Through
4/26
In a Q&A, criminologist Richard Berk discusses why definitions matter and what role social media and mental illness play in this context.
Richard Berk, professor of criminology and statistics and chair of the Department of Criminology, taps into perpetrator patterns to forecast crime.
The Penn Program on Documentaries and the Law has produced a new documentary that exposes the discriminatory impact of a provision of the Pennsylvania Victims Assistance Compensation Program law that denies assistance to victims who contribute, or are suspected of contributing, to their own death or injury.
The program, run by the Ortner Center’s Kathleen M. Brown with support from Penn student volunteers and the Quattrone Center, works to secure the release of reformed prisoners serving life sentences.
The Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice and city agencies have joined together in a partnership that seeks to improve the fairness and accuracy of the criminal justice system.
Over a five-year period, most guns found in states with strict gun laws were obtained from less restrictive states.
Penn Law faculty weigh in on the passage of the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill that modifies sentencing laws, expands job training, and takes additional steps intended to reduce recidivism and create a fairer and less costly criminal justice system.
Regina Austin, Penn Law’s William A. Schnader Professor of Law, has authored a new paper offering a behind-the-scenes account of producing a documentary calling for commuting life sentences for prisoners in Pennsylvania.
The landmark 1994 legislation—the Violence Against Women Act—is up for reauthorization, and includes a firearm-related provision.
Researchers at RAND and Penn Law School find that by adopting an innovative holistic approach to defending poor clients in criminal cases, jurisdictions can significantly reduce incarceration and save taxpayer dollars without harming public safety.
An analysis released by the Crime and Justice Policy Lab at the School of Arts & Sciences suggests that a group violence reduction strategy drove a 2022 drop in shootings in Baltimore’s Western District.
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Research by Sandra Mayson of Penn Carey Law, Aurelie Ouss of the School of Arts & Sciences, and doctoral candidate Linsday Graef finds that Philadelphia police officers failed to appear in 31% of cases for which they were subpoenaed between 2010 and 2020.
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A study in collaboration with Aaron Chalfin of the School of Arts & Sciences indicates that overdose prevention centers do not lead to increased neighborhood crime rates.
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A $3 million blight reduction project in Philadelphia is informed by Penn research showing that cleaning up trash and revitalizing vacant lots can reduce gun violence rates by as much as 29%.
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Marie Gottschalk of the School of Arts & Sciences says that prison reforms to reduce the number of people incarcerated have been minimal.
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A 2021 Penn analysis of all complaints across the Chicago Police Department revealed that on average, officers generated 1.5 total complaints and 0.2 use of force complaints in a five-year period.
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