV ’s view, that is the type of evidence our criminal justice policy conversation most desperately needs at this moment. And so that is where we are investing our time, energy, and money.

The reality is that most good ideas won’t work in practice – these are difficult problems to solve! Finding the ideas that do work is like finding needles in a haystack. Strong causal research designs work like magnets to draw out those needles, enabling us to identify and scale effective solutions as quickly as possible. 

What does success look like for you in terms of this RFP ? Are there any specific short and long-term outcomes you are hoping to see come out of this process?

For me, success looks like lots of strong proposals from across the research community. Our primary goal with this RFP is to make it as easy as possible for scholars to tell us what they’re working on so that we can in turn help them do that work. Over time, I hope that our emphasis on causal research designs draws more scholars who would not otherwise have worked on such projects into this research space. We need more people, from a broad range of backgrounds, at the causal research table. 

And of course, we hope that all this research generates new solutions that we can turn into policy change. Our ultimate goal is making people’s lives better and communities safer. That’s why we’re doing all of this. 

Before coming to AV , you had a background in criminal justice research in academic settings. In what way did those experiences motivate and help inform the development of this  RFP ?

I was an economics professor for over a decade and spent a lot of time raising money to support my research. Because of this, I know that the research funding process often seems opaque and intimidating to academic researchers. I’m determined to change that. I want to limit the role that established networks play in the funding process – you should not need to know me or someone on my team in order to get your research funded. That will make science better. I also know funding applications are often a laborious process. Academic researchers are so busy, and their writing time is very precious. My goal with this RFP is to minimize the up-front cost of telling us about your work. A letter of interest ( LOI ) is just 3  pages! That’s enough for us to tell whether your project might be a fit. If we want more information, we’ll invite a full proposal. I promise that we won’t waste your time.

The RFP states that priority will be given to ​ “ researchers who have not previously received funding from Arnold Ventures as the primary or principal investigator, or are early-career/junior researchers (those who received their PhD in the past 6  years).” Why is this important to both AV and the criminal justice field?

In general, the research funding process is usually very opaque. Because networks typically play such a large role, a subset of scholars has become very good at raising research dollars as they figure out the rules of the game. For their part, foundations get to know and trust particular researchers, and they’re likely to fund them again and again. Meanwhile, a grant is especially valuable for scholars who do not receive much funding and for junior scholars who are just starting out. They are often the ones with fresh ideas that we want to make sure we’re hearing. To counter the built-in advantages that senior, well-funded scholars have in the funding process, we’ll prioritize proposals from principal investigators (PIs) who are new to AV or to the field. The proposals still need to be high-quality, but they’ll go to the top of our queue.

How will letters of interest and proposals be evaluated? Do you have any advice for people interested in submitting an  LOI ?

Since we’re expecting a much larger volume of LOIs than we’ve received in the past, we’re focused on streamlining our review process. LOIs will be sent to external reviewers, primarily to provide feedback on the quality of the research design and the scientific contribution. Internally, we’ll also consider whether it fits with our eligibility criteria and aligns with the research priority areas listed in the RFP . While research on any topic is welcome and will be considered, priority in our review process will go to proposals in these areas. Based on all of this, we’ll invite a subset of applicants to submit full proposals. We’ll include the feedback we received from the external reviewers, and full proposals will go back out to those same reviewers, so make sure you address any questions they had!

My main advice is to use your space in the 3 ‑page LOI to focus on what you plan to do, rather than why the question is interesting. Our team is familiar with the criminal justice research and policy space, so there is no need to include a lengthy literature review or convince us that criminal justice policy is important. Provide a brief motivation, and then dive into your main research questions, data, and research designs. Make sure it is clear why you believe your design will isolate the causal effect of the intervention you’re studying – that is our priority.

You’re also welcome to reach out to folks on our team with any questions. Keep an eye out for us at conferences too. We’re there to meet you and will be eager to hear about your research.

Causal Research on Community Safety and the Criminal Justice System by Arnold Ventures on Scribd

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Home » 500+ Criminal Justice Research Topics

500+ Criminal Justice Research Topics

Criminal justice is a complex and critical field that encompasses various aspects of crime prevention, law enforcement, legal proceedings, and punishment. Research plays a crucial role in understanding and addressing the challenges and opportunities in this field. From studying the causes and consequences of crime to exploring the effectiveness of policies and interventions, there is a wide range of fascinating and important criminal justice research topics to explore. Whether you are a student, a scholar, a practitioner, or a curious citizen, delving into the world of criminal justice research can deepen your knowledge, sharpen your critical thinking skills, and contribute to creating a safer and fairer society. In this post, we will introduce some of the most compelling and relevant criminal justice research topics that you may find intriguing and informative.

Criminal Justice Research Topics

Criminal Justice Research Topics are as follows:

• The effectiveness of community policing in reducing crime rates
• The impact of body-worn cameras on police accountability and public trust
• The causes and consequences of police use of excessive force
• The role of race and ethnicity in police-citizen interactions and perceptions
• The effectiveness of diversion programs in reducing recidivism among juvenile offenders
• The impact of mandatory minimum sentencing on crime rates and prison populations
• The challenges and opportunities of restorative justice as an alternative to punitive justice
• The role of mental health and substance abuse treatment in reducing criminal behavior
• The ethics and implications of using predictive policing algorithms
• The impact of private prisons on the criminal justice system and society
• The effectiveness of victim-offender mediation in reducing the harm of crime
• The prevalence and causes of wrongful convictions and the implications for justice
• The role of media in shaping public perceptions of crime and justice
• The effectiveness and fairness of the death penalty as a form of punishment
• The role of international law in addressing transnational crimes such as terrorism and human trafficking
• The impact of the War on Drugs on drug use, drug-related crime, and public health
• The effectiveness of gun control laws in reducing gun violence and crime rates
• The role of technology in enhancing or challenging the criminal justice system, such as DNA analysis or facial recognition software
• The prevalence and causes of domestic violence and the effectiveness of intervention programs
• The impact of sentencing disparities based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status
• The role of plea bargaining in the criminal justice system and the implications for justice
• The effectiveness of sex offender registries and notification laws in reducing sex crimes
• The impact of pretrial detention on defendants’ rights and outcomes
• The role of community-based corrections in reducing recidivism and promoting reentry
• The ethics and implications of using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for surveillance and law enforcement
• The effectiveness and implications of using risk assessment tools in pretrial decision-making
• The prevalence and impact of hate crimes and the challenges of prosecuting them
• The role of eyewitness testimony in criminal trials and the reliability of memory
• The effectiveness of drug courts in reducing drug-related crime and improving outcomes for offenders
• The impact of race and ethnicity on the administration of the death penalty
• The role of juries in the criminal justice system and the factors that affect their decisions
• The effectiveness and ethics of using informants in criminal investigations and prosecutions
• The prevalence and impact of cybercrime and the challenges of investigating and prosecuting it
• The effectiveness of juvenile justice reforms in promoting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism
• The impact of community-based policing on police-citizen relations and trust
• The role of social media in shaping perceptions of crime and justice
• The effectiveness of prison education and vocational training programs in promoting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism
• The prevalence and impact of human rights abuses in the criminal justice system, such as torture or discrimination
• The effectiveness of gang prevention and intervention programs in reducing gang-related crime
• The role of implicit bias in the criminal justice system and its impact on outcomes
• The impact of solitary confinement on mental health, behavior, and reentry outcomes
• The impact of police body cameras on public trust and police accountability.
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for juvenile offenders.
• The impact of community policing on crime reduction
• The use of predictive policing in law enforcement
• The impact of decriminalizing marijuana on crime rates
• The role of mental health professionals in the criminal justice system
• The effectiveness of de-escalation training for police officers
• The impact of technology on police surveillance practices
• The relationship between gender and sentencing disparities in the criminal justice system
• The relationship between poverty and crime
• The effectiveness of restorative justice programs in reducing recidivism
• The impact of the War on Drugs on mass incarceration
• The use of cognitive-behavioral therapy in offender rehabilitation
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for people with substance use disorders
• The role of implicit bias in jury selection
• The impact of police officer stress on use of force incidents
• The use of big data in criminal investigations and decision-making
• The effectiveness of restorative justice practices in school disciplinary policies
• The relationship between mental illness and homelessness in the criminal justice system
• The impact of mandatory minimum sentences on juvenile offenders
• The role of drug courts in the criminal justice system
• The effectiveness of offender reentry programs for people with disabilities
• The impact of restorative justice programs on victims of crime
• The use of therapeutic jurisprudence in the criminal justice system
• The relationship between race and ethnicity and the use of force by private security personnel
• The effectiveness of educational programs in correctional facilities
• The impact of eyewitness identification procedures on wrongful convictions
• The role of community-based policing in reducing crime rates
• The use of predictive analytics in bail decisions
• The effectiveness of correctional education programs on recidivism
• The impact of immigration enforcement policies on immigrant communities’ trust in law enforcement
• The relationship between mental health and juvenile detention
• The use of biometrics in criminal investigations and identification
• The effectiveness of mental health courts in reducing recidivism among people with co-occurring disorders
• The impact of gender and sexuality on hate crime victimization and reporting
• The role of cultural competence in police training
• The use of risk assessment tools in pretrial detention decisions
• The effectiveness of community supervision programs for people with substance use disorders
• The impact of social and economic policies on criminal justice outcomes
• The relationship between race and ethnicity and criminal case outcomes
• The use of therapeutic communities in correctional facilities
• The effectiveness of specialized courts for domestic violence cases
• The impact of gun violence on public safety and crime rates
• The role of eyewitness memory and recall in criminal investigations and trials
• The use of DNA evidence in criminal investigations and exoneration
• The effectiveness of probation and parole programs for people with disabilities
• The impact of victim impact statements on sentencing decisions
• The relationship between criminal justice policies and racial and ethnic disparities in incarceration rates
• The use of unmanned aerial vehicles in law enforcement
• The effectiveness of community-based restorative justice programs for juvenile offenders
• The impact of public defender workload on criminal case outcomes
• The role of community activism and advocacy in criminal justice reform
• The use of risk assessment tools in school disciplinary policies
• The effectiveness of family-focused interventions in reducing juvenile recidivism
• The impact of police officer race and ethnicity on use of force incidents
• The relationship between race and ethnicity and prosecutorial decision-making
• The use of virtual reality simulations in police training
• The effectiveness of mental health diversion programs for people with traumatic brain injuries
• The impact of juvenile life without parole sentences on individuals and society.
• The use of drones in criminal investigations
• The effectiveness of community-based alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders
• The impact of wrongful convictions on the criminal justice system
• The role of implicit bias in criminal justice decision-making
• The use of risk assessment tools in child welfare investigations
• The effectiveness of offender reentry programs in reducing recidivism
• The impact of hate crimes on marginalized communities
• The relationship between mental health and the use of force by police officers
• The use of body language analysis in criminal interrogations
• The effectiveness of community policing strategies in building trust between police and communities
• The impact of race on police use of force and police brutality
• The role of prosecutorial discretion in the criminal justice system
• The use of algorithms in pretrial detention decisions
• The effectiveness of victim-centered approaches to sexual assault investigations
• The impact of domestic violence on child custody decisions
• The relationship between social media and cybercrime
• The use of facial recognition technology in law enforcement
• The effectiveness of police officer training programs on cultural sensitivity and bias reduction
• The impact of the school-to-prison pipeline on youth
• The role of mental health courts in diversion programs
• The use of virtual reality technology in criminal justice education and training
• The effectiveness of crisis intervention teams in responding to mental health crises
• The impact of immigration policies on crime reporting and victimization rates in immigrant communities
• The relationship between police department size and use of force incidents
• The use of predictive analytics in parole and probation supervision
• The effectiveness of juvenile justice system diversion programs for LGBTQ+ youth
• The impact of bail reform on pretrial detention rates and recidivism
• The role of trauma-informed care in the criminal justice system
• The use of artificial intelligence in forensic investigations
• The effectiveness of prison entrepreneurship programs in reducing recidivism
• The impact of COVID-19 on the criminal justice system
• The relationship between mental health and incarceration rates
• The use of social network analysis in criminal investigations
• The effectiveness of drug testing and monitoring programs for probationers and parolees
• The impact of mandatory minimum sentences on drug offenses
• The role of the media in shaping public perceptions of crime and the criminal justice system
• The use of body-worn cameras in courtroom proceedings
• The effectiveness of mental health diversion programs for veterans involved in the criminal justice system
• The impact of race and ethnicity on the plea bargaining process
• The relationship between police department diversity and community trust
• The use of crime mapping in law enforcement strategies
• The effectiveness of animal therapy programs in correctional facilities
• The impact of the death penalty on families of victims and offenders
• The role of prosecutorial misconduct in wrongful convictions.
• Racial disparities in the use of capital punishment
• The effectiveness of electronic monitoring as an alternative to incarceration
• The role of restorative justice in reducing recidivism
• The relationship between mental illness and criminal behavior
• The effectiveness of drug courts in reducing drug-related offenses
• The impact of body-worn cameras on police behavior and citizen complaints
• The use of risk assessment tools in sentencing and release decisions
• The effectiveness of boot camp programs for juvenile offenders
• The use of eyewitness testimony in criminal trials
• The impact of victim-offender mediation on the criminal justice system
• The relationship between education level and criminal behavior
• The effectiveness of parole and probation in reducing recidivism
• The use of artificial intelligence in criminal justice decision-making
• The role of public defenders in the criminal justice system
• The impact of mandatory minimum sentences on the prison population
• The effectiveness of therapeutic courts for individuals with substance abuse disorders
• The impact of social media on the reporting of crimes and public perception of crime
• The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in reducing recidivism
• The impact of mental health courts on the criminal justice system
• The role of community service in reducing recidivism
• The relationship between domestic violence and gun ownership
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for individuals with mental illnesses
• The impact of sentencing guidelines on judicial discretion
• The use of police body language in detecting deception during interviews
• The relationship between incarceration and employment opportunities post-release
• The effectiveness of community-based supervision programs for released offenders
• The impact of the war on drugs on the criminal justice system
• The role of race and ethnicity in plea bargaining decisions
• The use of risk assessment tools in juvenile justice
• The effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy in correctional facilities
• The impact of restorative justice on the victims of crime
• The relationship between gun laws and gun violence rates
• The effectiveness of pretrial diversion programs for individuals with mental illnesses
• The role of reentry programs in reducing recidivism
• The impact of mandatory arrest policies in domestic violence cases
• The use of polygraph tests in criminal investigations
• The relationship between gang membership and criminal behavior
• The effectiveness of drug treatment courts in reducing recidivism
• The impact of solitary confinement on mental health and behavior
• The role of gun buyback programs in reducing gun violence
• The relationship between substance abuse and child abuse
• The effectiveness of victim impact panels in reducing drunk driving
• The impact of juvenile detention on mental health and behavior
• The use of forensic science in criminal investigations
• The relationship between race and wrongful convictions
• The effectiveness of prison education programs in reducing recidivism
• The impact of police militarization on community trust and safety
• The relationship between race, ethnicity, and police use of force.
• The impact of mandatory minimum sentencing laws on incarceration rates.
• The effectiveness of community policing in reducing crime rates.
• The relationship between mental illness and criminal behavior.
• The role of gender in criminal justice sentencing and outcomes.
• The impact of the war on drugs on incarceration rates and drug use.
• The effectiveness of restorative justice programs in reducing recidivism.
• The impact of solitary confinement on mental health and rehabilitation.
• The relationship between poverty and crime rates.
• The role of technology in modern policing and criminal justice.
• The effectiveness of drug courts in reducing drug-related crime.
• The relationship between immigration and crime rates.
• The impact of mandatory arrest policies in cases of domestic violence.
• The effectiveness of victim-offender mediation in reducing recidivism.
• The role of social media in modern crime and policing.
• The impact of police militarization on community trust and safety.
• The effectiveness of rehabilitation programs for incarcerated individuals.
• The relationship between gun ownership and violent crime.
• The impact of wrongful convictions on individuals and the criminal justice system.
• The role of race and ethnicity in jury selection and decision-making.
• The effectiveness of mental health courts in reducing recidivism.
• The relationship between education and crime rates.
• The impact of body-worn cameras on police officer behavior and decision-making.
• The effectiveness of drug treatment programs in reducing recidivism.
• The relationship between domestic violence and gun ownership.
• The impact of the death penalty on deterrence and sentencing outcomes.
• The role of implicit bias in policing and criminal justice decision-making.
• The effectiveness of community-based reentry programs for formerly incarcerated individuals.
• The relationship between crime rates and social inequality.
• The impact of predictive policing on crime rates and community trust.
• The effectiveness of probation and parole programs in reducing recidivism.
• The relationship between mental health and policing.
• The impact of police unions on police accountability and reform efforts.
• The role of the media in shaping public perceptions of crime and justice.
• The effectiveness of pretrial diversion programs in reducing incarceration rates.
• The relationship between police use of force and police training.
• The impact of mandatory minimum drug sentences on racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
• The effectiveness of juvenile detention alternatives in reducing recidivism.
• The relationship between mass incarceration and economic inequality.
• The impact of police body language on civilian compliance.
• The role of community organizations in crime prevention and intervention.
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for people with disabilities.
• The relationship between mental health and criminal justice reform.
• The impact of immigration policies on community safety and trust.
• The role of prosecutorial discretion in the criminal justice system.
• The effectiveness of job training programs for formerly incarcerated individuals.
• The relationship between race and drug policy.
• The impact of pretrial detention on case outcomes and incarceration rates.
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for offenders with mental health issues
• The prevalence and impact of police corruption and the challenges of rooting it out
• The role of victim impact statements in the criminal justice system and their impact on sentencing
• The impact of social inequality on crime rates and the criminal justice system
• The role of political ideology in shaping criminal justice policy and practice
• The effectiveness of rehabilitation and reentry programs for adult offenders
• The prevalence and impact of sexual harassment and assault within the criminal justice system
• The role of the Fourth Amendment in regulating police searches and seizures
• The effectiveness of restorative justice practices in addressing campus sexual assault
• The impact of mass incarceration on families and communities
• The ethics and implications of using artificial intelligence in criminal justice decision-making
• The role of bail reform in promoting justice and reducing pretrial detention
• The prevalence and impact of police misconduct and accountability mechanisms
• The effectiveness of drug policy reform in reducing drug-related harm and promoting public health
• The impact of globalization on transnational crimes and the challenges of international cooperation
• The role of prosecutorial discretion in shaping criminal justice outcomes
• The prevalence and impact of white-collar crime and the challenges of prosecution
• The role of public defenders in ensuring access to justice for indigent defendants
• The effectiveness of mental health courts in diverting mentally ill offenders from the criminal justice system
• The impact of the criminal justice system on immigrant communities and the challenges of immigrant detention and deportation
• The role of forgiveness in restorative justice and its implications for healing and reconciliation
• The effectiveness of alternative dispute resolution in reducing court congestion and promoting justice
• The prevalence and impact of hate speech and the challenges of regulating it
• The role of public opinion in shaping criminal justice policy and practice
• The effectiveness of community supervision in reducing recidivism and promoting reentry
• The impact of the criminalization of homelessness on vulnerable populations
• The role of community activism and advocacy in promoting criminal justice reform
• The effectiveness of therapeutic jurisprudence in promoting rehabilitation and well-being
• The prevalence and impact of police militarization and its implications for public safety and civil liberties
• The role of eyewitness identification procedures in criminal investigations and the reliability of identification evidence
• The effectiveness of harm reduction strategies in reducing drug-related harm and promoting public health
• The impact of the criminal justice system on Indigenous communities and the challenges of decolonizing justice
• The role of hate crime legislation in promoting justice and reducing hate-motivated violence
• The effectiveness of police training programs in reducing racial and ethnic bias and promoting cultural competence
• The prevalence and impact of gun violence and the challenges of gun control policy
• The role of the Eighth Amendment in regulating cruel and unusual punishment
• The effectiveness of problem-solving courts in addressing complex social issues and promoting justice
• The impact of the criminal justice system on LGBTQ+ communities and the challenges of achieving equality and inclusivity
• The role of victim services in promoting healing and well-being for crime victims
• The effectiveness of drug testing and monitoring programs in promoting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism
• The prevalence and impact of prison gangs and the challenges of managing them
• The role of implicit bias in eyewitness identification and the implications for justice
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for offenders with substance abuse issues
• The impact of social media on crime reporting and law enforcement
• The role of mental health diversion programs in reducing mass incarceration and promoting treatment
• The prevalence and impact of wrongful convictions of innocent people and the challenges of exoneration
• The relationship between immigration and crime rates
• The impact of drug courts on drug-related offenses and recidivism rates
• The use of restorative justice practices in the criminal justice system
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for people released from prison
• The use of polygraph tests in criminal investigations and court proceedings
• The impact of bail amounts on pretrial detention and case outcomes
• The relationship between gun ownership and crime rates
• The effectiveness of mental health screening and assessment for individuals involved in the criminal justice system
• The use of virtual courtrooms in criminal proceedings
• The impact of juvenile detention on mental health and future criminal behavior
• The relationship between poverty and crime rates
• The use of eyewitness identification procedures in criminal investigations and court proceedings
• The effectiveness of community service programs as a sentencing alternative
• The role of racial profiling in law enforcement practices
• The use of risk assessment tools in sentencing and parole decisions
• The impact of mandatory reporting laws on child abuse and neglect cases
• The relationship between parental incarceration and children’s wellbeing
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for drug-related offenses
• The use of cognitive-behavioral therapy in offender rehabilitation programs
• The impact of solitary confinement on mental health and recidivism rates
• The relationship between social capital and crime rates
• The use of DNA evidence in criminal investigations and court proceedings
• The effectiveness of crisis response teams in reducing police use of force incidents
• The role of race and ethnicity in jury selection and decision-making
• The impact of court fines and fees on individuals involved in the criminal justice system
• The relationship between education and crime rates
• The use of risk assessment tools in domestic violence cases
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for individuals with substance use disorders
• The impact of court-appointed attorneys on case outcomes and access to justice
• The role of victim impact statements in sentencing decisions
• The use of mental health courts for individuals with co-occurring disorders
• The effectiveness of court-mandated treatment programs for drug offenders
• The impact of gender on the sentencing and treatment of offenders
• The relationship between drug policy and crime rates
• The use of forensic psychology in criminal investigations and court proceedings
• The effectiveness of cognitive interviewing techniques in witness testimony
• The impact of the media on public perceptions of the criminal justice system
• The relationship between neighborhood characteristics and crime rates
• The use of body-worn cameras in police-community interactions
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities
• The impact of mandatory minimum sentences on sentencing disparities
• The role of mental health providers in prisons and jails
• The use of civil asset forfeiture in law enforcement practices
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for individuals with mental illness involved in the criminal justice system
• The impact of police militarization on community trust and police accountability
• The relationship between unemployment and crime rates
• The use of artificial intelligence in identifying and preventing human trafficking
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for individuals with traumatic brain injuries
• The impact of community-based alternatives to policing on public safety and crime rates.
• The impact of the militarization of police on community relations
• The effectiveness of restorative justice practices in reducing recidivism
• The relationship between socioeconomic status and juvenile delinquency
• The impact of police department culture on officer behavior
• The role of community courts in addressing low-level offenses
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for people who were formerly incarcerated
• The impact of body-worn cameras on police officer behavior and community perceptions
• The relationship between mental illness and police use of force
• The use of neuroscience in criminal sentencing
• The effectiveness of gun control policies in reducing gun violence
• The role of alternative dispute resolution in the criminal justice system
• The use of biometrics in criminal investigations
• The effectiveness of gang prevention and intervention programs
• The impact of domestic violence on employment and economic stability
• The use of artificial intelligence in criminal investigations and sentencing
• The role of implicit bias in eyewitness identification
• The use of drug courts in addressing drug addiction and drug-related crimes
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for juvenile offenders
• The impact of social media on crime and victimization
• The relationship between mental health and incarceration of women
• The use of surveillance technologies in correctional facilities
• The effectiveness of victim-offender mediation programs
• The impact of prosecutorial discretion on plea bargaining outcomes
• The role of mental health assessments in competency to stand trial determinations
• The use of biographical information in criminal investigations
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for people with mental illness
• The impact of police body language on community perceptions
• The relationship between criminal justice policies and racial disparities in healthcare
• The use of geospatial analysis in predicting crime patterns
• The effectiveness of community service programs in reducing recidivism
• The impact of court fines and fees on people with low incomes
• The role of neuroscience in detecting deception
• The use of technology in victim advocacy and support services
• The effectiveness of juvenile justice diversion programs for LGBTQ+ youth
• The impact of parental incarceration on children and families
• The relationship between race and juvenile justice system involvement
• The use of facial recognition technology in correctional facilities
• The effectiveness of community-based mental health services in reducing incarceration rates
• The impact of prison labor on employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated people
• The role of community-based restorative justice in addressing hate crimes
• The use of predictive analytics in child welfare investigations
• The effectiveness of alternative sentencing programs for drug-related offenses
• The impact of immigration enforcement policies on crime reporting in immigrant communities
• The relationship between implicit bias and jury decision-making
• The use of technology in improving language access in the criminal justice system.
• The impact of police body language on citizen perceptions and trust
• The effectiveness of police academy training on officer decision-making in high-pressure situations
• The role of technology in the spread of human trafficking
• The relationship between mental health and probation and parole revocation rates
• The use of community courts in addressing quality of life offenses
• The effectiveness of prisoner reentry programs on family reunification and support systems
• The impact of public defender caseloads on the quality of legal representation
• The role of implicit bias in jury selection and decision-making
• The use of diversion programs for juveniles involved in prostitution
• The effectiveness of community supervision programs for offenders with serious mental illness
• The impact of immigration enforcement policies on the criminal justice system
• The relationship between recidivism rates and prison education and vocational programs
• The use of body-worn cameras in prison settings
• The effectiveness of alternative dispute resolution in reducing court congestion
• The impact of prison labor on reentry and recidivism rates
• The role of risk assessment tools in parole and probation decision-making
• The effectiveness of drug courts in addressing substance abuse and recidivism
• The impact of solitary confinement on mental health and behavior in prison
• The relationship between domestic violence and firearm possession
• The use of mental health diversion programs for veterans involved in the criminal justice system
• The effectiveness of juvenile drug court programs on reducing recidivism
• The impact of private prisons on inmate rehabilitation and public safety
• The role of implicit bias in pretrial detention decisions
• The use of GPS monitoring in pretrial release and probation supervision
• The effectiveness of offender education and job training programs in reducing recidivism
• The impact of collateral consequences on reentry and recidivism rates
• The use of crisis intervention teams in responding to mental health emergencies
• The effectiveness of community-based alternatives to detention for juveniles
• The role of public opinion in shaping criminal justice policy
• The effectiveness of police body-worn cameras in reducing police misconduct and excessive use of force
• The impact of incarceration on family dynamics and relationships
• The relationship between access to legal representation and case outcomes
• The use of community supervision and support programs for individuals with substance use disorders
• The impact of pretrial detention on case outcomes and recidivism rates
• The role of prosecutorial discretion in plea bargaining and sentencing
• The use of facial recognition technology in criminal investigations and surveillance
• The effectiveness of problem-solving courts in addressing specialized criminal cases
• The impact of prison privatization on inmate rights and access to services
• The relationship between race, gender, and criminal justice outcomes
• The use of mental health courts in diversion programs
• The effectiveness of community policing strategies in building trust and reducing crime rates
• The impact of police militarization on community perceptions and police-citizen interactions
• The role of forensic evidence in criminal investigations and court proceedings
• The use of artificial intelligence in predicting criminal behavior and recidivism.
• The use of restorative justice in the criminal justice system
• The impact of police militarization on community policing efforts
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for individuals with substance use disorders
• The relationship between economic inequality and crime rates
• The use of artificial intelligence in pretrial risk assessment
• The impact of mandatory minimum sentences on non-violent drug offenses
• The impact of the War on Drugs on communities of color
• The relationship between mental health and probation violations
• The effectiveness of drug courts in reducing recidivism rates
• The role of eyewitness testimony in wrongful convictions
• The use of facial recognition technology in criminal investigations and prosecutions
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for juvenile offenders
• The impact of probation and parole supervision on recidivism rates
• The relationship between police use of force and mental health disorders
• The use of predictive analytics in criminal sentencing
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for individuals with mental illness
• The impact of bail systems on low-income individuals and communities
• The role of implicit bias in sentencing decisions
• The use of social media in criminal investigations
• The impact of mandatory sentencing on judicial discretion
• The relationship between drug addiction and property crime
• The use of predictive analytics in risk assessment for pretrial release
• The effectiveness of substance abuse treatment programs in correctional facilities
• The impact of police body-worn cameras on police-citizen interactions
• The role of forensic evidence in wrongful convictions
• The use of drones in border patrol and immigration enforcement
• The effectiveness of community supervision programs for individuals with mental illness
• The impact of mandatory sentencing on the prison population and corrections costs
• The relationship between gang activity and violent crime
• The use of artificial intelligence in criminal investigations and evidence collection
• The effectiveness of juvenile diversion programs for first-time offenders
• The impact of prosecutorial misconduct on wrongful convictions
• The role of implicit bias in police use of force incidents
• The use of risk assessment tools in pretrial detention decisions for juvenile defendants
• The effectiveness of prison education programs in reducing recidivism rates
• The impact of racial profiling on policing practices and community trust
• The relationship between homelessness and criminal behavior
• The use of predictive analytics in identifying and preventing cybercrime
• The effectiveness of mental health treatment programs for incarcerated individuals
• The impact of the school-to-prison pipeline on students of color
• The role of community-based programs in reducing crime rates and recidivism
• The use of neuroscience in criminal investigations and sentencing decisions
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for individuals with co-occurring disorders
• The impact of solitary confinement on mental health and recidivism rates.
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for offenders with substance use disorders
• The impact of judicial discretion on sentencing outcomes
• The relationship between access to legal representation and sentencing disparities
• The use of body-worn cameras in reducing police misconduct and brutality
• The impact of bail practices on pretrial detention and racial disparities
• The relationship between police unions and police accountability
• The effectiveness of community supervision in reducing recidivism
• The impact of solitary confinement on mental health outcomes for inmates
• The relationship between criminal justice policies and racial wealth inequality
• The use of risk assessment tools in sentencing decisions
• The effectiveness of mandatory minimum sentences in reducing crime rates
• The impact of victim impact statements on sentencing outcomes
• The relationship between criminal justice policies and environmental justice
• The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) in law enforcement
• The effectiveness of juvenile justice diversion programs for at-risk youth
• The impact of police militarization on community relations
• The relationship between immigration enforcement and public safety
• The use of artificial intelligence in predicting recidivism risk
• The effectiveness of police training on de-escalation tactics
• The relationship between the criminal justice system and income inequality
• The use of geographic profiling in criminal investigations
• The effectiveness of mental health courts in reducing incarceration rates
• The impact of mandatory arrest policies on domestic violence victims
• The relationship between criminal justice policies and public health outcomes
• The use of body-worn cameras in reducing false accusations against police officers
• The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing domestic violence recidivism
• The impact of race and ethnicity on police use of force during traffic stops
• The use of predictive analytics in parole and probation revocation decisions
• The effectiveness of offender treatment programs for intimate partner violence offenders
• The impact of prison education programs on post-release employment and recidivism
• The relationship between prison labor and modern-day slavery
• The use of predictive modeling to prevent child abuse and neglect
• The effectiveness of community courts in reducing recidivism rates
• The impact of community-based organizations on crime prevention
• The relationship between mental health and substance use disorders in the criminal justice system
• The use of mobile forensic technology in criminal investigations
• The effectiveness of gender-responsive programming in reducing female recidivism rates
• The impact of anti-immigrant sentiment on policing in immigrant communities
• The relationship between police legitimacy and public trust
• The use of data analytics in law enforcement resource allocation
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for people with disabilities
• The impact of police misconduct on wrongful convictions
• The relationship between restorative justice and school discipline
• The use of location tracking technology in the criminal justice system
• The effectiveness of anti-bias training for law enforcement officers
• The impact of drug decriminalization on public safety and health.

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100 Amazing Criminal Justice Research Topics 2023

To score the top grades, students must choose the right criminal justice research topics for their papers and essays. Writing assignments in this academic field deal with justice and crime. However, the study field of a learner can be limited to specific academic barriers and choices. Criminal justice is a science. Nevertheless, criminal justice is generally a science that focuses on the study, analysis of the occurrence, and prevention of illegal acts.

But, what are some criminal justice topics that learners can consider? Well, students can select criminal justice topics for their papers by focusing on definite issues.

Criminal justice topics are limited and flexible because they offer hypotheses. However, criminal justice paper topics should be based on case studies or legislative acts. Additionally, students should be confident in terms of their ability to research and write about their chosen topics.

So, are still asking, what are some good criminal justice research topics? If yes, here are some of the great criminal justice research paper topics to consider.

Basic Criminal Justice Research Topics

Perhaps, your educator asked you to write an original paper. In that case, consider standard or basic research topics in criminal justice. Here are examples of such topics.

• What are the major problems in prison systems?
• What are the major crime prevention principles?
• Discuss the deterrence and rational option theory
• How does the law punish workplace and school sexual offenders?
• Why is capital punishment common among men than women?
• What are the most common features for ransom and kidnapping cases- Consider behavior style and motifs
• Explain the cybercrime’s legal perspective
• Crime prevention- What are the major principles?
• How to determine whether a person fired off accidentally or deliberately
• How are crime, justice, and mass media related?
• What is experimental criminology?
• Discuss Miranda vs. Arizona and its effect today
• What are victim services?
• Discuss juvenile recidivism
• A review of parental abduction laws
• How to prevent wildlife crime
• What is felon disenfranchisement?
• Describe the functions of forensic science
• How effective are witness protection programs?
• How do criminal cases differ from civil cases?

If you wish to write a simple paper, consider some ideas from this list of basic criminal justice topics. Nevertheless, make sure that you’re comfortable researching and writing about the topic that you choose.

Controversial Topics in Criminal Justice

Maybe you want to write a paper on a controversial topic. In that case, consider any of these criminal justice controversial topics.

• Major causes of college violence
• Biased investigations of African Americans
• Punishment versus reform- Which one is more beneficial?
• How good is a restorative justice model as a tool for criminal justice
• Should an insane person be exempted from liability?
• Is school-based drug testing ideal for colleges and high schools
• Is the current judicial system racial?
• What is the correlation between crime and race?
• How is juvenile delinquency related to bad parenting?
• Can prisons be decongested by restrictive housing?
• How can people protect themselves from false accusations?
• Should the names of sex offenders be included in public records?
• What causes controversy about prostitution legalization?
• How is crime linked to the social class of a person?
• Selective incapacitation- Is it effective as a crime reduction policy?
• How can eyewitness testimony facilitate crime investigation?
• How effective is community policing as a program for reducing homegrown crimes?
• How effective are youthful offenders’ boot camps?
• Should pornography be categorized as a form of sexual violence?
• How can the state enhance gun control?

This category has some of the best argumentative topics. That’s because somebody can argue from different angles when discussing some of these topics. Nevertheless, extensive research is required to compose solid papers on these topics.

Criminal Justice Debate Topics

Maybe you want to write about a debate topic. This category has some of the best topics to talk about in criminal justice. That’s because they mostly involve current issues that concern most people. Some of them are about problems whose solutions have not been found yet. Here are examples of topics in this category.

• How effective and fair is the death penalty as a way of deterring crime?
• How fair is the extradition law?
• Should deceit and trickery be used for interrogations and investigations?
• Should cooperation with informants in prisons be acceptable?
• Death penalty for juveniles- Should it be used?
• How effective are super-max prisons?
• Super-max prisons are cruel
• How can police shootings be justified?
• Drunk drivers’ punishment- Should it be severe?
• How effective e is zero-tolerance when it comes to crime reduction?
• Should criminal charges attract mandatory imprisonment without a possibility for parole?
• Should shaming become an element of criminal punishment?
• How are civil liberties threatened by the Patriot Act?
• Should the Rights Amendment for a victim be added to the constitution?
• Should plea bargaining be considered an acceptable means of settling criminal cases?
• American society needs more laws to prevent the cruelty meted on animals
• How humane is the U.S society?
• Discuss the Susan Wright trial
• What is political corruption?
• Discuss the Marbury versus Madison Case

Criminal Justice Research Proposal Topics

What are some good research topics for criminal justice that will get you the necessary funding? You’re likely to ask this question when writing a proposal for your research. Here are some of the best research proposal topics to consider in criminal justice.

• How does crime relate to aggression?
• Mental health problems like depression and the internet
• How mental health relate to violence
• Use of violence and torture towards criminals
• Invalidity or validity of Rational Choice theory
• Crime and violence- Are they nurtured or products of nature?
• Major trends in criminology
• Crime and dysfunctional families
• Basis, theories, and limitations of feminist criminology
• How crime occurrence can be reduced by the examination of criminal behavior

Juvenile Justice Paper Topics

Perhaps, you need juvenile topics in criminal justice for your academic papers. In that case, consider criminal justice paper topics, prepared by our writing professionals.

• Do children deserve the same trial with adults?
• Rehabilitation of children involved in violent crimes
• Should children and adults have the same prisons?
• Can juveniles be socio-paths?
• Should house arrest be granted to juvenile offenders that do not engage in violent crimes?
• What are the best solutions for teens that keep committing crimes?
• How can the criminal justice system deal with frequent juvenile offenders?
• Is punitive juvenile justice effective?
• How rampant is juvenile victimization?
• How effective are school-based juvenile programs for preventing crime?

International Topics Dealing with Criminal Justice

Several criminal justice issue topics can be addressed at an international level. Here are examples of such topics.

• How are international offenders treated currently?
• NATO ethics in Afghanistan and Iraq
• Violations of human rights in Uganda
• International intervention- When is it acceptable?
• Information accessibility and police cooperation at an international level
• Methods used by criminals to traffic drugs
• Analysis of an international criminal justice tribunal
• What the appeal process for the international criminal court?
• Discuss the issue of child soldiers during the Israel-Palestine conflict
• Discuss the XYZ Corporation’s transnational crimes

Criminal Justice Thesis Topics

A thesis topic should be interesting and relevant. If struggling to come up with a topic for your thesis, consider these samples for inspiration.

• Why do some offenders become criminals after servicing their sentences?
• How can legislation change the delinquency and violence levels in the U.S concerning drug use?
• How can wrong convictions be prevented?
• How do people influence the making of decisions of public policies about the criminal justice system?
• How accurately do television, novels, and movies depict a country’s criminal justice system?
• Does a criminal deserve cruel treatment and unlawful use of force by law enforcers?
• How effective are strategies for stopping or determining criminal behavior?
• How can the reentry of an offender to society be made seamless?
• Should law enforcers wear cameras?
• How effective and accessible is the judicial system?

In addition to these ideas, you can choose criminal justice reform topics or criminal justice ethic topics. Nevertheless, choose only topics you find interesting and comfortable working on.

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NIJ FY24 Field-Initiated Action Research Partnerships

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With this solicitation, NIJ seeks research partnership proposals that meet the needs and missions of local justice and service provider entities — including police, corrections, courts, victim services, forensic science service providers, and community safety and adult and juvenile justice entities — and the communities they serve. These partnerships should apply a data-driven, problem-solving approach to challenges prioritized by agency partners; identify actionable and measurable responses; implement changes; and employ an action research evaluation approach to assessing the impact of interventions on desired outcomes that emphasizes scientific rigor and meaningful stakeholder engagement. These partnerships should also focus on developing the entity’s capacity to adopt data-driven, problem-solving approaches to sustain effective practices and ongoing improvement in relevant safety and justice outcomes.

Similar Opportunities

• NIJ FY24 W.E.B. Du Bois Program of Research on Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Justice System
• NIJ FY24 Research and Evaluation for the Testing and Interpretation of Physical Evidence in Publicly Funded Forensic Laboratories
• NIJ FY24 Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes