Has Science-Based Criminal Justice Taken Hold? The View from Washington and the Field

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

For a decade or more, criminologists and practitioners have been talking about improving the science in criminal justice practices -- using scientific evidence in adopting reforms and scuttling practices that don't work. The U.S. Justice Department embraced this principle during the Obama administration. Now that we're well into a new presidency and personnel changes at many government levels throughout the nation, how much are U.S. criminal justice practices really reliant on proved techniques? What areas could stand the most improvement?

Sub Unit

• Area VII. Criminal Justice Policy and Practice / 32. Considering Criminal Justice Policies

Chairs

• Ted Gest, Criminal Justice Jounalists

• Laurie Robinson, Clarence J. Robinson Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University, Co-Chair of the White House Task Force on 21St Century Policing and Assistant Attorney General

Discussants

• Edward P. Mulvey, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

• Thomas Nestel III, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Transit Police

• Gil Kerlikowske, Northeastern University

• David Muhlhausen, National Institute of Justice