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The study assesses the extent of commonalities between individuals who become involved in violent extremist groups and criminal gangs, and the processes by which individuals engage in each group. Following this comparison, the extent to which the empirical results support the potential for anti-gang programs to bolster the resilience of communities against violent extremism and other forms of crime is assessed.

Quantitative assessment was conducted by comparing individuals included in the Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States (PIRUS) dataset with a subset of individuals drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) along a number of demographic, social, and socioeconomic characteristics.

Supplementary survey data was also collected from 45 former and current gang members in the United States concurrently with long-form interviews, covering a range of variables including background characteristics, demographic information, and attitudes among the respondents.

This project studied the capacity of family group conferencing (FGC) to enhance public safety by equipping returning citizens with the skills and insight to repair relationships and reintegrate successfully into their communities and families. FGC is guided by the philosophy of restorative justice, meaning that crime primarily causes harm to people and relationships and, in turn, creates an obligation to repair that harm. FGC brings together the people most affected by a crime to discuss what happened, learn how people have been affected, and decide what needs to be done to repair the harm.

The project evaluated an FGC program implemented by Supporting Restorative Reentry in Detroit at a residential reentry center in Detroit, Michigan. Researchers used a randomized control trial with high-risk, formerly incarcerated participants still under Michigan Department of Corrections supervision with the goal of assessing the programs ability to reduce recidivism and increase quality of life for returning citizens, their families, and their communities. Variables include measures of criminal identity, optimism, personal agency, social bonds, the FGC process, risk scores, and twelve-month recidivism follow-up. Participants' age, gender, and race demographics are also collected.

The National Hate Crime Investigation Study (NHCIS) collected detailed data on hate crime investigations from law enforcement agencies (LEAs) across the United States. A nationally representative sample of 2,488 local, county, and state LEAs, stratified by agency type and size, were surveyed about agency-level characteristics and hate crime incidents investigated by their agency between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018.

Agency-level surveys collected information about the size of the population the agency serves, the number of full-time sworn officers, total number of hate crime cases reported, National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) participation, hate crime investigation policies and procedures, and whether the agency has conducted outreach to community or local advocacy groups on hate crimes. Case-level surveys and case report data abstraction then captured extensive data about 1,230 hate crime incidents, including crime scene details, investigative strategies, arrests, charges, and court outcomes.

Suspect and victim demographic information in the Case Data file includes sex, gender identity, age, race/ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, disability status, and immigration status.

Recent mass public shootings in venues as diverse as a school, a church, and a concert, have alarmed policymakers and the public alike. Despite mounting interest among journalists and academics, questions regarding the nature and prevention of mass shootings remain. For example, to what extent do mass shooters have histories of mental illness, substance abuse, or violence? Does strengthening or weakening gun control laws have an impact on the incidence or severity of mass public shootings? Are mass shooters influenced by media coverage of these events?

This study is comprised of seven datasets that contain information on mass shooting incidents between 1976 and 2020. Mass public shootings were defined as any event in which four or more individuals, not including the assailant(s), were killed by gunfire in a public setting within a 24-hour period, absent any associated criminal activity (such as a robbery, gang conflict, or illicit drug trade). Three of the datasets have information on characteristics of mass shooting incidents, offenders, victims; two have information on media coverage surrounding these events; and two have information on averted or thwarted mass shooting incidents.

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

This research expanded on offenders' decisions whether or not to offend by having explored a range of alternatives within the "not offending" category, using a framework derived from the concept of crime displacement. Decision trees were employed to analyze the multi-staged decision-making processes of criminals who are blocked from offending due to a situational crime control or prevention measure. The researchers were interested in determining how offenders evaluated displacement options as available alternatives. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews with 200 adult offenders, either in jail or on probation under the authority of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, from 14 counties. Qualitative data collected as part of this study's methodology are not included as part of the data collection at this time.

Three datasets are included as part of this collection:

• NIJ-2013-3454__Part1_Participants.sav (200 cases, 9 variables)
• NIJ-2013-3454__Part2_MeasuresSurvey.sav (2415 cases, 6 variables)
• NIJ-2013-3454__Part3_Vignettes.sav (1248 cases, 10 variables)

Demographic variables included: age, gender, race, and ethnicity.

This study is largely exploratory and observational, with the main goals to understand (a) how cognitions change across time, (b) which cognitions are related to each other, and (c) which cognition measures are related to recidivism. Employing a two-phase program of research, this study sought to answer several research questions about the relationship between cognitions and desistance from crime:

1. What cognitions do probationers self-identify as key beliefs that motivate their desire to desist from crime?
2. What are the psychometric properties of newly developed standardized measures designed to assess desistance cognitions?
3. Do probationers differ in their crime and desistance cognitions and, on average, do these cognitions change across time?
4. How are crime and desistance cognitions related to official-record assessment and outcome data? Specifically, are there associations between self-reported cognitions and risk and strength factors rated by supervision officers?
5. Do crime and desistance cognitions predict future revocations and arrests as hypothesized by rational choice, correctional psychology, and / or desistance theories?

Variables include offender's self-report of their personal perception on the costs and benefits of crime, costs and benefits of attempting to stay crime-free, attitudes, impulsive traits, and emotions. A demographic variable is available: participant gender.