Policy Compliance + Resistance Research: A Review for Criminologists - CANCELLED

• In Event: Legal Resistance, Abolition, and Reductions in Punishment

Abstract

The American Criminal Justice System has been a source of significant scrutiny for many years, including calls for standardization, regulation, compassion, endorsement, reform, and abolition at the national level. These nationwide efforts have produced legislation that present significant challenges for state and local justice systems, particularly when effecting legislation or procedural compliance with federal law at the state level. This study seeks to establish a foundation of existing research and theory on state efforts to comply with, as well as resist, federal criminal justice policy standardization and reform efforts. Through a systematic literature review, I offer an overview of relevant theories and frameworks that stand to support the effective communication of criminological knowledge to policy actors. Additionally, this systematic literature review will highlight patterns and themes within the policy compliance and resistance literature directly applicable to future study of federalism in criminal justice policy. At present, criminologists are situated to offer expertise in their state’s efforts to comply or resist federal policy initiatives. Our efficacy in such roles, however, relies on our capacity to provide information that is useful within these policy contexts.

Author

• Robert D. Lytle, University of Arkansas at Little Rock