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Showing 1 – 50 of 221 results.
Curated

Evaluation of Law Enforcement Training for Domestic Violence Cases in a Southwestern City in Texas, 1997-1999 (ICPSR 3400)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30
Geographic coverage: United States, Texas
Time period: 1997-01-01--1999-01-01
This study was an outcome evaluation of the effects of the Duluth Domestic Abuse Intervention Project Training Model for Law Enforcement Response on police officer attitudes toward domestic violence. Data on the effectiveness of the training were collected by means of an attitude survey of law enforcement officers (Part 1). Additionally, two experimental designs (Part 2) were implemented to test the effects of the Duluth model training on (1) time spent by police officers at the scene of a domestic violence incident, and (2) the number of convictions. Variables for Part 1 include the assigned research group and respondents' level of agreement with various statements, such as: alcohol is the primary cause of family violence, men are more likely than women to be aggressive, only mentally ill people batter their families, mandatory arrest of offenders is the best way to reduce repeat episodes of violence, family violence is a private matter, law enforcement policies are ineffective for preventing family violence, children of single-parent, female-headed families are abused more than children of dual-parent households, and prosecution of an offender is unlikely regardless of how well a victim cooperates. Index scores calculated from groupings of various variables are included as well as whether the respondent found training interesting, relevant, well-organized, and useful. Demographic variables for each respondent include race, gender, age, and assignment and position in the police department. Variables for Part 2 include whether the domestic violence case occurred before or after training, to which test group the case belongs, the amount of time in minutes spent on the domestic violence scene, and whether the case resulted in a conviction.
Curated

Systematic Review of the Effects of Problem-Oriented Policing on Crime and Disorder, 1985-2006 (ICPSR 31701)

Released/updated on: 2011-08-22
Geographic coverage: Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Australia, Global
Time period: 1985-01-01--2006-01-01
The purpose of this study was to synthesize the extant problem-oriented policing evaluation literature and assess the effects of problem-oriented policing on crime and disorder. Several strategies were used to perform an exhaustive search for literature fitting the eligibility criteria. Researchers performed a keyword search on an array of online abstract databases, reviewed the bibliographies of past reviews of problem-oriented policing (POP), performed forward searches for works that have cited seminal problem-oriented policing studies, performed hand searches of leading journals in the field, searched the publication of several research and professional agencies, and emailed the list of studies meeting the eligibility criteria to leading policing scholars knowledgeable in the the area of problem-oriented policing to ensure relevant studies had not been missed. Both Part 1 (Pre-Post Study Data, n=52) and Part 2 (Quasi-Experimental Study Data, n=19) include variables in the following categories: reference information, nature and description of selection site, problems, etc., nature and description of selection of comparison group or period, unit of analysis, sample size, methodological type, description of the POP intervention, statistical test(s) used, reports of significance, effect size/power, and conclusions drawn by the authors.
Curated

Detection of Crime, Resource Deployment, and Predictors of Success: A Multi-Level Analysis of CCTV in Newark, New Jersey, 2007-2011 (ICPSR 34619)

Released/updated on: 2019-09-24
Geographic coverage: United States, Newark, New Jersey
Time period: 2007-11-01--2011-04-01

The Detection of Crime, Resource Deployment, and Predictors of Success: A Multi-Level Analysis of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) in Newark, NJ collection represents the findings of a multi-level analysis of the Newark, New Jersey Police Department's video surveillance system. This collection contains multiple quantitative data files (Datasets 1-14) as well as spatial data files (Dataset 15 and Dataset 16). The overall project was separated into three components:

  • Component 1 (Dataset 1, Individual CCTV Detections and Calls-For-Service Data and Dataset 2, Weekly CCTV Detections in Newark Data) evaluates CCTV's ability to increase the "certainty of punishment" in target areas;
  • Component 2 (Dataset 3, Overall Crime Incidents Data; Dataset 4, Auto Theft Incidents Data; Dataset 5, Property Crime Incidents Data; Dataset 6, Robbery Incidents Data; Dataset 7, Theft From Auto Incidents Data; Dataset 8, Violent Crime Incidents Data; Dataset 9, Attributes of CCTV Catchment Zones Data; Dataset 10, Attributes of CCTV Camera Viewsheds Data; and Dataset 15, Impact of Micro-Level Features Spatial Data) analyzes the context under which CCTV cameras best deter crime. Micro-level factors were grouped into five categories: environmental features, line-of-sight, camera design and enforcement activity (including both crime and arrests); and
  • Component 3 (Dataset 11, Calls-for-service Occurring Within CCTV Scheme Catchment Zones During the Experimental Period Data; Dataset 12, Calls-for-service Occurring Within CCTV Schemes During the Experimental Period Data; Dataset 13, Targeted Surveillances Conducted by the Experimental Operators Data; Dataset 14, Weekly Surveillance Activity Data; and Dataset 16, Randomized Controlled Trial Spatial Data) was a randomized, controlled trial measuring the effects of coupling proactive CCTV monitoring with directed patrol units.

Over 40 separate four-hour tours of duty, an additional camera operator was funded to monitor specific CCTV cameras in Newark. Two patrol units were dedicated solely to the operators and were tasked with exclusively responding to incidents of concern detected on the experimental cameras. Variables included throughout the datasets include police report and incident dates, crime type, disposition code, number of each type of incident that occurred in a viewshed precinct, number of CCTV detections that resulted in any police enforcement, and number of schools, retail stores, bars and public transit within the catchment zone.

The following results may be significantly less relevant compared to results above.
Curated

Can Jury Instructions Have an Impact on Trial Outcomes, California, 2018 (ICPSR 37956)

Released/updated on: 2023-04-13
Geographic coverage: United States, California
Time period: 2018-01-01--2018-12-31
This funded project tested whether "implicit bias" jury instructions can mitigate discrimination by juries. Implicit bias instructions are being used in a small but growing number of jurisdictions, but have not yet been adequately tested for efficacy. The study employed a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design, in which the race of defendant (Black or White), race of informant witness (Black or White), and jury instructions (implicit bias or standard bias instruction) was varied, creating eight experimental conditions. The data in this archive represent 623 participants who were assigned to one of 120 jury groups who viewed a federal drug conspiracy trial, deliberated to a verdict, then completed a series of individual measures.
Curated

Evaluation of Intensive Probation in Milwaukee, 1980-1981 (ICPSR 8276)

Released/updated on: 2006-01-18
Geographic coverage: Milwaukee, United States, Wisconsin
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results and impact of a two-year experiment in innovative probation practices in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After being classified according to the Wisconsin risk and needs assessment scale, individuals who had been sentenced to probation between January 2, 1980 and June 30, 1981 and had reported to the probation department for intake were randomly assigned to one of eight experimental and control groups. The experiment was limited to adult residents of Milwaukee County who were not already on probation, were not judged to be severe psychotic or severe sex-deviant cases, and were not assigned to jail work-release sentences of more than ten days followed by probation (Huber cases). There are three files in this data collection: the Reassessment file, the Admissions/Terminations file, and the Chronological file. Each case in the Reassessment and Admissions/Terminations files represents data on an individual probationer. There are 84 variables for 1343 cases in the Reassessment file and 218 variables for 1922 cases in the Admissions/Terminations file, both files have logical record lengths of 100 characters. Of the 1922 cases for which admissions data were collected (about 133 variables), 397 cases also have termination data available (an additional 85 variables). Cases in the Chronological file are records of probation agent contacts with probationers over the course of the study. There are 17 variables for 47,169 cases (contacts) in this file which includes information on 1781 probationers. As many as 270 contacts with a single probationer are recorded. This file has a logical record length of 80.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs

Applying Artificial Intelligence to Person-Based Policing Practices, 2019-2023 (ICPSR 39074)

Released/updated on: 2024-09-26
Time period: 2019-01-01--2023-01-01
In this project, the research team developed and evaluated an artificial intelligence (AI) tool using agent-based modeling methods for crime analysis and risk evaluation (CARE): CAREsim. The purpose of this tool was to improve the effectiveness of person-based patrol strategies, where police take preemptive actions upon selected high-risk individuals (determined based on factors known to police such as violent crime history) when predicted risks of committing crimes are high. CARESim was developed and tested with a simulated randomized controlled experiment within the jurisdiction of Hampton, Virginia. 240 high-risk individuals (120 in each group) were followed for a 12-month period, with the simulation lasting 23 months. The treatment group received additional crime analyses using the AI tool and more focused patrols, while the control group received analyses as usual and random patrols in the simulated environment. The tool was evaluated on a series of outcomes (e.g., number of crimes and arrests) comparing the control and treatment groups. This collection contains the simulated high-risk individual data (DS1) and the simulated crimes data (DS2) used for the experiment.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs

Trauma-Focused Interventions for Justice-Involved and At-Risk Youth: A Meta-Analysis, 1980-2015 (ICPSR 37439)

Released/updated on: 2020-01-30
Geographic coverage: Canada, United States, European Union
Time period: 1980-01-01--2012-01-01, 1996-01-01--2015-01-01

The objective of the Trauma-Focused Interventions for Justice-Involved and At-Risk Youth meta-analysis was to systematically review and statistically synthesize all available research on the effectiveness of trauma-informed treatment programs for justice-involved youth and youth at-risk of justice system involvement who experienced some form of trauma in their lives. A systematic search identified 29 publications that met the eligibility criteria and represented 30 treatment-comparison contrasts. Of these studies, 6 evaluated the effectiveness of trauma-informed programs for justice-involved youth, and the remaining 24 evaluated programs for at-risk children and youth. From these studies, researchers extracted results related to delinquency, problem behaviors, aggression, antisocial behavior, substance use, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) outcomes. Most of these studies (24) used random assignment to conditions designs, with the remaining 6 using a quasi experimental design with a comparison condition.

Variables in this collection include type of publication, authors, country of study, type of primary study design, publication year, youth type (at-risk or delinquent), frequency and duration of treatment, treatment techniques and types of therapy, treatment and control group sample sizes, as well as variables summarizing respondent histories of abuse, neglect, trauma, violence, delinquency, institutionalization, homelessness, and involvement in foster care. Demographic information on primary study respondents includes overall sample, treatment, and control group percentage breakdowns by ethnicity and respondent age summary statistics.

Curated
Restricted

Panacea or Poison: Can Propensity Score Modeling (PSM) Methods Replicate the Results from Randomized Control Trials (RCTs)?, United States, 1983-2013 (ICPSR 37291)

Released/updated on: 2023-08-14
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1983-01-01--2013-01-01

With the growing popularity, technological ease of using propensity score modeling (PSM), and the concern over its reliability and validity among scholars and practitioners, the researchers aimed to answer whether PSM methods can replicate the results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). In this secondary data analysis, the researchers gathered the datasets of 10 publicly available and restricted RCT studies from the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD), introduced an artificial selection bias into the treatment groups of these investigations, and then used each PSM technique to remove this selection bias. The team then compared the results generated from the PSM methods to those derived from the original RCT experiments, and meta-analyzed the findings across all studies to reveal the true reliability and validity of PSM in relation to RCTs using criminal justice data.

For each study used in this analysis, the researchers created SPSS syntax for variable recodes and artificial bias creation and a codebook with original study items, recoded variables, and analytic variables. (In one study, two RCTs were conducted and thus two sets of syntax and codebooks were created.) Seven text files contain the Stata and R code used to run each PSM technique. These materials have been zipped into a package and are available for restricted download. Please refer to the ICPSR README for more information.

Curated
Restricted

Examining the Effects of the TASER on Cognitive Functioning, Arizona, 2012-2013 (ICPSR 36150)

Released/updated on: 2017-12-20
Geographic coverage: United States, Arizona
Time period: 2012-01-01--2013-01-01

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.

These data were collected as part of an effort to investigate the effects of the TASER on cognitive functioning. To explore this issue, the authors carried out a pilot study with 21 police recruits who received a TASER exposure as part of their training at the San Bernardino County (CA) Training Center. Following the pilot study, the researchers conducted a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) where healthy human volunteers were randomly assigned to four groups, two of which received a TASER exposure. Participants completed a battery of cognitive tests before and after receiving their assigned treatment.

Curated
Partially restricted

Implicit and Explicit Messages on Neighborhood Watch Signs in San Diego County, California, 2005-2007 (ICPSR 20620)

Released/updated on: 2010-11-24
Geographic coverage: United States, California
Time period: 2005-07-01--2005-11-01, 2006-01-01--2006-09-01, 2006-10-01--2007-03-01
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of Neighborhood Watch signs on perceived crime rates, likelihood of victimization, community safety, and estimates of home and community quality. Part 1 (Study One Data) assessed the causal impact of Neighborhood Watch sign presence and content on perceptions of the community. Three Neighborhood Watch signs were incorporated into a series of slide show presentations. The signs utilized the traditional orange and white color scheme with black text and were used to represent an injunctive norm alone, a low descriptive norm for crime, or a high descriptive norm for crime. Digital color images of a for-sale home and the surrounding neighborhood of a middle class community in North San Diego County were shown to 180 undergraduates recruited from the Psychology Department's Human Participant Pool, and from other lower division general education courses at California State University, San Marcos, between July and November of 2005. Three of the slide shows were designated as Neighborhood Watch communities with one of the three sign types posted, and the fourth slide show served as a control with no posted crime prevention signs. Each slide show consisted of 20 images of the home and community, along with four instruction slides. Part 2 (Study Two Data) replicated the basic effect from Study 1 and extended the research to examine the moderating role of community social economic status (SES) on the effects of the Neighborhood Watch signs. Participants were 547 undergraduate students recruited from the Psychology Department's Human Participant Pool, and from other lower division general education courses at California State University and Palomar Community College in San Marcos, between January and September 2006. A total of 12 slide shows were utilized in Study Two, such that each of the four sign conditions from Study One was represented across each of the three communities (Low, Middle, and High SES). Part 3 (Study Three Data) examined the potential for the physical condition of the Neighborhood Watch signs posted in the community to convey normative information about the presence and acceptance of crime in the community. Participants were 364 undergraduate students recruited from the Psychology Department's Human Participant Pool, and from other lower division general education courses at California State University and Palomar Community College in San Marcos, between October 2006 and March 2007. Study Three used the same generic (Injunctive Norm, Program Only) sign that was utilized in Studies One and Two. However, three variations (new, aged, and defaced) of the sign were used. The surveys used for Study One, Study Two, and Study Three, were identical. The data include variables on perceived crime rates, perceived likelihood of victimization, perceived community safety, community ratings, self-protective behavior, burglar's perspective, manipulation check, and demographics of the respondent.
Curated

Dissociating Affect and Deliberation in Choice Processes, 2001 (ICPSR 26281)

Released/updated on: 2010-01-25
Geographic coverage: Oregon, United States
This study was conducted to examine hypotheses derived from an emotion-based model of stigma responses to radiation sources. A model of stigma susceptibility was proposed in which affective reactions and cognitive worldviews activate predispositions to appraise and experience events in systematic ways that result in the generation of negative emotion, risk perceptions, and stigma responses. For this study, a total of 198 respondents were asked about a series of 15 objects and activities: sun-tanning, radiation therapy for cancer control, microwave ovens, nuclear power plants, radiation from air travel, death of a favorite pet, medical x-rays, the upcoming spring break, natural background radiation, final exams for the term, radiation from nuclear weapons testing, radiation to prevent bacteria in food, a series of thefts or crimes in their neighborhoods, cosmic radiation, and radioactive waste from nuclear power plants. Providing ratings on 17 scales, respondents gave their feelings about each object or activity, offered their opinions on situations wherein the object or activity would or would not be of concern, the impact of the object or activity in their lives, and their adjustment to situations involving the object or activity. Queries also included how angry and afraid the object or activity made respondents, and how risky, disgraceful, moral, acceptable, and stigmatized they felt it was. Finally, participants provided self-report ratings of affective reactivity and worldviews.
Curated

The Effectiveness of Coordinated Outreach in Intimate Partner Violence Cases in Denver, Colorado 2007 to 2009 (ICPSR 30961)

Released/updated on: 2014-11-07
Geographic coverage: United States, Colorado, Denver
Time period: 2007-01-01--2009-01-01

In collaboration with community- and system-based partners, the current study used an experimental design to test the impact of phone outreach from community-based agencies to women exposed to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) compared to phone referrals provided by system-based unit (i.e., the Victim Assistance Unit of the DPD or the City Attorney's Office) in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of women whose cases have come to the attention of the criminal justice system. The phone outreach was informed by an interdisciplinary team involving both system- and community-based team members. Participants, who were randomly selected to receive outreach or treatment-as-usual, were interviewed at three time points: after an incident of IPV was reported to the police (T1), 6 months after T1, and 12 months after T1. The study addressed three primary roles. First, investigators evaluated the effectiveness of a coordinated, community-based outreach program in improving criminal justice and victim safety and empowerment outcomes for IPV victims using a longitudinal, randomized control design. Second, victim and case characteristics that moderated outcomes were identified. Third, the influence of spatial characteristics on criminal justice outcomes was evaluated.

Curated

Affect, Reason, and Decision Making (ICPSR 24610)

Released/updated on: 2009-09-22
Geographic coverage: Oregon, United States, Australia
This study examines the commonly observed inverse relationship between perceived risk and perceived benefit. The researchers proposed that this relationship occurs because people rely on affect when judging the risk and benefit of specific hazards. The study tested and confirmed the hypothesis that providing information designed to alter the favorability of one's overall affective evaluation of an item (say nuclear power, natural gas, and food preservatives) would systematically change the risk and benefit judgments for that item. The study suggests that people seem prone to using an "affect heuristic" which improves judgmental efficiency by deriving both risk and benefit evaluations from a common source -- affective reactions to the stimulus item.
Curated

Testing Integrative Models to Improve School Safety: Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports and the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, South Carolina, 2015-2018 (ICPSR 37397)

Released/updated on: 2020-12-17
Geographic coverage: United States, South Carolina
Time period: 2015-01-01--2018-01-01

Many schools have implemented programs to address bullying, such as the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP), or broader school behavioral issues, such as School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS), but there have been calls to integrate school interventions in order to address the limits of each "stand alone" program. The purpose of this project was to develop an intervention combining OBPP and SWPBIS strategies into one integrated program, evaluate its effectiveness using a randomized controlled trial (RCT), analyze the program's cost effectiveness, and examine the use of school-based mental health services in elementary, middle, and high school settings. Implications for policy and strategy are also discussed.

School-level data were presented including disciplinary incidents, student and teacher attendance, program costs, and the presence of mental health services. Students and teachers within intervention and control conditions were surveyed about their perceptions of bullying, school safety, and school climate. Teachers in intervention schools were asked about program satisfaction, self-efficacy, and fidelity. Students were asked numerous questions pertaining to physical and mental health, bullying perpetration and victimization, and substance abuse. Teachers and students were asked their grade, gender, and race.

Curated

Rehabilitation Programs for Adult Offenders: A Meta-Analysis in Support of Guidelines for Effective Practice, 5 Countries, 1950-2014 (ICPSR 37281)

Released/updated on: 2019-10-29
Geographic coverage: New Zealand, Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Australia
Time period: 1950-01-01--2014-01-01

This is a comprehensive meta-analysis of available research on the effects of intervention programs for adult offenders, which is based on 801 eligible controlled studies reported through 2014 identified by researchers. Variables describing the intervention, participating offender samples, research methods, and effects found on a range of outcome constructs were coded into a database for analysis. The major outcome categories examined were recidivism, substance use, employment, mental health, anger/hostility, and aggression/violence. Broad intervention approaches included those such as cognitive behavioral, structured group, counseling, and drug court programs.

The meta-analysis seeks to examine outcomes of various types of interventions and identify the characteristics of programs and participants most closely associated with positive outcomes. It seeks to use the findings to construct and obtain feedback on effective practice guidelines within the adult correctional system.

Curated

Jurors' Judgments About Forensic Identification Evidence, Arizona, 2011-2014 (ICPSR 36169)

Released/updated on: 2021-08-31
Geographic coverage: United States, Arizona

This data file describes three different experiments that were designed to examine how differences in the way forensic scientific evidence is communicated affects jurors.

In each experiment, participants consisted of jury-eligible community members in Maricopa County, Arizona. Groups of participants attended a research session in which they were shown a 35-40-minute videotapes of one of two mock criminal trials (one, a rape case, centers around bitemark evidence, and the other, an attempted murder, centers around fingerprint evidence). Within each trial the content of a forensic scientist's testimony was manipulated. These manipulations involved: 1) whether the technique used by the forensic scientist was "high tech" or "low tech," 2) the amount of experience possessed by the forensic scientist, 3) whether the technique used by the forensic scientist had been scientifically validated, 4) whether the forensic scientist conceded that an error was possible, and 5) whether any exculpatory evidence was present at the crime scene.

Immediately following the trial, each individual participants completed a questionnaire in which they gave their individual impressions of the strength of the case. Following that, the group of participant would deliberate and attempt to reach a unanimous verdict. Finally, each individual participant completed an additional questionnaire that again measured perceptions of the case along with individual difference measures and demographics.

Curated

Probabilistic Genotyping of Microhaplotype Data, 1993-2003 (ICPSR 38888)

Released/updated on: 2023-11-16
Time period: 1993-01-01--2003-01-01

Microhaplotypes (MHs) are an emerging forensic DNA marker characterized by sets of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within a short distance of each other displaying multiple allelic combinations. Although less polymorphic than short tandem repeat polymorphisms (STRs), they have some advantages, such as alleles all of the same size within a locus, absence of stutter artifacts, and lower mutation rates than that of STRs. Several MH-multiplex panels have been reported in the past, including the 74-locus panel developed in the research team's laboratory. Casework implementation of such large panels is only feasible if paired with probabilistic genotyping (PG) as manual deconvolution of complex mixtures would be excessively time consuming and not compatible with conventional forensic DNA laboratory operations.

In this study, DNA-View Mixture Solution and EuroForMix PG software were adapted to processing MH data from 74 loci analyzed on the Ion S5 massively parallel sequencing (MPS) platform. Relative fluorescence unit (RFU) values were replaced by allele-sequence coverage and tested on a set of DNA mixtures. The goals of this project were to (1) adapt and thoroughly test the two PG software platforms for the use multiplex MH data for DNA mixture interpretation, and (2) generate a data repository of mixtures and references that can be used by developers and users to adapt other PG software to intake MH data.

The data are organized into spreadsheet type files. Data consists of likelihood ratios (Log10LR) of possible hypotheses involving mixture samples. Log10LRs are averaged across samples and categorized across 4 population frequencies: African American, European, Asian American, and Southwest Hispanic.

Curated

Adaptation of the DNase I Procedure to the Biomek ® NXP Robotic Platform for More Efficient and Automated Sexual Assault Sample Processing, Virginia, 2019-2022 (ICPSR 38903)

Released/updated on: 2025-08-28
Geographic coverage: Virginia
Time period: 2019-01-01--2022-01-01
The goal of the project was to adapt, optimize, validate and integrate DNase I differential extraction protocol into the current sexual assault casework workflow on the Beckman Coulter Biomek NXP automation workstations (Brea, CA) at the Virginia Department of Forensic Science. The end goal was to expedite, without compromising quality, the processing of sexual assault samples.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs

Testing a ''Not Sure'' Instruction as a Prophylactic Against the Harmful Impact of System and Estimator Variables on Lineup Identification Accuracy, United States and United Kingdom, 2019-2023 (ICPSR 38947)

Released/updated on: 2024-07-15
Geographic coverage: United States, United Kingdom
Time period: 2019-01-01--2023-01-01

Eyewitness lineup identification accuracy is affected by numerous variables, including those that are under the control of the legal system, called system variables (e.g., pre-lineup instructions), and those that are not under the control of the legal system, called estimator variables (e.g., the race of the perpetrator). One of the ultimate goals of eyewitness researchers is to develop procedures that:

  • minimize false identifications caused by system and estimator variables (while minimizing any decrease in correct identifications), and
  • require few resources for law enforcement to enact.

The project tested the effectiveness of a system variable--providing witnesses with an explicit 'not sure' instruction before viewing the lineup-- that potentially meets both of these criteria. Furthermore, a 'not sure' instruction may act as a prophylactic against the harmful effects of system and estimator variables known to inflate false identifications. The specific objective of the research was to test the effectiveness of this 'not sure' instruction.

Curated

Fast Screening of Firearm Discharge Residues by Laser-based Spectrochemical Methods, Electrochemical Sensors, and Chemometrics, West Virginia, 2019-2021 (ICPSR 38296)

Released/updated on: 2026-04-16
Geographic coverage: West Virginia, United States
Time period: 2019-01-01--2021-01-01

The detection of gunshot residue (GSR) provides valuable information in violent crimes, accidental shootings, and terrorism. Despite the scientific validity of this discipline, there are persistent challenges regarding the speed of analysis, preservation of the evidence, and interpretation of results. Consequently, there is a critical need to improve the discipline's turnaround times and reliability. This study's overall purpose was to develop a comprehensive approach to overcome these significant concerns and enhance the criminal justice system capabilities. This project developed and validated fast and reliable tests, using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and electrochemical (EC) sensors for GSR detection. Also, statistical models were applied for the quantitative interpretation of the evidence. The combination of LIBS and EC data permitted the accurate identification of organic and inorganic residues (OGSR and IGSR, accuracy ranging from 92-99% depending on the subpopulation and classification models). This research focused on developing SMARTER (Simpler, Modern, Affordable, Rapid, Transformative, Effective, and Reliable) solutions for GSR examinations.

The main objectives were:

  1. Application of universal and expanded collection methods
  2. Development of novel, ultrafast methods for dual detection of IGSR and OGSR
  3. Development of modern 3D chemical imaging for crime scene reconstruction
  4. Development of novel micro-particle GSR standards
  5. Creation of a large population study and probabilistic interpretation framework
Curated

Towards Commercialization: Preliminary Developmental Validation of a High Resolution Melt Curve Mixture Prediction Assay and SVM Tool, Virginia, 2020-2022 (ICPSR 39133)

Released/updated on: 2024-08-28
Geographic coverage: United States, Virginia
Time period: 2020-01-01--2022-01-01

In the current study, roughly 170 single source samples and 32 two-person mixture samples were tested using both the integrated Quantiplex®-high resolution melt (HRM) assay and Quantifiler™ Trio-HRM assay, then the entire HRM datasets were exported for prediction modeling using both linear discriminate analysis (LDA) and support vector machine (SVM) algorithms in R Studio software. For proof-of-concept, only 8 different genotypes, including a genotype of "mixture", were represented (for each locus) in testing. A portion of the samples tested were used to "train" the software and the remaining sample data was used as unknowns (or "validation") samples for prediction. When samples were tested in the Quantiplex®-HRM assay, an overall accuracy of 87.88 percent was exhibited, correctly classifying 87.5 percent of single source samples as such and 90 percent of mixture samples. Similarly, when samples were tested in the Quantifiler™ Trio-HRM assay an overall accuracy of 79.2 percent was exhibited, with 89.2 percent of single source samples accurately classifying and 43.8 percent of mixtures accurately classifying. Additionally, quantification values obtained from the integrated assays as well as the quality metrics such as the slope, R2, and y-intercept, were not significantly different than those obtained in the standard assays.

Curated

Repeat Complaint Address Policing: Two Field Experiments in Minneapolis, 1985-1987 (ICPSR 9788)

Released/updated on: 2006-01-18
Geographic coverage: Minneapolis, United States, Minnesota
Time period: 1985-01-01--1987-01-01
A leading sociological theory of crime is the "routine activities" approach (Cohen and Felson, 1979). The premise of this theory is that the rate of occurrence of crime is affected by the convergence in time and space of three elements: motivated offenders, suitable targets, and the absence of guardianship against crime. The purpose of this study was to provide empirical evidence for the routine activities theory by investigating criminal data on places. This study deviates from traditional criminology research by analyzing places instead of collectivities as units of spatial analysis. There are two phases to this study. The purpose of the first phase was to test whether crime occurs randomly in space or is concentrated in "hot spots". Telephone calls for police service made in 1985 and 1986 to the Minneapolis Police Department were analyzed for patterns and concentration of repeat calls and were statistically tested for randomness. For the second phase of the study, two field experiments were designed to test the effectiveness of a proactive police strategy called Repeat Complaint Address Policing (RECAP). Samples of residential and commercial addresses that generated the most concentrated and most frequent repeat calls were divided into groups of experimental and control addresses, resulting in matched pairs. The experimental addresses were then subjected to a more focused proactive policing. The purposes of the RECAP experimentation were to test the effectiveness of proactive police strategy, as measured through the reduction in the incidence of calls to the police and, in so doing, to provide empirical evidence on the routine activities theory. Variables in this collection include the number of calls for police service in both 1986 and 1987 to the control addresses for each experimental pair, the number of calls for police service in both 1986 and 1987 to the experimental addresses for each experimental pair, numerical differences between calls in 1987 and 1986 for both the control addresses and experimental addresses in each experimental pair, percentage difference between calls in 1987 and 1986 for both the control addresses and the experimental addresses in each experimental pair, and a variable that indicates whether the experimental pair was used in the experimental analysis. The unit of observation for the first phase of the study is the recorded telephone call to the Minneapolis Police Department for police service and assistance. The unit of analysis for the second phase is the matched pair of control and experimental addresses for both the residential and commercial address samples of the RECAP experiments.
Curated
Restricted

Blind Collaborative Justice Survey, 2014 [UNITED STATES] (ICPSR 35258)

Released/updated on: 2017-06-29
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2014-04-11--2014-04-30

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

This study conducted an experimental investigation of two potential contributors to invalid testimony within adversarial litigation involving forensic evidence. First, the experts' knowledge of their party representation (i.e., prosecution vs. defense counsel), and secondly the lack of input from the relevant scientific community. The study used an experimental survey design with a realistic criminal case to examine the effects of blinding experts to their party representation and consensus feedback from a panel of experts to quantify and reduce testimonial bias.

Curated

A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of the Safe Public Spaces in Schools Program, New York City, 2016-2018 (ICPSR 37476)

Released/updated on: 2021-04-28
Geographic coverage: New York City, United States, New York (state)
Time period: 2016-09-01--2018-06-30

This study tests the efficacy of an intervention--Safe Public Spaces (SPS) -- focused on improving the safety of public spaces in schools, such as hallways, cafeterias, and stairwells. Twenty-four schools with middle grades in a large urban area were recruited for participation and were pair-matched and then assigned to either treatment or control. The study comprises four components: an implementation evaluation, a cost study, an impact study, and a community crime study.

Community-crime-study: The community crime study used the arrest of juveniles from the NYPD (New York Police Department) data. The data can be found at (https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Public-Safety/NYPD-Arrests-Data-Historic-/8h9b-rp9u). Data include all arrest for the juvenile crime during the life of the intervention. The 12 matched schools were identified and geo-mapped using Quantum GIS (QGIS) 3.8 software. Block groups in the 2010 US Census in which the schools reside and neighboring block groups were mapped into micro-areas. This resulted in twelve experimental school blocks and 11 control blocks which the schools reside (two of the control schools existed in the same census block group). Additionally, neighboring blocks using were geo-mapped into 70 experimental and 77 control adjacent block groups (see map). Finally, juvenile arrests were mapped into experimental and control areas. Using the ARIMA time-series method in Stata 15 statistical software package, arrest data were analyzed to compare the change in juvenile arrests in the experimental and control sites.

Cost-study: For the cost study, information from the implementing organization (Engaging Schools) was combined with data from phone conversations and follow-up communications with staff in school sites to populate a Resource Cost Model. The Resource Cost Model Excel file will be provided for archiving. This file contains details on the staff time and materials allocated to the intervention, as well as the NYC prices in 2018 US dollars associated with each element. Prices were gathered from multiple sources, including actual NYC DOE data on salaries for position types for which these data were available and district salary schedules for the other staff types. Census data were used to calculate benefits.

Impact-evaluation: The impact evaluation was conducted using data from the Research Alliance for New York City Schools. Among the core functions of the Research Alliance is maintaining a unique archive of longitudinal data on NYC schools to support ongoing research. The Research Alliance builds and maintains an archive of longitudinal data about NYC schools. Their agreement with the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) outlines the data they receive, the process they use to obtain it, and the security measures to keep it safe.

Implementation-study: The implementation study comprises the baseline survey and observation data. Interview transcripts are not archived.

Curated

Eyewitness Identification: A Systematic Investigation of Lineup Composition and Fairness, United States, 2019-2022 (ICPSR 38761)

Released/updated on: 2025-06-26
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2019-01-01--2022-01-01

The major objective of this project was to investigate photo array composition in order to improve eyewitness identification procedures. Photo array composition involves the fillers, or known-innocent individuals that police add to a photo array so that the perpetrator/suspect (referred to as the "target" in experimental design) does not stand out. An unbiased (fair) photo array contains fillers that match the description of the suspect provided by one or more eyewitnesses. In contrast, in a biased photo array, the suspect stands out from the fillers. Another popular procedure used by police is the showup, when the suspect is presented without any fillers. This project involved all three of these procedures.

This collection contains raw and aggregated data from 12 sets of experiments that investigated different aspects of eyewitness identification, including fair vs. biased lineups, lineup size, distinctive facial features, target-filler similarity, impact of sleep on eyewitness accuracy, memory strength, number of suspects presented, impact of courtroom instructions and expert expertise, and speed and confidence of eyewitness identification. Each experiment set followed a similar general design, with variations based on the purpose and hypotheses of the specific study. United States-based adult participants recruited via SurveyMonkey were asked to complete an online experiment in which they would be presented with a crime vignette and a suspect facial image (created from a faces database), given a distractor task, and then asked to select the suspect from a lineup and rate the confidence level of their decision.

The data were provided to ICPSR in Excel workbook format (41 data files, 3 codebooks) and are available for download as a zipped package. ICPSR has not modified the files from the format in which they were supplied. Data files are organized into subfolders that are named with a short content descriptor and citation of the relevant publication. Unless noted, data files contain a "codes" sheet that explains the variables and experimental condition groups. Articles and theses/dissertations that used each dataset are available under Data-related Publications. Please refer to the ICPSR README for more information.

Curated

Use and Effectiveness of Hypnosis and the Cognitive Interview for Enhancing Eyewitness Recall: Philadelphia, 1988-1989 (ICPSR 9478)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30
Geographic coverage: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Time period: 1988-01-01--1989-06-01
This study investigated the effectiveness of hypnosis and the cognitive interview (a technique for stimulating memory) on the recall of events in a criminal incident. The data collected in the study address the following questions: (1) Does hypnosis or the cognitive interview mitigate recall deficits that result from emotionally upsetting events? (2) Does hypnosis or the cognitive interview improve recall when individuals recall events in narrative fashion? (3) Does hypnosis or the cognitive interview improve recall when individuals are required to respond to each item in a set of focused questions? (4) Does the cognitive interview improve recall better than motivated control recall procedures? For this two-stage study, subjects were randomly assigned to receive hypnosis, cognitive interview, or control treatment. Stage 1 involved completing unrelated questionnaires and viewing a short film containing an emotionally upsetting criminal event. Stage 2 was conducted 3 to 13 days later (the average was 6.5 days) and involved baseline information gathering about the events in the film, application of the assigned treatment, and post-treatment written recall of the events. Data were collected from the written narratives provided by subjects and from an oral forced recall of events in a post-experimental interview. Variables in File 1 include total information (correct, incorrect, confabulations, and attributions) as well as new information given in the post-treatment written narrative. The remaining variables in File 1 include score on Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS:A), repressor status, and the number of days between viewing the film and completing the baseline and post-treatment interviews. Variables in File 2 were derived from the post-experimental oral forced recall interview and include total correct and incorrect responses and confidence ratings for correct and incorrect responses. The unit of observation is the individual.
Curated

Sandhills [North Carolina] Vocational Delivery System Evaluation Project, 1983-1987 (ICPSR 9224)

Released/updated on: 2006-01-12
Geographic coverage: North Carolina, United States
Time period: 1983-01-01--1987-01-01
This data collection was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a vocational training program on post-release vocational skills, employment, and recidivism of youthful male inmates 18 to 21 years old. The study used an experimental design to examine the differences in post-release activities among three inmate groups. A comprehensive inmate data base was created to describe inmates' confinement history, employment history, and their criminal records. The contextual data files provide additional information relevant to inmates' post-release activities.
Curated

Experimental Evaluation of Drug Testing and Treatment Interventions for Probationers in Maricopa County, Arizona, 1992-1994 (ICPSR 2025)

Released/updated on: 2013-05-15
Geographic coverage: United States, Arizona
Time period: 1992-03-01--1994-04-01
This data collection represents a combined experimental evaluation of a drug court program, implemented in 1992 in cooperation with the Maricopa County Adult Probation Department, in comparison to standard probation with different levels of drug testing. The experiment's objective was to compare the drug use and criminal behavior of probationers assigned to four alternative regimes or tracks: (1) standard probation, but no drug testing, (2) standard probation with random monthly drug tests, (3) standard probation with testing scheduled twice a week, and (4) drug court, an integrated program of drug testing, treatment, and sanctions that utilized a carefully structured set of rewards and punishments. The experiment was limited to first-time felony offenders convicted of drug possession or use (not sales) and sentenced to a term of three years' probation. A total of 630 probationers from Maricopa County were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental regimes and tracked for a 12-month period. Data collection efforts included: (1) background information on each participant, (2) process information on the characteristics of supervision and services provided under each experimental condition, and (3) follow-up data on subsequent drug use, crime, and pro-social activities for 12 full months. Background Data (Part 1) include demographic variables such as race, sex, education, marital status, living arrangements, and employment history. In addition, there are variables on prior drug use and abuse, drug treatment, criminal histories as both a juvenile and an adult, and risk and need assessment scores. Other variables include the results of drug testing and any sanctions taken for a positive result (Part 2), new arrests while on probation and corresponding disposition and conviction (Part 3), and technical violations and any actions taken for these violations (Part 4). For probationers assigned to drug court (Part 5) there are variables measuring probationers' status, probation recommendations, and judges' decisions at 11 different progress assessments. The follow-up information (Parts 6-8) includes monthly data on the status of the probationer, the number of face-to-face office contacts, phone contacts, work/school contacts, and community contacts, collateral checks, employment/school verification, counseling sessions, alcohol tests, drug tests, substance abuse treatment, the number of hours the probationer spent job hunting, in educational training, in vocational training, and in community service, the number of days employed full- and part-time, and the amount of earnings, fines paid, restitution paid, and fees paid.
Curated

Juror Discussions About Evidence, 1997-1998: [Arizona] (ICPSR 2687)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30
Geographic coverage: United States, Arizona
Time period: 1997-06-15--1998-01-31
These data were collected in conjunction with an evaluation of the Arizona court reform effective December 1, 1995, to permit jurors in civil cases to discuss the evidence prior to deliberations. The datasets consist of survey responses by judges, jurors, attorneys, and litigants in all civil cases conducted in Maricopa, Pima, Mohave, and Yavapai counties in Arizona between June 15, 1997, and January 31, 1998. Civil cases in the participating courts were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions: (1) jurors were told they could discuss the evidence prior to deliberation according to Rule 39(f) of the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure, or (2) jurors were told they could not discuss the evidence per the previous admonition. The datasets contain survey responses under both conditions. Part 1, Case Characteristics Data, contains information from two questionnaires completed by judges about the lawsuit, the parties, the trial procedures, and the case outcome. The data in Part 2, Juror Questionnaire Data, cover jurors' views regarding the complexity of the case, the importance of witnesses and testimonies, and attorneys' performances. The variables in Part 3, Attorney Questionnaire Data, offer information on attorneys' opinions of the jurors, the opposing counsel, and the verdict. Part 4, Litigant Questionniare Data, consists of litigants' views regarding the jurors and the verdict. Demographic data include respondents' gender, age, race, income, and job status.
Curated

Data-Driven Supervision Protocols for Positive Parole Outcomes in Georgia, 2007-2008 (ICPSR 26441)

Released/updated on: 2010-04-08
Geographic coverage: United States, Georgia
Time period: 2007-03-01--2008-12-31
The goal of this study was to identify and evaluate case management and supervision strategies most effective in achieving successful parole outcomes. As part of an evaluation of 3 new supervision practice protocols on a cohort of parolees, a total of 1,964 parolees who began supervision in Georgia between March 1, 2007, and December 31, 2007, were assigned to experimental and control groups. Parolees in the experimental group were subjected to the new practice protocols: positive drug test resulting in a referral to treatment, job loss followed by referral to an employment program and increased contact, and chronic technical violations responded to with an administrative hearing and enrollment in a cognitive skills program. In the control sites, the parole officer's response to a parolee's violation or success was still defined by the Board's Behavior Response and Adjustment Guide (BRAG). Each parolee was tracked for a 12-month follow-up period. The research team collected data on the parolees using two Georgia Department of Corrections and Board of Pardons and Paroles agency databases: the Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) and the Parole Field Log of Interaction Data (FLOID) database. Outcomes during a 12-month follow-up period were defined as employment, general violations of the conditions of supervision, positive drug tests, arrests for technical violations, misdemeanor and felony arrests, and revocation of parole. The dataset includes a total of 218 variables including supervision protocol variables, demographic and other parolee characteristics variables, offense and parole supervision variables, drug test results, employment activity, as well as arrests, violations, sanctions, programs, and referrals information.
Curated

Reducing Repeat Sexual Assault Victimization: Design and Testing of a Risk Reduction Program in New York City, New York, and Seattle, Washington, 2003-2005 (ICPSR 20345)

Released/updated on: 2011-02-24
Geographic coverage: New York City, Seattle, United States, New York (state), Washington
Time period: 2003-07-27--2005-05-30
The goal of the study was to develop an intervention that would be analogous to safety planning for battered women, and one that could be used by sexual assault counselors as an adjunct to psychological counseling. The project was conducted at Safe Horizon in New York City and at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle from August 2003 to May 2005. The client populations of the two programs were complementary. Safe Horizon's clients were primarily Black (36 percent) and Latina (26 percent). In contrast, a majority of Harborview clients were White (59 percent), although Harborview also had many non-White, non-Hispanic clients. Approximately half of the eligible candidates were randomly assigned to participate in a four-hour workshop on avoiding sexual assault while the others were assigned to a control condition that did not receive the training. Both groups participated in a baseline assessment battery administered in person. After completion of the assessment, those assigned to the experimental condition began the workshop. Researchers contacted women in both groups six months later for a second assessment, this time conducted over the phone. The 14 data files contain information related to alcohol consumption, tonic immobility, knowledge of sexual assault risk factors, attributions for the most recent sexual assault, self-efficacy, risky behaviors, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomology, and sexual victimization. The data also contain one file with demographic information. Each data file contains 84 cases. Across all parts, the data collection has 612 variables.
Curated

Reexamining the Minneapolis Repeat Complaint Address Policing (RECAP) Experiment, 1986-1987 (ICPSR 6172)

Released/updated on: 2006-01-12
Geographic coverage: Minneapolis, United States, Minnesota
Time period: 1986-01-01--1987-01-01
This study reexamines REPEAT COMPLAINT ADDRESS POLICING: TWO FIELD EXPERIMENTS IN MINNEAPOLIS, 1985-1987 (ICPSR 9788). The original Repeat Complaint Address Policing (RECAP) experiment was a field study of the strategy of problem-oriented policing, which used control and treatment groups consisting of specific addresses in the city of Minneapolis. The impact of problem-oriented policing was measured by comparing the number of 911 calls received for each address during a baseline period to the number received during a period when experimental treatments were in effect. Several features of the original data distort the one-to-one correspondence between a 911 call and an event, such as the occurrence of multiple versions of the same call in the databases. The current study identifies and attempts to correct these occurrences by applying multiple levels of data cleaning procedures to the original data to establish a better one-to-one call-to-event correspondence.
Curated

Judicial Decision Guidelines for Bail: The Philadelphia Experiment, 1981-1982 (ICPSR 8358)

Released/updated on: 1993-03-04
Geographic coverage: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Time period: 1981-01-01--1982-01-01
The purpose of this study was to test the utility of draft guidelines in informing judicial decisions about bail. A sample of judges, based upon a stratified quota sampling design, was selected from the Philadephia Municipal Court to rule on sample cases. Eight judges were randomly selected to use guidelines and be "experimental judges," and eight others were randomly selected to be nonguideline or "control judges." Data for the sample cases were taken from defendants' files. Variables provided in this collection include number of suspects involved, number of different offenses charged, most serious injury experienced by the victim(s), preliminary arraignment disposition, amount of bail, socioeconomic status and demographics of the defendant, prior criminal history of the defendant, and reason for granting or denying bail.
Curated

Evaluation of Day Fines in Maricopa County, Arizona, 1991-1993 (ICPSR 2024)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30
Geographic coverage: United States, Arizona
Time period: 1991-01-01--1993-01-01
This study sought to evaluate how well day fines work as an intermediate sanction. Day fines are a structured approach to imposing fines that considers both the offender's ability to pay and the severity of the offense. The program involves two steps: (1) a determination of the number of fine units for an offense, based on the severity of the offense, and (2) a valuation of fine units, based on the offender's net daily income, hence the name "day fines". While four jurisdictions participated in the day fines evaluation, only the site in Maricopa County, Arizona, was structured in such a way to allow for a quasi-experimental research design. Therefore, this collection only contains data from the Financial Assessment Related to Employability (FARE) day fines program in Maricopa County. The FARE program was started in 1991 and targeted felony offenders with little need for supervision or treatment -- in other words, the low risk-low need defendant. The intent of the program was to draw clients from the population of offenders who would traditionally receive routine probation, thus serving as an intermediate sanction between routine and summary probation. The major research strategy was to consider the FARE-sentenced offenders as the experimental group and to construct a similar comparison group out of the offenders sentenced by non-day fines judges. The design involved three major steps: (1) identification of 1991 and 1992 defendants who received a FARE sentence, (2) screening of sentenced defendants in non-FARE courts using FARE eligibility criteria to match the FARE participants, and (3) coding background and 12-month follow-up information for both FARE and comparison group offenders from probation and clerk files to record background information, monetary payments, and any technical violations and arrests occurring during the 12-month follow-up period. Variables in Part 1, Fines Paid Data, include the total amount of the fine and how much of the fine was applied to probation fees, reimbursement, restitution, and victim compensation. Part 2, Official Records Data, contains background information such as arrest history, marital status, education, drug use, and drug treatment. Additional information includes current arrest, recommended sentence, disposition, sentence imposed, employment and income, and risk/needs assessment. Six- and 12-month reviews collected data on supervisory status, technical violations, new arrests, payment enforcement, and payment term revisions.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs

Systematic Review of School-Based Programs to Reduce Bullying and Victimization, 1983-2009 (ICPSR 31703)

Released/updated on: 2014-01-24
Geographic coverage: United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Global, Spain, New Zealand, Greece, Canada, Czech Republic, Norway, Ireland, Finland, South Africa, Italy, Slovakia, Australia, Germany
Time period: 1983-01-01--2009-01-01
The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of school-based anti-bullying programs in reducing school bullying. The following criteria were used for the inclusion of studies in the systematic review: the study described an evaluation of a program designed specifically to reduce school (kindergarten to high school) bullying; bullying was defined as including: physical, verbal, or psychological attack or intimidation that is intended to cause fear, distress, or harm to the victim; and an imbalance of power, with the more powerful child (or children) oppressing less powerful ones; bullying (specifically) was measured using self-report questionnaires, peer ratings, teacher ratings, or observational data; the effectiveness of the program was measured by comparing students who received it (the experimental condition) with a comparison group of students who did not receive it (the control condition). There must have been some control of extraneous variables in the evaluation by (1) randomization, or (2) pre-test measures of bulling, or (3) choosing some kind of comparable control condition; published and unpublished reports of research conducted in developed countries between 1983 and 2009 were included; and it was possible to measure the effect size. Several search strategies were used to identify 89 anti-bully studies meeting the criteria for inclusion in this review: researchers searched for the names of established researchers in the area of bullying prevention; researchers conducted a keyword search of 18 electronic databases; researchers conducted a manual search of 35 journals, either online or in print, from 1983 until the end of May 2009; and researchers sought information from key researchers on bullying and from international colleagues in the Campbell Collaboration. Studies included in the review were coded for the following key features: research design, sample size, publication date, location of the study, average age of the children, and the duration and intensity of the anti-bullying program for both the children and the teachers.
Curated

Crime Commission Rates Among Incarcerated Felons in Nebraska, 1986-1990 (ICPSR 9916)

Released/updated on: 1994-02-17
Geographic coverage: United States, Nebraska
Time period: 1986-01-01--1990-01-01
These data focus on rates of criminal offending obtained through the use of self-report surveys. Specifically, the study investigates whether two different types of self-report surveys produce different estimates of lambda, an individual's frequency of criminal offending. The surveys, which were administered during personal interviews with inmates in Nebraska prisons, differed in how respondents were asked about their frequency of criminal offending. The more detailed survey asked respondents to indicate their offenses on a month-by-month basis for the reporting period. The less detailed survey only asked respondents to indicate their offending for the entire reporting period. These data also provide information on the relationship between race and offending frequencies, the rates of offending over time and by crime category, and the individual's subjective probability of punishment and offending frequency. The specific crimes targeted in this collection include burglary, business robbery, personal robbery, assault, theft, forgery, fraud, drug dealing, and rape. All respondents were asked questions on criminal history, substance abuse, attitudes about crime and the judicial system, predictions of future criminal behavior, and demographic information, including age, race, education, and marital status.
Curated
Partially restricted

Rape Prevention Through Bystander Education at a Northeastern State University, 2002-2004 (ICPSR 4367)

Released/updated on: 2008-05-13
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2002-09-01--2004-02-01
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a rape prevention program that used a community of responsibility model to teach women and men how to intervene safely and effectively in cases of sexual violence before, during, and after incidents with strangers, acquaintances, or friends. Instead of focusing on women as potential victims and men as potential perpetrators, the program was different from other prevention programs in that it approached both women and men as potential bystanders or witnesses to behaviors related to sexual violence. Three hundred and eighty-nine undergraduate students were recruited to participant in the study in the spring (first wave) and fall (second wave) semesters of 2003 at a northeastern state university in the United States. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups or a control group. All first-wave participants filled out pretest questionnaires (Part 1), post-test questionnaires (Part 2), and questionnaires two (Part 3) and twelve (Part 4) months following the first post test. Those in the first wave experimental conditions participated in the one-session or three-session training program prior to filling out the post-test questionnaire, and they participated in a booster session before filling out the questionnaire at the two-month mark. Second-wave participants experienced similar treatments through the two-month follow-up questionnaire. After that, they received a four-month follow-up questionnaire (Part 5) at the same time that the first-wave participants did their twelve-month follow-up questionnaire. Numerous demographic variables are included in the study, along with variables from 15 different scales, a knowledge questionnaire, responses to vignettes, and respondents' own experiences with sexual violence.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs

Evaluation of Camera Use to Prevent Crime in Commuter Parking Facilities within the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Parking Facilities, 2004-2009 (ICPSR 32521)

Released/updated on: 2015-02-27
Geographic coverage: District of Columbia
Time period: 2004-01-01--2010-01-01

This study sought to identify what parking facility characteristics and management practices within the Washington Metro Transit Police (MTP) might create opportunities for crime, analyze those findings in relation to past crimes, and identify promising crime reduction strategies. The project consisted of three main research components: (1) identification of the magnitude of car crime in commuter parking facilities and possible strategies for prevention of such car crime; (2) identification and implementation of a crime prevention strategy; and (3) evaluation of the strategy's effectiveness.

In partnership with the MTP staff, the research team created a blocked randomized experimental design involving 50 matched pairs of commuter parking facilities in which a combination of live and dummy digital cameras were deployed, along with accompanying signage, at the exits of one randomly selected facility from each pairing. After a period of 12 months following camera implementation, the research team analyzed the impact of the cameras on crime occurring in and around Metro's parking facilities.

Curated

Effectiveness of a Joint Police and Social Services Response to Elder Abuse in Manhattan [New York City], New York, 1996-1997 (ICPSR 3130)

Released/updated on: 2005-11-04
Geographic coverage: New York City, United States, New York (state)
Time period: 1996-01-01--1997-01-01
This project consisted of an evaluation of an elder abuse program run by the New York Police Department and Victim Services Research. The focus of the study was domestic elder abuse, which generally refers to any of several forms of maltreatment, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, neglect, and/or financial exploitation of an older person. The program, conducted in New York City public housing, had two complementary parts. First, public housing projects in Manhattan were assigned to one of two levels of public education (i.e., to receive or not to receive educational materials about elder abuse). Once the public education treatment had been implemented, 403 older adult residents of the housing projects who reported elder abuse to the police during the next ten months were assigned to one of two levels of follow-up to the initial police response (i.e., to receive or not to receive a home visit) as the second part of the project. The home visit intervention consisted of a strong law enforcement response designed to prevent repeat incidents of elder abuse. A team from the Domestic Violence Intervention and Education Program (DVIEP), consisting of a police officer and a social worker, followed up on domestic violence complaints with a home visit within a few days of the initial patrol response. Victims were interviewed about new victimizations following the intervention on three occasions: six weeks after the trigger incident, six months after the trigger incident, and twelve months after the trigger incident. Interviews at the three time points were identical except for the omission of background information on the second and third interviews. Demographic data collected during the first interview included age, gender, ethnicity, education, employment, income, legal relationship with abuser, living situation, number of people in the household, and health. For each time point, data provide measures of physical, psychological, and financial abuse, knowledge of elder abuse, knowledge and use of social services, satisfaction with the police, assessment of service delivery, and self-esteem and well-being. The DVIEP databases maintained on households at each of the three participating Police Service Areas (PSAs) were searched to identify new police reports of elder abuse for households in the sample within 12 months following the trigger incident. Variables from the DVIEP databases include age, race, ethnicity, and sex of the victim and the perpetrator, relationship of perpetrator to victim, type of abuse reported, charge, whether an arrest was made, if an order of protection had been obtained, if the order of protection was violated, use of weapons, if the victim had been injured, and if the victim was taken to the hospital. Several time lapse variables between different time points are also provided.
Curated

Evaluating a Collaborative Intervention Between Health Care and Criminal Justice in Harris County, Texas, 2001-2002 (ICPSR 3542)

Released/updated on: 2005-11-04
Geographic coverage: United States, Texas
Time period: 2001-01-01--2002-01-01
This study sought to evaluate the Advocacy-Case Management Intervention designed to increase victim safety and the efficiency of the protection order process. The intervention was performed by registered nurses as part of a collaborative partnership between justice and health care agencies. A two-group experimental design using random assignments to control and experimental groups was used. The study subjects were women who qualified for a civil protection order against a sexual intimate. These women were contacted via telephone for initial interviews, as well as for three-, six-, 12-, and 18-month follow-up interviews. Variables were obtained from several instruments used to measure victim safety-seeking behaviors and levels of violence and harassment.
Curated

Testing the Effects of Selected Jury Trial Innovations on Juries' Comprehension of DNA Evidence in New Castle County, Delaware, 2003 (ICPSR 4356)

Released/updated on: 2006-01-06
Geographic coverage: United States, Delaware
Time period: 2003-10-14--2003-12-16
This study tested whether the use of selected jury trial reforms enhanced jurors' understanding of complex and challenging scientific evidence presented during a criminal trial. The study examined the use of several jury reform techniques using a controlled mock jury approach in which mock juries composed of jury pool members watched a videotaped armed robbery trial featuring conflicting expert testimony about mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) evidence. A total of 480 mock jurors were randomly assigned to eight-person juries and to one of the six conditions in the experiment. Ten mock juries were run in each of the six conditions (No Innovations, Note Taking, Question Asking and Note Taking, DNA Checklist and Note Taking, Jury Notebook and Note Taking, and All Innovations). At various points throughout the study (before the trial, after watching the videotaped trial, and after reaching a verdict), mock jurors were asked to complete questionnaires to gauge their understanding of mtDNA and the mtDNA evidence presented during the trial. They were also asked if and how the use of the jury trial innovations helped in their understanding of the mtDNA evidence. Specific variables contained in the study include demographic variables of the mock jurors, including their math and science background, mock jurors' views of science, their understanding of mtDNA, their perceptions of the reliability of different types of evidence, and the credibility of the prosecutor, defense attorney, detective, eyewitness, defendant, and expert witnesses, and whether the mock jurors favor or oppose the various innovations.
Curated
Restricted

Expanded Assessment of the Consequences of Imprisonment for Employment in Maricopa County, Arizona from 2011-2012 (ICPSR 35613)

Released/updated on: 2017-08-25
Geographic coverage: Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona
Time period: 2012-07-01--2012-09-01, 2011-01-01--2012-01-01, 2011-01-01--2012-01-01

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 completed a three-year study of the impact of a prison record on gaining employment. It included two separate experiments and an employer survey in the research. The first experiment involved the submission of more than 6,000 online applications for entry-level jobs. The second experiment sent individuals (auditors) to apply for 60 jobs in-person. The third research method was a survey conducted among 49 employers, all of whom were included in the second experiment.

The collection contains 3 SPSS data files:

  1. file1-male_and_female_inperson_data.sav (n=518; 17 variables)
  2. file2-employer_survey-ICPSR.sav (n=48; 79 variables)
  3. file3-male_and_female_online_data.sav (n=6,198; 19 variables)
Curated

A Group Randomized Trial of Restorative Justice Programming to Address the School to Prison Pipeline, Reduce Aggression and Violence, and Enhance School Safety in Middle and High School Students, North Carolina, 2014-2018 (ICPSR 37293)

Released/updated on: 2020-03-30
Geographic coverage: North Carolina
Time period: 2014-01-01--2018-12-31
The project's overarching goals are to improve the knowledge and understanding of school safety and violence, and to enhance school safety programs through rigorous social and behavioral science research. This research project will meet these goals by implementing and evaluating a restorative justice school safety initiative that: 1) reduces bullying perpetration and victimization, aggression, and violence, 2) enhances school safety and mental health in middle and high school students, and 3) reduces the school to prison pipeline by diverting first offenders from the juvenile justice system into Teen Courts. In meeting this objective, we will implement and evaluate an innovative school safety initiative that includes a comprehensive school-based needs assessments using the School Success Profile-Plus (SSP+) student reporting system. In addition, Teen Courts will be implemented in schools to emphasize restorative justice, keep first time offenders out of the juvenile justice system, and reduce the school to prison pipeline. We will evaluate the efficacy of this restorative justice initiative for promoting school safety and reducing violence, by conducting a rigorous experimental trial of 24 middle- and high-schools that are randomly selected to either conduct SSP+ assessments and receive school-based Teen Courts (n=12) or to conduct SSP+ assessments without Teen Court programming (n=12).
Curated

Evaluation of Gender Violence and Harassment Prevention Programs in Middle Schools in Cleveland, Ohio, 2006-2007 [United States] (ICPSR 22660)

Released/updated on: 2010-11-12
Geographic coverage: United States, Ohio, Cleveland
Time period: 2006-11-01--2007-05-01
The study was designed to help increase the capacity of programs to prevent gender violence and harassment (GV/H) among middle school youth. The long-term goal of the study was to help prevent intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and sexual harassment by employing rigorous methods to evaluate strategies for altering violence-supportive attitudes and norms of youth. Specifically, the study was structured to evaluate the relative effectiveness of common approaches to youth GV/H prevention programming (in terms of knowledge, attitudes, intended behavior, behavior, and emotional safety of youth participants) for one of the youngest populations ever studied in this area. In a longitudinal randomized controlled trial study, two five-lesson curricula were created to address gender violence and harassment (GV/H) in middle schools, and classrooms were assigned randomly to treatment and control groups. Treatment 1 was an interaction-based curriculum focused on the setting and communication of boundaries in relationships, the determination of wanted and unwanted behaviors, and the role of the bystander as intervener. Treatment 2 was a law and justice curriculum focused on laws, definitions, information, and data about penalties for sexual assault and sexual harassment. The control group did not receive either treatment. Pencil-and-paper surveys were designed for students to complete, and were administered either by a member of the research team or by teachers who were trained by a member of the research team in proper administration processes. Data were collected from three inner-ring suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, from November 2006 to May 2007. Surveys were distributed at three different times: immediately before the assignment to one of the three study conditions, immediately after the treatment (or control condition) was completed, and 5-6 months after their assignment to one of the three study conditions. The data contain responses for 1,507 students over 3 waves. Additionally, researchers used multiple imputations for this dataset which resulted in 5 imputed datasets for each record for a total of 7,535 cases in the data file. The data have 697 variables, including from such questions as whether someone had ever or in the past 6 months done something to the respondent such as slapped or scratched the respondent, hit the respondent, or threatened the respondent. Additionally, respondents were asked if they had done these same actions to someone else. Respondents were also asked a series of questions regarding whether they had ever been sexually harassed by someone or if they had sexually harassed someone themselves. Next, respondents were asked to rate whether they agreed with a series of statements such as "It is all right for a girl to ask a boy out on a date", "If you ignore sexual harassment, more than likely it will stop", and "Making sexual comments to a girl is wrong". Students were then asked to indicate whether a series of statements were true or false, such as "If two kids who are both under the age of 16 have sex, it is not against the law" and "If a person is not physically harming someone, then they are not really abusive". Respondents were then asked to read three scenarios and indicate how they would respond in that scenario. Also, students indicated how likely they would be to react in specified ways to a prepared statement. Data also provide demographic information such as age, gender, and ethnic/racial background, as well as variables to generically identify school district, school, and class period.
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Preventing Revictimization in Teen Dating Relationships, 2010-2013, Denver, Colorado (ICPSR 34599)

Released/updated on: 2016-10-28
Geographic coverage: Colorado, Denver
Time period: 2010-01-01--2013-01-01

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 study addressed the urgent need to target interventions to high risk groups, such as teen girls who have come to the attention of the child welfare system; rigorously test interventions grounded in empirical research on revictimization; and examine processes implied by revictimization theories. In particular, adolescent girls recruited from the child welfare system were randomized to one of two revictimization prevention conditions: social learning/feminist and risk detection/executive function.

The study contains one data file with 180 cases and 545 variables.

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Evaluation of a Hot Spot Policing Field Experiment in St. Louis, 2012 - 2014 (ICPSR 36129)

Released/updated on: 2017-12-07
Geographic coverage: Missouri, St. Louis
Time period: 2012-01-01--2013-10-01

These data are part of NACJDs 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.

The two central objectives of this project were (1) to evaluate the effect on crime of a targeted patrol strategy mounted by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) and (2) to evaluate the researcher-practitioner partnership that underlay the policing intervention.

The study addressed the following research questions:

  1. Do intensified police patrols and enforcement in crime hot spots result in larger reductions in firearm assaults and robberies than in similar areas subject to routine police activity?
  2. Do specific enforcement tactics decrease certain type of crime?
  3. Which enforcement tactics are most effective?
  4. Does video surveillance reduce crime?
  5. How does the criminal justice system respond to firearm crime?
  6. Do notification meetings reduce recidivism?
  7. Does community unrest increase crime?
  8. Did crime rates rise following the Ferguson Killing?

To answer these questions, researchers used a mixed methods data collection plan, including interviews with local law enforcement, surveillance camera footage, and conducting ride-alongs with officers.

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An Evaluation of Victim Centered, Trauma Informed Interview Training for Sexual Assault Investigators using Standardized Patient Actors: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Kentucky, 2019-2022 (ICPSR 38497)

Released/updated on: 2024-01-16
Geographic coverage: United States, Kentucky
Time period: 2019-11-01--2021-08-01
In 2019, the National Institute of Justice funded the University of Louisville and the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training to form a multidisciplinary team that implemented and evaluated a 40-hour training course on victim centered, trauma informed interview techniques for sexual assault investigators. This study used a randomized experimental design to assign 8 training courses to treatment (4 courses) and control (4 courses) groups between November of 2019 and August of 2021 to assess the effects of training on behavioral, attitudinal, and cognitive outcomes.
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Impact of Oleoresin Capsicum Spray on Respiratory Function in Human Subjects in the Sitting and Prone Maximal Restraint Positions in San Diego County, 1998 (ICPSR 2961)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30
Geographic coverage: San Diego, United States, California
Oleoresin capsicum (OC), or pepper spray, has gained wide acceptance as standard police equipment in law enforcement as a swift and effective method to subdue violent, dangerous suspects in the field. As a use-of-force method, however, OC spray has been alleged in the media to have been associated with a number of in-custody deaths. The goal of this study was to assess the safety of a commercially available OC spray in use by law enforcement agencies nationwide. The study was conducted as a randomized, cross-over, controlled trial on volunteer human subjects recruited from the local law enforcement training academy in San Diego County, California. Subjects participated in four different experimental trials in random order over two separate days in a pulmonary function testing laboratory: (a) placebo spray exposure followed by sitting position, (b) placebo spray exposure followed by restraint position, (c) OC spray exposure followed by sitting position, and (d) OC spray exposure followed by restraint position. Prior to participation, subjects completed a short questionnaire regarding their health status, history of lung disease and asthma, smoking history, medication use, and respiratory inhaler medication use. Prior to exposure, subjects also underwent a brief screening spirometry in the sitting position by means of a portable spirometry device to determine baseline pulmonary function. Subjects then placed their heads in a 5' x 3' x 3' exposure box that allowed their faces to be exposed to the spray. A one-second spray was delivered into the box from the end opposite the subject (approximately five feet away). Subjects remained in the box for five seconds after the spray was delivered. During this time, subjects underwent impedance monitoring to assess whether inhalation of the OC or placebo spray had occurred. After this exposure period, subjects were placed in either the sitting or prone maximal restraint position. Subjects remained in these positions for ten minutes. Repeat spirometric measurements were performed, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, end-tidal carbon dioxide levels, and pulse rate were recorded, and an arterial blood sample was drawn. A total of 34 subjects completed the study, comprising 128 separate analyzable study trials. Variables provided in all three parts of this collection include subject's age, gender, ethnicity, height, weight, body mass index, past medical history, tobacco use history, and history of medication use, as well as OC spray or placebo exposure and sitting or restraint position during the trial. Part 1 also includes tidal volume, respiratory rate, and heart rate at baseline and at 1, 5, 7, and 9 minutes, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure at baseline and at 3, 6, and 9 minutes. Additional variables in Part 2 include predicted forced vital capacity and predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second, and the same measures at baseline, 1.5 minutes, and 10 minutes. Derived variables include percent predicted and mean percent predicted values involving the above variables. Part 3 also provides end-tidal carbon dioxide and oxygenation levels, oxygen saturation, oxygen consumption at baseline and at 1, 5, 7, and 9 minutes, blood pH, partial pressure of oxygen, and partial pressure of carbon dioxide at 8 minutes.
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Registry of Randomized Criminal Justice Experiments in Sanctions, 1951-1983 (ICPSR 9668)

Released/updated on: 1997-08-15
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1951-01-01--1983-01-01
This registry categorizes, summarizes, and analyzes datasets containing information on randomized criminal justice experiments in sanctions. These datasets vary in methodology, geographic region, and other aspects. Among the topics covered in this registry are the nature of offense being sanctioned, type of sanction, racial and sexual composition of the sample, and procedures and outcomes of each collection.
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Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating a Police Fatigue Risk-Management Strategy for the Seattle Police Department, Washington, 2020-2023 (ICPSR 39029)

Released/updated on: 2025-07-10
Geographic coverage: Seattle, United States, Washington
Time period: 2020-01-01--2023-01-01

The goal of the project was to improve police officers' sleep, health, safety, and wellness, thus improving the quality of police services. Using a multi-phase, mixed method approach, the core objectives included:

  1. Measure the effects of work schedules and sleep loss on Seattle Police Department (SPD) officer health, wellness, safety, and quality of life.

  2. Develop a fatigue risk management strategy, informed by the data collected during objective one.

  3. Using a randomized control trial design, implement the resulting fatigue risk management strategy across the SPD, which is a large municipal police department (approximately 1,500 sworn officers)

  4. Measure the effectiveness of the fatigue risk management strategy.

The main research questions the study sought to address were as follows:

  1. What are the effects of shift work, work hours, sleep loss, and fatigue on police officers' safety, health, and quality of life?

  2. Can a fatigue risk management strategy influence these effects?

Variables include measures of officers' sleep patterns and sleep quality, physical and mental health metrics, descriptions of the officers' role at the SPD, and demographic variables including age, gender, and race/ethnicity.