Citation URL: http://www.urban.org/JesseJannetta

Agricultural crime, including theft of farming-related commodities, supplies, and equipment, causes billions of dollars of losses each year to farmers, insurers, and consumers. Drawing on analyses of law enforcement, farm survey, site visit, and interview data, the Urban Institute and Florida State University evaluated the theory and impacts of a promising initiative in California—the Agricultural Crime, Technology, Information, and Operations Network (ACTION) project—aimed at addressing this problem. ACTION collects and analyzes agricultural crime data; encourages and enables information-sharing among law enforcement agencies and prosecutors within and across counties; educates the public and farmers about agricultural crime and how to combat it; marks equipment with owner applied numbers (OANs); and promotes aggressive law enforcement and prosecution. ACTION's activities appear to have reduced victimization and to have increased agricultural crime arrests and prosecutions, recovery of stolen property, and farmers' investment in crime prevention. This report describes the study and findings in detail.

Agricultural crime, including theft of farming-related commodities, supplies, and equipment, causes billions of dollars of losses each year to farmers, insurers, and consumers. Drawing on analyses of law enforcement, farm survey, site visit, and interview data, the Urban Institute and Florida State University evaluated the theory and impacts of a promising initiative in California—the Agricultural Crime, Technology, Information, and Operations Network (ACTION) project—aimed at addressing this problem. ACTION collects and analyzes agricultural crime data; encourages and enables information-sharing among law enforcement agencies and prosecutors within and across counties; educates the public and farmers about agricultural crime and how to combat it; marks equipment with owner applied numbers (OANs); and promotes aggressive law enforcement and prosecution. ACTION's activities appear to have reduced victimization and to have increased agricultural crime arrests and prosecutions, recovery of stolen property, and farmers' investment in crime prevention. This policy brief summarizes the study's key findings and its policy, theory, and research recommendations.

This research brief presents findings from an exploratory study of the health care needs and experiences of seriously ill prisoners returning to Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2004, Urban Institute researchers interviewed 81 male prisoners with serious mental or physical health problems as they prepared for release. After their release, respondents participated in focus groups about their experiences with health care and other services in the community. Focus groups were also conducted with health care and social service providers serving former prisoners. Former prisoners with serious physical or mental health problems and health care and social service providers agreed that a seamless transition from care inside the prison walls to care on the outside must take place if released prisoners are to be successful in their return to the community. [View the corresponding press release]

This report describes findings from seven focus groups conducted by the Urban Institute with Rhode Island service providers and current and released prisoners across a variety of subject areas related to prisoner reentry. The focus groups were commissioned as part of Rhode Island's participation in the National Governors Association's Prisoner Reentry State Policy Academy. The overriding themes that emerged from the focus groups included a lack of coordination between the department of corrections and state and local service providers; the belief that prisoners are not adequately prepared for reentry prior to their release, and a general consensus that the demand for community services to assist released prisoners far exceeds the supply.

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