Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice

In a 2024 survey of U.S. adults, Pew Research found that a growing share of Americans say reducing crime should be a top policy priority, up 58% from 47% in 2021. Working with city leaders, C2C researchers tackle issues of public safety, police discrimination, and youth violence. Community-focused research is crucial for developing effective policies that keep our neighborhoods safe and enhance well-being. ​

To date, our findings have been adopted by states seeking to reduce discrimination in traffic stops and cities seeking to reduce youth violence through programs such as summer youth employment.

Check out our new and ongoing projects below or get in touch if you have a research question you want answered.

New Projects​

Katherine Hazen: Boston Human Trafficking Evaluability Assessment​

• The goal of HEAT is to address barriers to working with women engaged in commercial sex and substance abuse. Working with Sergeant Detective Marc Sullivan and the Boston Police Department Human Trafficking Unit, this project will conduct an assessment of HEAT to create a comprehensive evaluation plan and apply for funding. ​

Deborah A. Ramirez: Jail to Jobs Pipeline Project​

• The Jail to Jobs Pipeline (J2J) Project works to resolve recidivism while addressing the nation’s labor shortage. Professor Ramirez and Northeastern’s Criminal Justice Task Force have successfully designed the necessary infrastructure in Massachusetts to create the J2J Pipeline. Funding from C2C will help expand the team as they create systemic change through collaborations with workforce development networks, state agencies, and grassroots reentry organizations.​

Ongoing Projects

Matthew B. Ross: Using Telemetric Mobility Data to Build a Better Early Warning System for Discrimination in Police Traffic Stops​

• This project aims to engage local and state policing agencies, assisting in their application for federal resources to collect and analyze police traffic stop data. Through quantitative evaluation of the data and collaboration with localities, there is a better understanding of current discrimination in police traffic stops. The initial findings from this research have already been used to address disparities and expand the project.​

Alicia Modestino: Summer Youth Employment & Improvements in Criminal Justice Outcomes​

• This research investigates the impact of Summer Youth Employment Programs (SYEPs) on crime. Measured through arraignments in the year and a half following the conclusion of the programs, this study found that SYEPs reduced violent crime by 35% over the trial period.​