Posts Tagged ‘evidence based practice’
Posted on: June 22nd, 2011 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Early this week, the U.S. Justice Department launched a new website. Crime Solutions does one simple thing – it tells me what works and what doesn’t when it comes to effective programs and initiatives in criminal justice, crime prevention and services for victims of crime.
I love their simple, and visual, rating system. It uses evidence based research to tell me whether or not a program is successful at achieving its goals. Brilliant.
If you’re a research geek like many of us in the Crime Prevention Council office, you can also dig into the methodology behind the reviews, the evaluation outcomes and the studies referenced in the process.
Smart on Crime in Waterloo Region clearly supports evidence based practice for crime prevention. In fact, we would go so far as to say that being smart on crime means we support initiatives and programs that are shown to work or have promise, and that we stop supporting initiatives and programs that don’t work.
Makes good, smart sense.
Public Safety Canada also publishes a list of Promising and Model Crime Prevention Programs. It’s always great to have access to Canadian examples and several of the projects listed in this report we are familiar with. It would be great to see some more dynamic information about the programs… the U.S Justice Department just might be leading the way on that front.
Posted on: May 20th, 2011 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Over the last 5 years, the province of Alberta (Canada) has been making and taking great strides in proactive crime prevention. Not just in theory, but in practice. Just last week, they released their Crime Prevention Framework.
“Research has shown us that reacting to crime with enforcement efforts does not result in reduction [of crime] to the levels Albertans want to see. Crime prevention through policies and programs that address the underlying factors contributing to crime is necessary if we are to make Alberta a safer place.”
“Crime prevention is a responsibility shared by individual citizens, families, neighbourhoods, municipalities, community-based service delivery agencies, the private sector, and all levels of government.”
It sounds like we’re singing from the same songbook… Here in Waterloo Region, we also have a root causes/risk factors approach to crime prevention and the belief that together, we can make our community stronger and safer.
‘Smart on crime’ is growing!
Posted on: April 26th, 2011 by Smart on Crime
Sounds like a smart approach to me.
As the United States struggles to deal with its over-burdened and over-flowing prison system, a great deal of evidence-based research is emerging that points toward options for reducing over-incarceration without compromising public safety and improving approaches for dealing with complex social issues.
A recent publication from the U.S. based Justice Policy Institute, “compares and contrasts the criminal justice policies and social, economic, and governmental structures of five countries – Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Finland and Germany – to the United States.”
“The United States incarcerates more people than any other nation and holds 25 percent of the world’s total imprisoned population,” said JPI executive director Tracy Velázquez. “As federal, state, and local governments are trying to make ends meet during particularly difficult economic times, they need to broadly rethink what options might be available to them. We hope this report helps policymakers re-imagine justice systems to save taxpayers money, treat people fairly and make us safer at the same time.”
This report also contains relevant information for Canada!
Posted on: March 24th, 2011 by Smart on Crime
Just think about it… a research centre whose sole purpose is to think creatively about how the courts and justice system can better serve citizens. That’s what you’ll find in the U.S.-based Center for Court Innovation that grew out of one Manhattan community court experiment in 1993. In 18 years, the evidence for community courts has shown that engaging the community in the court system, where they live, and providing practical, proactive approaches to solving individual and community issues leads to longer and more lasting change.
The Center for Court Innovation maintains a practice of “innovation based on evidence”. And others within the U.S. justice system, at the very top levels, agree. Mary Lou Leary of the U.S. Department of Justice sees the effectiveness of community courts in 5 basic principles; they:
- reduce crime by addressing root causes
- streamline the justice system by providing access directly within the community
- change sentencing practices of the courts by providing the system with more options than just fines and punishment
- solve individual problems with unique solutions
- increase public trust in the justice system
Watch this 10 minute video which highlights examples from across the U.S. My favourite part is at minute 7:15 where the Dallas Police Chief, David Brown, states, “community court is not soft on crime. It’s being smartest on crime; there’s smart, smarter and smartest. The smartest law enforcement agencies attend to the social service needs of the people who live there”.
Justice, community and civic leaders involved in community courts seem to be driven by the passion for change for people and the creative solutions to help them get there. That seems smart on crime to me: evidence-based, collaborative, cooperative, flexible and responsive and with a social change orientation.
There are currently 37 community courts in the United States, one in Vancouver, British Columbia, one in Liverpool, England and one in Melbourne Australia.
Posted on: March 16th, 2011 by Smart on Crime
Each month we focus on research, blogs and news from around the world addressing smart approaches to crime prevention. We’re always on the lookout for websites and resources to draw from. March kicked off with International Women’s Day earlier this month. It seems only fitting that we share some items related to women.
- [International] In 2007, the world’s population of people living in cities reached 50% and half of that number is women and girls. In many cities, women and girls remain particularly vulnerable to violence and crime. Women in Cities International (WICI) uses participatory research methods with groups of women in Argentina, Russia, Tanzania and India to produce the baseline findings in “Learning from women to create gender inclusive cities“. WICI doesn’t mince words when they say ensuring women’s safety should be of primary concern for urban governance and city development.
Download the Report | My City! My Safety! | WICI website
Download the Report | ICPC Website
- [United States] The state of Oklahoma sends more women to prison (per capita) than any other U.S. state. The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse aims to change that with its own “smart on crime” plan. Their proposal includes alternative interventions and programs at 17 different points between an arrest and incarceration. Their aim is to reduce prison costs, provide more rehabilitative options and reduce the impact of incarceration on families.
- [International] And of course, there are all the resources from the UN Women program for gender equality and the empowerment of women. They have pan-national studies, statistics and best practices beyond your imagination.
What additional resources would you recommend related to women, violence and crime? Have your read anything thought provoking that you care to share? Post a comment to let us (and other readers) know about it!
Posted on: March 8th, 2011 by Smart on Crime
International Women’s Day has come and gone 100 times and still, much remains to be done to address the inequitable status experienced by women and girls in all societies. Why does this matter for crime prevention?
Well, two World Health Organization (WHO) reports outline clearly that inequality can and does lead to violence: sexual violence, physical violence and emotional violence. All forms of violence are disproportionately experienced by women and girls in all countries across the world. The WHO advocates for an approach that addresses ALL aspects of violence where inequality is manifest; at home, in our communities, and finally in society at large.
Violence prevention: the evidence
Preventing intimate partner and sexual violence against women: Taking action and generating evidence
The WHO reports also show that in all areas, a direct connection can be made between experiences of inequality and experiences of violence. Women and girls remain less valued, less paid, less powerful than their male counterparts. When coupled with issues of problematic substance use, easy access to weapons, differential value based on gender and a family history of abuse and neglect, the consequences are all too visible in the lives of so many.
But not all is lost. And that is what makes the WHO reports so SMART. They show, through research, that as we make changes to the inequitable status of women and girls, violence decreases. School based programmes that challenge the perceptions that girls are inferior have been shown to be particularly effective. I encourage you to read the reports and look for areas where you can strive to implement more equal practices in your places of work, the community, at home and your places of faith.
Author: Christiane Sadeler, ED, Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Posted on: February 9th, 2011 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Measuring trends and services over time and within consistent categories is a strength that makes Correctional Services Canada reports a fascinating read. No, seriously! It’s true!
The 2010 report on corrections, crime and the criminal justice system provides data that can help with understanding some very complex issues. It also provides information needed by all levels of our community to make informed decisions based on sound evidence. We might even say that this data helps us to make “smart on crime” decisions.
The report, as in years past, draws comparisons between Canada and other countries. Canada’s rate of incarceration is higher than that of most Western countries but still falls well below that of the United States, where currently over 756 persons per 100 000 population are in jail. Or, did you know that most victims of violent crimes are younger than 30 years of age?
Why are these numbers important? What do they tell us over time? How do we change our systems as a result of knowing this information? What is the role of ‘smart’ prevention approaches to help reduce these numbers?
Didn’t we warn you it would be fascinating?
Posted on: December 30th, 2010 by Smart on Crime
Here’s something we would say fits solidly in the ‘Smart on Crime” camp. Today, the Waterloo Region Record reports on the announcement of a drug treatment court for the Waterloo Region and area.
The justice systems (police, corrections, courts) have long identified drug and alcohol addiction, along with mental health issues, to be at the root of a high percentage of cases ending up in the criminal justice system. Most agree the justice system is not the best place, or most cost effective, to treat a drug or alcohol addition. In fact, most cycle through the revolving door as the root cause of the issue is never addressed.
Alternative approaches, such as drug treatment courts, are some success in getting to the roots of addition, criminal activity and incarceration for some individuals… and breaking the cycle of crime.
Some additional links:
Update: On Thursday February 17, The Current, a program on CBC radio, interviewed the Calgary Chief of Police, Rick Hanson, about his plans for developing more effective ways to deal with additions in the justice system. The interview is well worth a listen – great food for thought!
Posted on: December 20th, 2010 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Mark Twain popularized the phrase “there are three types of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics”. Now, over 100 years later, the volume of information and the number of statistics we are exposed to has dramatically increased. If we believe an informed public is an important part of a healthy and engaged community, it is important that citizens understand statistical jargon and how statistics can be used to hide what is really taking place in the world.
So here begins our mission: to debunk crime and crime prevention statistics for the rest of us!
“By the Numbers” will take an in depth look at crime statistics and research. It will help us, and a community engaged in crime prevention, to understand and challenge statistics and they way they are used to share and present information, influence and justify policy decisions and explain what’s happening in the world today.
Take for example a newspaper article that discusses a murder rate increase of 25%. This statistic seems alarming. However, if the rate increases to five murders from the previous year of four murders, does the statistic still seem as shocking? This is a classic way to lie with statistics, without actually lying. Presenting percentage changes instead of absolute changes creates a misleading perception. The reverse can also be done. For example, saying that break and enters increased by 75 incidents sounds like a lot. But, if there were 7,500 break and enters in the previous year… an increase of 75 represents only a 1% increase.
I bet you’re intrigued now and can’t wait for more!
“By the Numbers” contributors will include Anthony Piscitelli, Research Supervisor at WRCPC, Jessica Hutchison, Research Analyst at WRCPC and other special guests.
Posted on: December 2nd, 2010 by Smart on Crime
Lunch programs, after-school groups and homework clubs do more than give kids full bellies, friends and better marks.
Years later, they may also keep them from committing crimes and make those children less likely to need costly special education programs.
Those conclusions are among the latest findings of a nearly 20-year-long study that has tracked hundreds of kids from disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Ontario.
The project, Better Beginnings, Better Futures, is a massive undertaking that has involved researchers from universities across the province, including three from Wilfrid Laurier University.
WLU psychology professors Geoff Nelson, Mark Pancer and Colleen Loomis hope the province takes notice of their ongoing project’s latest findings — piling more evidence onto their argument that at-risk children who participate in early prevention programs are more likely to succeed later in life.
“When we first started, we weren’t sure if this kind of approach would work. But the striking thing is we find some pretty significant impacts, not only on the children, but on their families and on whole neighbourhoods,” Pancer said.
At the time, it was a four-year program that spanned junior kindergarten to Grade 2, and gave children things like in-school help, nutrition and behavioural programs. Their parents and neighbourhoods got to choose what was offered, hired staff, and received programs ranging from job search help, parenting and language training.
In the latest findings, children in three participating neighbourhoods — Cornwall, west-end Toronto and Sudbury — were compared with kids from two communities with similar economic conditions and characteristics who did not go through the program.
The result? Years later, the kids who went through the Better Beginnings programs were less likely to commit property crime, more likely to have success in school and socially, and had better-functioning families. They had fewer emotional and behavioural problems, too.
The program also saved governments money on things like special education programs, child welfare and youth court expenses, Pancer said. Later on, he expects those savings will grow, as the participating kids stay out of the welfare system and criminal careers.
At a cost of about $1,000 per child, that’s money well spent, the researchers say, considering it costs over $100,000 a year to incarcerate a person in Canada.
“It just makes economic sense,” Pancer said. “We’re already seeing significant financial savings.”
The findings come as no surprise to people who work closely with young children.
The school system, they say, has long played a large role in determining success later in life, including crime prevention. They say a struggling child who never gets help in those early years has a much greater chance of having a troubled life later on.
“The earlier you can intervene and spot the difficulties students are having, the better off they’ll be down the road. You’ll have people who are better equipped to survive in today’s world,” said John Shewchuk, chair of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council and spokesperson for the local Catholic school board.
“There are many, many thousands sitting in prison right now because those kind of early intervention programs were never there for them when they needed them.”
But it’s not just schools that have a role, Pancer said. Community-based programs like those offered by the Lang’s Farm Village Association can also make the kind of differences the Better Beginnings projects illustrates.
Bill Davidson, Lang’s Farm executive director, said this kind of study is important because it proves claims long made by childhood programs — from recreational to social — that say they set kids up for better lives, he said.
He’d like to see the Better Beginnings program expanded across the province.
“It’s making the kind of difference that it should,” he said. “But I think most countries are slow to adapt to this kind of thinking. Part of the problem is we haven’t had the evidence, prior to now, to demonstrate that.”
Advocates say expanding Better Beginnings into Waterloo Region wouldn’t be that difficult. It could be added to programs already in place here to make a more comprehensive approach to early childhood prevention, said Natalie Brown, co-ordinator of the Alliance for Children and Youth of Waterloo Region.
From the Waterloo Region Record, Thursday December 2, 2010
gmercer@therecord.com
