A new framework could enhance the rigor and impact of criminal justice intervention evaluations

Experimental research is fundamental to criminology, but reaching consensus on rigorous evidence and using that evidence to determine what works remains an ongoing challenge to the field. In a new article, the former director of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) within the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice programs proposes a framework to situate both the role of rigorous evaluation and its results in a more robust understanding of the effectiveness of social programs.