DOJ Launches Website to Review Effectiveness of Criminal Justice Programs

On June 22, the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a new website, crimesolutions.gov, which will provide a central, credible source for practitioners and policymakers to evaluate what works in criminal justice, juvenile justice and crime victim services. The website was unveiled at the National Institute of Justice's annual crime research conference.

The project began in 2009 under the direction of Assistant Attorney General for Justice Programs Laurie O. Robinson. A team from her office and the Maryland-based private Development Services Group worked together to create the database by reviewing academic studies assessing hundreds of anticrime programs under specific standards.

The website includes information on more than 150 justice-related programs and assigns ratings - effective, promising or no effect - based on whether or not the program achieved its goals. All programs included on the website are aimed at reducing crime or related behaviors, target an at-risk population, decrease victimization or improve the justice system. They are reviewed by a panel of experts who are certified by the Department of Justice and evaluated in four areas including conceptual frame work, research design, outcome evidence and fidelity.

"We all have tight budgets today. CrimeSolutions.gov helps us take a ‘smart on crime' approach that relies on data-driven, evidence-based analysis to identify and replicate justice-related programs that have shown real results in preventing and reducing crime and serving crime victims," said Robinson.

The website is part of the Evidence Integration Initiative, with the goals of improving the quantity and quality of evidence the Office of Justice Programs generates; integrating evidence into program, practice and policy decisions within law enforcement; and utilizing evidence to inform justice-related practices. It divides programs into eight justice-related topics including corrections, courts, crime prevention, substance abuse, juveniles, law enforcement, technology and forensics and victims.

The website includes various functions to easily find information with keyword search, browse by topic and advanced search capabilities.

Phelan Wyrick, senior policy advisor within the Office of Justice Programs, said lawmakers should not limit their funding to only those programs on the list, as it would stifle innovation and limit research in important areas. However, he did note that the website provides lawmakers a way to see what isn't working.
"We get pressure from lawmakers to keep funding things that just don't work," said Wyrick. "This lets us have an objective source to show how well it works."