Terence Dunworth, Center Director

Our in-depth studies of prisoners reentering society have informed and guided policy debates for seven years. Through interviews with prisoners before and after release, as well as government officials, civic leaders, and others with a stake in moving prisoners into the community, our research reveals barriers to reentry, but also potential solutions. In 2007, we studied hundreds of prisoners in communities in Cleveland, Chicago, and Texas and shared our findings with practitioners and decisionmakers.

The Justice Policy Center coined a new word in 2007: iCrime. Our researchers proposed that the rise in violent crime is directly linked to the explosive popularity of iPods. The expensive new products are one-size-fits-all, easy to identify, and easy to steal since iPod listeners are usually distracted. The idea sparked debate in the media both here and abroad.

We published the first formal study of Florida’s faith-based correctional facility, which relies on faith and spirituality for rehabilitation. Florida is the first state to convert a whole prison into a faith-based correctional facility. We found great promise in Florida’s model and suggested ways to improve and expand the program.

Two years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, the long-term damage is still coming to light. A city already plagued by crime and policed by agencies criticized for weak management saw increased violence and disarray after the storm. To document the facts behind the headlines, our researchers examined the criminal justice system before and after Katrina. The lessons we learned from New Orleans, including improvements in planning, communication technology, and interagency coordination, can be applied to criminal justice systems across the country.

JPC’s research expanded in new areas in 2007, including studies of human trafficking, eyewitness identification procedures, and the operations of county-level prosecutors. We also began calculating the amount of taxpayer dollars spent on death penalty cases in Maryland—a cost that had previously only been estimated.