Vulnerable Populations, Crime, and a Social Justice and Social Impact Agenda: Lessons for Crime Prevention

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

Abstract

While there is no shortage of outcome-based research on crime prevention programs and policies, less attention has been given to the role of intersectional marginalization in the context of social impact and social justice. Building on the work of intersectionality from scholars in such disciplines as law and sociology, over the past decade public health researchers have been advancing the concept of an “intersectionality-based policy analysis framework” to examine levels of inclusivity and justness in public health outcomes. Through the application of this framework, as described by those applying it to public health policy and practice, this paper reviews the research evidence of popular and lesser-known police-, court-, and corrections-based crime prevention interventions to identify promising approaches and actions needed to address the needs of diverse groups. Such interventions include the use of “data driven” approaches to policing (as in the use of technologies relying on artificial intelligence), permit requirements for firearm ownership, the use of solitary confinement in carceral settings, and more.

Author

• Victoria A. Sytsma, Queen's University