Making Social Justice Non-Negotiable in Crime Prevention Policy and Practice

• In Event: Crime Prevention for Social Impact and Social Justice I

Abstract

The evidence-base on crime prevention programs and policies has grown significantly over the past two decades. Despite increased attention to various crime preventions approaches (e.g., developmental and community) and their contexts (e.g., families and schools), advances in social justice and reduced racial disparities have been limited. An essential feature of crime prevention efforts is the degree to which they target diverse populations. Crime prevention programs that target certain communities and sub-groups and exclude others, lead to a particular type of evidence base on “what works” and for “whom.” Further, despite a growing diverse U.S. population, the reporting of race and ethnicity in prevention research has remained limited. In this paper, I discuss the data and research gaps that problematize what we know about marginalized sub-groups across U.S. communities and the role of racial and economic inequality in crime prevention. I present several strategies that center racial equity and social impact as part of a new framework for crime prevention.

Author

• Nancy Rodriguez, University of California, Irvine