The Office of Justice Programs has a new website that makes it easier to discover what programs work in reducing crime, and what programs fail. The website lists 204 programs that have been thoroughly evaluated. Of that number, 63 were deemed to be effective, 120 were rated “promising” and 21 failed to meet set standards for effectiveness.
CrimeSolutions.gov informs visitors to the website that the ratings were determined by reviewing up to three studies “representing the most rigorous evaluation research available, which are then “selected to comprise the program’s evidence base.” Those reviewing the studies use a standardized “Scoring Instrument” and score each study on the following:
Program’s Conceptual Framework
Study Design Quality
Study Outcomes
Program Fidelity
Programs from outside of the United States are evaluated and included in the ratings list, although the majority of the evaluated studies have taken place in America. The entries are listed by title, evidence rating, topics, and summary.
The crime prevention measures rated as effective include simple programs such as erecting alley gates to prevent burglaries in Liverpool, England), to more complex programs that include the Los Angeles school district’s Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS). Programs that were rated promising range from CeaseFire, a Chicago-based violence prevention and outreach organization (see Reentry Central Former Gang Members Work to Bring Peace to the Streets 08-02-10), to a Florida electronic monitoring program.
Drug Abuse Resistance Education + Play and Learn Under Supervision (DARE + PLUS), an anti-drug program targeting middle and late elementary school students was listed as promising, while its prototype, Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), was rated as having no effect. The federal government’s Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI), was another promising program that was found to be ineffective.
For criminal justice policy makers and service providers, CrimeSolutions.gov is an invaluable tool for determining what type of programs are successful in reducing crime, and what type of programs have been tried, and failed. To see all of the programs that have been rated, click on “All Programs” on the menu bar of the link below.
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