Criminology | Penn Today

Knowable Magazine

Rethinking prison as a deterrent to future crime

Charles Loeffler of the School of Arts & Sciences comments on how spending time in prison or jail doesn’t lower the risk that someone will offend again.

The Washington Post

The staggering scope of U.S. gun deaths goes far beyond mass shootings

Richard Berk of the School of Arts & Sciences comments on how the frequency of nonfatal shootings and firearm deaths has become a uniquely American phenomenon.

National Catholic Reporter

Abuse survivors praise Supreme Court for declining to review California’s Child Victims Act

Marci Hamilton of the School of Arts and Sciences comments on how victim advocates were not surprised by a Supreme Court decision on California’s Child Victims Act but that it sends a message to the church.

Axios

Mass shooters are getting younger

The mass-shootings work of Richard Berk of the School of Arts & Sciences is cited.

A tall clear glass of water filled almost to the top on a dark-colored countertop. Nature is obvious but blurred in the background.

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.

A wooden elevated path in the woods with two choices for directions to take.

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.

NJ.com

How we tracked the pay of 24,000 cops

Aaron Chalfin of the School of Arts & Sciences said a new project documenting police pay in New Jersey contains “some pretty incredible data.”

A person wearing a hoodie and a backpack, hands up, in front of headlights shining in the person's direction.

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.

The Washington Post

The white DA, the Black ex-mayor and a harsh debate on crime

Aaron Chalfin of the School of Arts & Sciences said the pandemic created conditions that may have exacerbated violent crime rates. “It’s like a perfect storm — schools close, community centers close, there’s all this hardship and stress and uncertainty,” he said.

6ABC.com

Can green spaces help curb Philly's gun violence problem?

John MacDonald of the School of Arts & Sciences was interviewed about curbing gun violence in Philadelphia by cleaning up neighborhoods and planting trees. “The built environment of places shapes crime. When areas are clean, where there’s less trash, where there’s less physical disorder, residents are more likely to engage with each other,” he said.

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