Misdemeanor Justice Project: A Mixed Methods Approach to Understanding Low Level Offenses in New York City

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

This panel will focus on results from the Misdemeanor Justice Project (MJP) in New York City. The MJP seeks to understand the enforcement and processing of low-level offenses and strives to provide an empirical framework to data-driven policy initiatives at local, state, and national levels. The first paper will examine whether demographic characteristics impact disposition outcomes for misdemeanor arrests and how this has changed over time. The second paper will draw on in-depth interviews with court officials and retired police officers who discuss managing the challenges of high-volume low level offenses. The third paper will focus on volume and outcomes of pedestrian stops among young people (11 to 18 year-olds). The last paper will draw on data from focus groups with adults and young men of color who reside in communities with high levels of policing activity. The analysis will highlight the fear and distrust of police officers among community members with high volume policing. Taken together, these papers highlight the need to focus empirical research on low-level offending, enforcement practices, and case processing. This panel further highlights that such high-volume activities are at the core of police-community relationships and thus merit greater attention.

Sub Unit

• Area VIII: Policing / 54: Police, Communities, and Legitimacy

Individual Presentations

• The effects of race/ethnicity, age, and gender on disposition of misdemeanor arrests in New York City - Ervin Balazon, John Jay College of Criminal Justice; Todd Warner, John Jay College of Criminal Justice; Megan Welsh, San Diego State University; Preeti Chauhan, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Trends in misdemeanor enforcement and case processing in New York City: The perspectives of court officials and retired police officers - Megan Welsh, San Diego State University; Carla Barrett, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Policing youth: Trends in pedestrian stops for children and adolescents in New York City - Olive Lu, John Jay College of Criminal Justice / CUNY Graduate Center; Adam Fera, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Community residents’ narratives of violence, safety, and low-level enforcement - Carla Barrett, John Jay College of Criminal Justice; Megan Welsh, San Diego State University

Chair

• Preeti Chauhan, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Discussant

• Jeremy Travis, John Jay College of Criminal Justice