TY - JOUR
T1 - What Works in Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation
T2 - An Assessment of Systematic Reviews
AU - Weisburd, David
AU - Farrington, David P.
AU - Gill, Charlotte
AU - Ajzenstadt, Mimi
AU - Bennett, Trevor
AU - Bowers, Kate
AU - Caudy, Michael S.
AU - Holloway, Katy
AU - Johnson, Shane
AU - Lösel, Friedrich
AU - Mallender, Jacqueline
AU - Perry, Amanda
AU - Tang, Liansheng Larry
AU - Taxman, Faye
AU - Telep, Cody
AU - Tierney, Rory
AU - Ttofi, Maria M.
AU - Watson, Carolyn
AU - Wilson, David B.
AU - Wooditch, Alese
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 American Society of Criminology
PY - 2017/5
Y1 - 2017/5
N2 - Research Summary: Just four decades ago, the predominant narrative in crime prevention and rehabilitation was that nothing works. Since that time, criminologists have accumulated a wide body of evidence about programs and practices in systematic reviews. In this article, we summarize what is known in seven broad criminal justice areas by drawing on 118 systematic reviews. Although not everything works, through our “review of reviews,” we provide persuasive evidence of the effectiveness of programs, policies, and practices across a variety of intervention areas. Policy Implications: It is time to abandon the idea that “nothing works,” not only in corrections but also in developmental, community, and situational prevention; sentencing; policing; and drug treatment. Nevertheless, key gaps remain in our knowledge base. The results of systematic reviews should provide more specific guidance to practitioners. In many areas few randomized evaluations have been conducted. Finally, researchers, through their studies and systematic reviews, must pay more attention to cost–benefit analysis, qualitative research, and descriptive validity.
AB - Research Summary: Just four decades ago, the predominant narrative in crime prevention and rehabilitation was that nothing works. Since that time, criminologists have accumulated a wide body of evidence about programs and practices in systematic reviews. In this article, we summarize what is known in seven broad criminal justice areas by drawing on 118 systematic reviews. Although not everything works, through our “review of reviews,” we provide persuasive evidence of the effectiveness of programs, policies, and practices across a variety of intervention areas. Policy Implications: It is time to abandon the idea that “nothing works,” not only in corrections but also in developmental, community, and situational prevention; sentencing; policing; and drug treatment. Nevertheless, key gaps remain in our knowledge base. The results of systematic reviews should provide more specific guidance to practitioners. In many areas few randomized evaluations have been conducted. Finally, researchers, through their studies and systematic reviews, must pay more attention to cost–benefit analysis, qualitative research, and descriptive validity.
KW - crime prevention
KW - meta-analysis
KW - program evaluation
KW - rehabilitation
KW - systematic reviews
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85019615314&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/1745-9133.12298
DO - 10.1111/1745-9133.12298
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AN - SCOPUS:85019615314
SN - 1538-6473
VL - 16
SP - 415
EP - 449
JO - Criminology and Public Policy
JF - Criminology and Public Policy
IS - 2
ER -