NCJ Number
220886
Date Published
December 2003
Length
28 pages
Annotation
Intended for top officials from Federal agencies involved in a joint initiative to advance crime and substance-based policy developed from evidence-based evaluations, this report presents recommendations on how the Federal Government can most effectively use its resources to advance the development and effective use of rigorous evidence on what works in crime and substance-abuse policy.
Abstract
In profiling the problem, this report presents data to show that crime and substance abuse cause significant harm and costs to life and health in America; however, Federal programs and strategies intended to prevent and/or reduce this problem have not been designed and tested based on rigorous evaluation research. This report proposes a Federal strategy for building the knowledge base of crime and substance-abuse interventions shown to be effective in randomized trials. The strategy is also intended to stimulate the widespread use of such evidence-based interventions by recipients of Federal crime/substance-abuse funding. Randomized trials have thus far identified a few social interventions that have proven highly effective in addressing the problems of crime and substance abuse. These interventions involve nurse-family partnerships, life-skills training, and the use of prison therapeutic communities. The fact that these interventions are effective but rare suggests the need for a Federal effort to build the knowledge base of these evidence-backed interventions so as to encourage and assist in their widespread implementation. This report outlines six main recommendations for Federal agencies in promoting this effort in the near term. 36 notes