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Game-changing approach to a better U.S. criminal justice system
Four people sit on stage for a panel discussion on opportunity zones.

Game-changing approach to a better U.S. criminal justice system

Through its emphasis on data-driven, systemic solutions to errors afflicting the criminal justice system, the Law School’s Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice has become a national leader in reform efforts.
What is a ‘mass shooting’ and how do we talk about gun violence?
A person standing at the foot of a set of outdoor stairs, with a brick wall behind and fencing atop the stairs.

Richard Berk, professor of criminology and statistics. (Image: Eric Sucar)

What is a ‘mass shooting’ and how do we talk about gun violence?

In a Q&A, criminologist Richard Berk discusses why definitions matter and what role social media and mental illness play in this context.

Michele W. Berger

Preventative measures against mass violence
young child kneeling on ground lighting a candle surrounded by heart balloons at night, at a vigil for a mass shooting.

Preventative measures against mass violence

Richard Berk, professor of criminology and statistics and chair of the Department of Criminology, taps into perpetrator patterns to forecast crime.

Penn Today Staff

Documentary shows discriminatory impact of state legal assistance provision
A person with arms raised wearing a backpack at night faces the headlights of a vehicle on a city street.

Documentary shows discriminatory impact of state legal assistance provision

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.

Penn Today Staff

Heat waves precipitate more crimes in poor areas, study in L.A. finds
The Wall Street Journal

Heat waves precipitate more crimes in poor areas, study in L.A. finds

John MacDonald of the School of Arts and Sciences discussed the effects of heat waves on crime rates in low-income neighborhoods. “From a policy perspective, I think it’s pretty clear that when there is a heat wave, there should be more attention to not just where the police are devoted, but also where community crime prevention resources can be put in place,” he said.

For incarcerated women, From Cell to Home offers a second chance
Open prison door with sunlight coming in and outside city in background

For incarcerated women, From Cell to Home offers a second chance

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.

Michele W. Berger

Economists conducted a $5 million experiment to (literally) shed light on crime
The Washington Post

Economists conducted a $5 million experiment to (literally) shed light on crime

Aaron Chalfin of the School of Arts and Science co-led a study that found installing bright lights near public-housing developments in New York City reduced nighttime crime by as much as a 59%, the equivalent to a 10% increase in police presence. The results suggest that improved living conditions may more effectively reduce crime than increased policing.