9/22
Michele W. Berger
Senior Science News Officer
mwberger@upenn.edu
Criminology
Crime and the scientific method
Crime and the scientific method
The multidisciplinary faculty in the Department of Criminology harness diverse methodologies to improve public safety and inform policy and planning.
Well water, lead, and the link to juvenile delinquency
Well water, lead, and the link to juvenile delinquency
Research from Penn and other universities found that, compared to children with municipal water, those relying on private wells in the U.S. had a 21% higher risk of being reported for any delinquency and a 38% increased risk of being reported for serious delinquency after age 14.
Diversion programs reduce criminal justice system footprint
Diversion programs reduce criminal justice system footprint
Research from Penn criminologists and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office found that such programs increase expungement rates and lower reconviction rates, leading to a net-narrowing effect overall.
Who’s at greatest risk to encounter the criminal legal system in the U.S.?
Who’s at greatest risk to encounter the criminal legal system in the U.S.?
New work from Penn, Princeton, and Washington University in St. Louis finds that for young people of color, contact with the system begins early and is incredibly widespread.
When police forces grow, homicides drop and low-level arrests increase
When police forces grow, homicides drop and low-level arrests increase
Research from Penn criminologist Aaron Chalfin and others found that an additional 10 to 17 officers prevented one homicide annually, but each extra officer added up to 22 arrests for crimes like drug possession.
The role of progressive prosecutors in the criminal justice reform movement
The role of progressive prosecutors in the criminal justice reform movement
Using Philadelphia as a microcosm, a new law course will analyze the emerging trend of progressive prosecutors’ offices and discuss how their strategies fit into a larger movement for criminal justice reform.
The story of immigration enforcement
The story of immigration enforcement
In an award-winning paper, criminologist Aaron Chalfin examines the public safety implications of labor market-based immigration enforcement.
COVID-19, protests, and crime
COVID-19, protests, and crime
During a summer internship with the Law School’s David Abrams, rising sophomores Caroline Li and David Feng looked at how the COVID-19 pandemic and last summer’s racial justice protests affected America’s crime rate.
Hope and help for wrongfully incarcerated Pennsylvanians
Hope and help for wrongfully incarcerated Pennsylvanians
With Project HOPE, President’s Engagement Prize winners Carson Eckhard, Natalia Rommen, and Sarah Simon will address the lack of support to wrongfully incarcerated people in Philadelphia and across the state.
Medication access for opioid use disorder lower among those in criminal justice system
Medication access for opioid use disorder lower among those in criminal justice system
Penn Medicine research finds Medicaid expansion helps increase access to medications for opioid use disorder, but limitations exist to broadening access.
Media Contact
In the News
Reuters
Laws restricting right to film police prove to be a waste of time
Seth Kreimer of Penn Carey Law is quoted on the accompaniment of cellphone camera technology by cases of police prosecuting critics who recorded them.
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Pennsylvania Capital Star
Philly DA Krasner not alone among progressive prosecutors fighting GOP attacks
John Holloway of Penn Carey Law’s Quattrone Center says that blaming prosecutor Larry Krasner for Philadelphia’s high trends in gun crime is too simplistic.
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USA Today
Livestreamed violence compounds America’s horror and inspires copycats, experts say. When will it stop?
PIK Professor Desmond Upton Patton says that the digital trail of evidence left by violent criminals needs study, resources, and intervention to avoid exacerbating community trauma and damaging mental health, especially for people of color.
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Texas Standard
Harris County’s bail reform efforts aren’t making crime worse, study shows
In a Q&A, Paul Heaton of Penn Carey Law explains the findings of his study on 2017 misdemeanor bail reform, ranging from its current impact to its long-term potential as an example for further reform.
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Houston Chronicle
Report: Fewer misdemeanor defendants reoffended in Harris County after bail reform injunction
According to Paul Heaton of Penn Carey Law, Harris County’s reforms show that misdemeanor bail reform can lead to less costly punishment for defendants and taxpayers rather than increasing crime.
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WITF.org
Philly students talk about ending gun violence
A study by Eugenia South of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues shows that low-income Philadelphia neighborhoods which received city-funded housing repairs saw a 21% reduction in crime.
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