Law enforcement agencies are teaming up with mental health clinicians to improve behavioral health responses and allow police officers to focus on crime reduction. In this episode, our host discusses how Denver police work side-by-side with mental health clinicians to treat residents experiencing mental health emergencies and connect them with treatment.
Marijuana legalization poses many challenges — especially those related to drug chemistry and toxicology — for researchers, law enforcement, and policy makers. In the latest episode of Justice Today, NIJ Communications Assistant Josh Mondoro hosts a conversation with NIJ Scientist Frances Scott about marijuana toxicology, including comparing its effects to alcohol, measuring impairment, and maintaining public safety as more and more states legalize recreational marijuana. Read the transcript.
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Marijuana poses many challenges for researchers, law enforcement, and policy makers, challenges that fall into two fields: drug chemistry and toxicology. NIJ scientist Dr. Frances Scott joins this episode to explain the complications in drug chemistry and how difficulties defining marijuana lead to backlogs in crime labs around the country. NIJ Communications Assistant Josh Mondoro hosts. Read the transcript.
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Correction: The article referenced by Dr. Scott as having been published in the 1950s was actually published in 1976. "A Practical and Natural Taxonomy for Cannabis" by Ernest Small and Arthur Cronquist, was published in TAXON in August 1976.
NIJ Social Science Analyst Eric Martin discusses why the number of serial killers is declining and the factors that deter people from this type of violent offense. He also shares insight into whether society is experiencing an evolution away from serial killing and how NIJ continues to support research in this area.
Mark Greene, the Division Director of the Technology and Standards Division at NIJ, and Lucas Zarwell, the Office Director of NIJ’s Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences, co-host this conversation about serial killers. Read the transcript.
Listen to Part One.
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The emerging drug crisis in the U.S. touches both criminal justice and public health, and experts from both fields came together at NIJ’s 2023 National Research Conference to discuss strategies and tools to fight this problem. Dr. Frances Scott, NIJ scientist and program manager, continues the conference discussion with two fellow panelists: Ciena Bayard, the Method Development and Validation Program Manager for D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and Haley Greene, the Deputy Epidemiologist for the Central Region for the Virginia Department of Health. Read the transcript.
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Learn how the need for secure housing for victims of crime and their companion animals led to the creation of the Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance Grant Program.
Office for Victims of Crime Director Kristina Rose and Nancy Blaney, Director of Government Affairs at the Animal Welfare Institute, speak about how this program is ensuring that victims and their pets can access shelter services.
Every day, Joe Platania and his office make complex judgment calls that help decide whether people will spend years or even decades behind bars. In this episode, Platania explains how this process of “prosecutorial discretion” works.
In April 2018, the Golden State Killer, Joseph DeAngelo was arrested. NIJ support helped lead to his arrest, and in the aftermath of the arrest, NIJ Social Science Analyst Eric Martin was among those tasked with finding other cases NIJ helped law enforcement solve. Eric joins the show to talk about some of those cases, and answer some broader questions about serial killers: What is a serial killer? Are they on the rise? How do we know how many serial killers are currently active?
Mark Greene, the Director of the Office of Technology and Standards at NIJ, and Lucas Zarwell, the Director of NIJ’s Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences, co-host this conversation about serial killers. Read the transcript.
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The road to recovery from substance use has many twists and turns, and often stops and restarts. In Navajo County, Arizona, county prosecutor Bradley Carlyon is working to help residents on the road to recovery from the moment they enter the county jail.
Incarcerated individuals deserve opportunities for healing and growth, but they often lack the necessary resources for such opportunities. Additionally, organizational cultures that don’t support these outcomes often stand in the way. Researchers and practitioners gathered at NIJ’s 2023 National Research Conference to share ideas and projects that will increase opportunities for incarcerated populations around the country. This show continues their conversation.
Angel Sanchez, a visiting fellow with the Bureau of Justice Assistance at the Department of Justice, hosts this discussion with three guests: Dr. Stephen J. Tripodi, an associate professor at Florida State University’s College of Social Work and a faculty director at the Institute for Justice Research and Development; Dr. Dan O’Connell, a criminologist at the Center for Drug and Health Studies at the University of Delaware; and Marina Duane, a research fellow at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago.
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A large body of research on crime and justice is available, yet it can take years for findings to influence practice in the field. During a recent panel at NIJ’s 2023 National Research Conference, researchers and practitioners shared ideas and discussed practical steps and promising new approaches to inspire change. Three guests join the show to continue their conversation: Dr. Tamara Herold, a senior advisor to the NIJ director, Dr. Nancy La Vigne, hosts Dr. Shon Barnes, the police chief of the Madison (Wisconsin) Police Department, and Dr. Kim DuMont, an expert in evidence-based policymaking and senior vice president of program at the William T. Grant Foundation. Listen to the transcript.
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The long-standing problem of estimating the age and sex of subadult skeletal remains has been significantly "solved" with the advances in understanding the growth and development patterns in the skeletons of young people. This is the second half of the conversation with Kyra Stull, an anthropologist and forensic researcher at University of Nevada, Reno, Danielle McLeod-Henning, a physical scientist at NIJ, host Jim Dawson. Read the transcript.
Listen to part one.
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The long-standing problem of estimating the age and sex of subadult skeletal remains has been significantly "solved" with the advances in understanding the growth and development patterns in the skeletons of young people. Kyra Stull, an anthropologist and forensic researcher at University of Nevada, Reno, and Danielle McLeod-Henning, a physical scientist at NIJ, share more about this research with NIJ writer and host Jim Dawson.
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Research shows that women officers use less force and are perceived by communities as more honest and compassionate. Yet currently, women make up only 12 percent of sworn officers and 3 percent of police leadership in the United States. In this episode of Justice Today, Maureen McGough, chief of strategic initiatives for the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law, discusses how the 30X30 Initiative, which is sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, is improving public safety by helping local law enforcement agencies recruit and retain more women.
Three LEADS Scholars serving in different law enforcement agencies and positions discuss their experiences with identifying and implementing evidence-based interventions to reduce gun violence. NIJ Senior Advisor Dr. Tamara Herold hosts this conversation with guests Police Chief Cecilia Ashe (Milford Delaware Police Department), Chief of Staff Lieutenant Matthew Barter (Manchester, NH Police Department), and Analytical Services Manager Mr. Jason Schiess (Durham, NC Police Department).
LEADS, which stands for Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science, is designed to increase the research capabilities of law enforcement professionals and agencies. Since 2014, yearly cohorts of selected policing professionals are provided access to programming that connects current and emerging police leaders with evidence-based research to advance justice. Learn about more about these LEADS scholars, their challenges and triumphs, and how they embraced science to tackle gun crime in their jurisdictions. Read the transcript.
Listen to part one of this episode.
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Three LEADS Scholars serving in different law enforcement agencies and positions discuss their experiences with identifying and implementing evidence-based interventions to reduce gun violence. NIJ Senior Advisor Dr. Tamara Herold hosts this conversation with guests Police Chief Cecilia Ashe (Milford Delaware Police Department), Chief of Staff Lieutenant Matthew Barter (Manchester, NH Police Department), and Analytical Services Manager Mr. Jason Schiess (Durham, NC Police Department).
LEADS, which stands for Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science, is designed to increase the research capabilities of law enforcement professionals and agencies. Since 2014, yearly cohorts of selected policing professionals are provided access to programming that connects current and emerging police leaders with evidence-based research to advance justice. Learn about more about these LEADS scholars, their challenges and triumphs, and how they embraced science to tackle gun crime in their jurisdictions. Read the transcript.
Listen to part 2 of this episode.
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Vaping has grown in popularity as an alternative to cigarettes, but like its predecessor, vaping brings many health complications to consumers. Thanks to the persistence of researchers like Dr. Michelle Peace, these once unknown dangers have been brought to light. Dr. Peace, a tenured Associate Professor and founding member of VCU’s Department of Forensic Science, joins host and NIJ Scientist Dr. Frances Scott to discuss the history and science of vaping and what it does to our bodies. Read the transcript.
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The National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) has played an essential role in obtaining justice for victims of sexual assault nationwide. During this episode of the Justice Today podcast, hear how SAKI funding helped the state of Georgia process a backlog of sexual assault kits, which led to the identification and conviction of a serial rapist who had lived in plain sight for over a decade, preying on vulnerable women.
During this episode of the Justice Today podcast, Mayor Jermaine Wilson describes his personal journey from maximum security prison to the highest elected office in his hometown, Leavenworth, Kansas.
Formerly incarcerated people face a web of laws that Marlon Chamberlain describes as "permanent punishments." During this episode, he discusses his campaign to eliminate them.
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