Research and Policy Development in Criminal Justice
This paper examines the relationship between criminal justice research and policy development. It identifies the primary types of correctional policies — count, use of force, medical, and emergency response — and explains their functions within the criminal justice system. The paper then analyzes how research both shapes and is constrained by policymaking, noting challenges such as skepticism toward criminal justice findings and the absence of quick, concrete solutions. Drawing on examples from domestic violence policing, prison classification, and bail reform, the paper demonstrates how empirical research has meaningfully guided policy decisions. It concludes by examining two recent evidence-based policies — Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (2011) and Pretrial Justice (2015) — to illustrate the growing integration of research into formal criminal justice policy.
- Introduction: Research must reach policymakers to reduce crime
- Types of Policies in Criminal Justice: Count, force, medical, and emergency response policies
- The Relationship Between Research and Policy Development: Skepticism and urgency limit research influence on policy
- How Research Informs Policy Decisions: Domestic violence, prisons, and bail shaped by research
- Recent Policies Developed from Criminal Justice Research: Evidence-based and pretrial justice policies since 2011
- Conclusion: Research access remains key to effective policy
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper moves logically from defining policy types to analyzing the research–policy relationship, then grounding the argument in concrete historical and contemporary examples, giving the essay a coherent analytical arc.
- Concrete case studies — domestic violence policing, the Vera Institute's bail point system, and Abt Associates' prison population forecasting — anchor abstract claims about research utility in real-world evidence.
- The two recent policy examples (2011 Evidence-Based Programs and Practices; 2015 Pretrial Justice) directly respond to the prompt's requirement for recency, demonstrating how to connect research literature to contemporary policy outcomes.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper models the use of scaffolded enumeration: it introduces a category (e.g., types of policies), defines each subcategory with a clear functional rationale, and then transitions to a higher-order analysis of how those categories interact with research. This technique helps readers follow multi-part arguments without losing the overarching thesis.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a framing introduction, moves into a four-part taxonomy of correctional policies, then pivots to a two-paragraph analysis of why research struggles to influence policymakers. A dedicated section provides three historical research-to-policy examples (domestic violence, prison classification, bail). The paper closes with two formally adopted policies as proof of concept. Citations follow APA style throughout, drawing on five sources across criminology and criminal justice methodology.
Introduction
Regardless of how advanced the devices and systems used in receiving and sending information become, much success in crime reduction cannot be achieved until important facts about crime are accessible to and acted upon by policymakers (Andrews & Bonta, 2010). The relationship between criminal justice research and the active use of its findings by policymakers forms the central subject of this paper.
References
Andrews, D. A., & Bonta, J. (2010). Rehabilitating criminal justice policy and practice. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 16(1), 39.
Bachman, R. D., & Schutt, R. K. (2017). Fundamentals of research in criminology and criminal justice. Sage Publications.
Maxfield, M. G. (2015). Basics of research methods for criminal justice and criminology. Cengage Learning.
Maxfield, M. G., & Babbie, E. R. (2014). Research methods for criminal justice and criminology. Nelson Education.
Petersilia, J. (1987). The influence of criminal justice research. Santa Monica, CA: Rand.
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