View Research by Author - Pamela Lachman

Publications

Just over a quarter of youth in a current or recent relationship experience cyber dating abuse victimization, with girls more likely to experience abuse than boys. Victims of sexually-oriented cyber abuse are seven times more likely to experience sexual coercion. These and other findings from a survey of 5,647 youth in three northeastern states shed new light on how technology is used to perpetrate abuse and sexual violence among youth, as well as implications for prevention and intervention.

This compilation of papers examines how and why police stop and search pedestrians, and what the impact of that practice is on communities and public safety. Each paper presents the topic from researcher to practitioner perspectives with a primary focus on the implications for law enforcement practice. The papers discuss issues such as citizens' perceptions of street stops and their implications for police legitimacy; the disproportionate impact of street stops in communities of color; and ways in which stops and searches could be conducted in a manner that preserves police-community relations.

This study analyzed the results of new DNA testing of old physical evidence from 634 sexual assault and homicide cases that took place in Virginia between 1973 and 1987 in the first study of the effects of DNA testing on wrongful conviction in a large and approximately random sample of serious crime convictions. The study found that in five percent of homicide and sexual assault cases DNA testing eliminated the convicted offender as the source of incriminating physical evidence. When sexual assault convictions were isolated, DNA testing eliminated between 8 and 15 percent of convicted offenders and supported exoneration. Past estimates generally put the rate of wrongful conviction at or less than three percent.

This publication is one of three policy briefs designed to guide local policymakers in undertaking justice reinvestment, a data-driven strategy to identify the drivers of criminal justice system costs and make more efficient use of resources while maintaining public safety. This brief focuses on the specific justice reinvestment task of tracking costs and anticipated savings to target reinvestment. It provides guidance on how to: conduct a comprehensive assessment of local justice spending; assess cost implications for agencies outside of the criminal justice system; and target reinvestment efforts. Additional resources and a "getting started" worksheet are included in an appendix.

This publication is one of three policy briefs designed to guide local policymakers in undertaking justice reinvestment, a data-driven strategy to identify the drivers of criminal justice system costs and make more efficient use of resources while maintaining public safety. Using the fictional example of Doe County, the brief details the data that various agencies must share and analyze in order to identify cost and population drivers, and provides examples of how data analysis findings can be used to formulate policy changes and reinvestment strategies. Additional resources and a "getting started" worksheet are included in an appendix.

This publication is one of three policy briefs designed to guide local policymakers in undertaking justice reinvestment, a data-driven strategy to identify the drivers of criminal justice system costs and make more efficient use of resources while maintaining public safety. This brief discusses the central role of strategic planning entities in the justice reinvestment process; outlines how these bodies are structured and operated; and provides guidance in establishing or expanding such a collaborative. A case study from one local justice reinvestment site is presented to highlight the recommended process. Additional resources and a "getting started" worksheet are included in an appendix.

As part of the Social Networks, Delinquency, and Gang Membership project, funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, social network data were collected from youth in a small, at-risk neighborhood. The data were analyzed using social network methods. Results indicated that individuals with multiple, separate groups of friends have greater constraints on their behavior and are less likely to be delinquent. Results also suggested that networks with very low densities (fewer connections) are more successful contexts for intervention. These findings are relevant to developing appropriate delinquency programs and shed light on the efficacy of neighborhood-based interventions.

This presentation summarizes findings from the Norms and Networks of Latino Youth project, funded by OJJDP. Youth in a small neighborhood were surveyed about their own pro-social and delinquent behaviors and their social networks. Survey respondents named 20 close contacts and answered questions about those individuals. Using social network analysis methods, we examined both personal networks and individual delinquency and the whole network (comprising all youths’ overlapping contacts), to analyze group behaviors related to co-offending and peer influence. The findings are relevant to developing appropriate interventions for delinquency and shed light on the efficacy of neighborhood-based interventions.

Collecting DNA from Juveniles examines the laws, policies, and practices related to juvenile DNA collection in the United States. States have increasingly required juveniles - mostly those adjudicated delinquent but also some arrestees - to submit DNA samples for analysis and inclusion in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), the FBI-operated national database. The report describes the issues encountered during the implementation of these laws, including the coordination challenges between the state crime labs and juvenile justice agencies, and discusses the challenges that researchers and practitioners face in assessing the effects of juvenile DNA collection on public safety outcomes.

Intended for all levels of law enforcement and community supervision personnel, Promoting Partnerships between Police and Community Supervision Agencies describes how these organizations build partnerships to enhance public safety. The first section of this guidebook discusses the various contributions and benefits each agency can bring to a partnership; the second discusses the key elements of partnership; and the third identifies challenges both agencies might encounter. Provided throughout the guidebook, examples of partnerships in the field offer tangible illustrations of how police and community supervision collaboration can be structured.

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