Take a Closer Look
Gaps in Access to Justice: Examining How Victims Navigate Protective Order Systems
This paper examines the barriers victims face when navigating protective order systems, highlighting how factors like race, gender, and geography influence legal outcomes. Using data from Memphis and Shelby County, it underscores the need for coordinated, accessible support across law enforcement and the courts to ensure these legal tools effectively provide safety. Download and read the full report.
An Intragency Data Dashboard
This paper explores the benefits and challenges of implementing public-facing data dashboards to improve transparency, trust, and interagency coordination within the criminal justice system. By reviewing national models and local Memphis-based platforms, it provides a roadmap for developing a comprehensive, automated data-sharing infrastructure that supports evidence-based policy and community engagement. Download and read the full report.
Youth Curfew Laws and Enforcement
In 1880, Omaha, Nebraska, enacted the first juvenile curfew law in the United States. During the 1990s, with increased attention and concern about juvenile crime, juvenile victimization, gun violence, and gang activity, cities started implementing juvenile curfew laws. In 1996, during this tough-on-crime era, President Bill Clinton publicly supported curfew laws to combat juvenile crime rates and truancy, since truancy was seen as an early sign of possible criminal behavior. One of the driving factors behind this push was that juveniles accounted for 30.89% of all arrests in 1996. Download and read the full report.
The Boarding School Model for Vulnerable Youth
The goal of this paper is to explore the academic literature pertaining to boarding schools for vulnerable youth, particularly boarding schools that operate as non-profits or are publicly funded. First, the boarding school model itself is explored. Download and read the full report.
Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Violence Through Housing
Domestic and intimate partner violence is an important national issue. The term "domestic violence" (DV), often used interchangeably with "intimate partner violence" (IPV), focuses on physical, sexual, psychological, emotional and other forms of violence between and by romantic and marital partners (DV/IPV). Can addressing housing needs first help break the cycle of domestic violence? Download and read the full report.
Academic-Law Enforcement Partnerships: Benefits, Challenges, and Research Gaps
Since the early 1900s, law enforcement agencies in the United States, particularly police departments, have engaged in some form of academic-practitioner partnership, from informal collaborations to formal research projects. This best paper focuses on academic partnerships with law enforcement because these collaborations are the most established and well-documented in the criminal justice field. Download and read the full report.