Handbook of Evidence-Based Criminal Justice Practices

Now more than ever, the criminal justice system, and the programs, policies, and practices within it, are subject to increased public scrutiny, due to well-founded concerns over effectiveness, fairness, and potential unintended consequences. One of the best means to address these concerns is to draw upon evidence-based approaches demonstrated to be effective through empirical research, rather than through anecdote, standard practice, or professional experience alone (National Institute of Justice, 2011).

The goal of this book is to describe the most useful, actionable, and evidence-based solutions to many of the most pressing questions in the criminal justice system today. Specifically, this edited volume contains brief and accessible summaries of the best available research, alongside detailed descriptions of evidence-based practices, across different areas of the criminal justice system. It is written so that practitioners and researchers alike can use the text as reference tool in their work and in training the new generation of individuals working to improve the system. Researchers and practitioners in many areas of criminal justice – crime prevention, policing, courts (prosecution, defendants, judges), corrections, sanctions, and sentencing – can reference specific chapters in this book to guide their policy and practice decisions. Although theory is a guide for the practices described, the chapters will address practical issues in implementation and action.

This book overcomes the limitations of previous criminal justice practice books in that it is written as a practice resource and reference guide and spans practices and policies across different sectors of the criminal justice system – from prevention to policing to sanctions and corrections. Each chapter contains a list of action items, based upon the best available scientific research, that can be implemented in practice to address key issues and long standing challenges in the criminal justice system.

Bryanna Fox is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminology and Faculty Affiliate of the Florida Mental Health Institute at the University of South Florida. Dr. Fox earned her PhD from the University of Cambridge and is a former FBI Special Agent. Her research focuses on the identification of psychological and developmental risk factors for criminal behavior and prolific offending, experimental field research, and evidence-based policing and crime prevention strategies. She has published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles in outlets such as: Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, Justice Quarterly, Criminal Justice & Behavior, Law & Society Review, and Psychological Bulletin. Dr. Fox is Co-Editor of Justice Quarterly and a member of Editorial Boards for Criminology & Public Policy, Criminal Justice & Behavior, Youth Violence & Juvenile Justice, Policing: An International Journal, and the Journal of Criminal Justice. She is on the Executive Board of the American Society of Criminology’s Division of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology. She received the 2017 Early Career Award from the American Society of Criminology’s Division of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology, the 2019 Outstanding Research Achievement Award from the University of South Florida, the 2014 Nigel Walker Prize for Outstanding PhD Research from the University of Cambridge and the 2013 Excellence in Law Enforcement Research Award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Edelyn Verona is a professor in the Department of Psychology, with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Criminology, at the University of South Florida (USF) and co-director of the Center for Justice Research & Policy. She has authored over 90 peer-reviewed journal articles in high impact journals such as Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Law & Human Behavior, Psychology of Violence, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, and American Journal of Psychiatry; and has served as PI on several projects funded by National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Drug Abuse, and National Institute of Justice. She received the Early Career Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy (2011), a Mid-Career Research Award at the University of Illinois (2013), and Excellence in Research Award from USF (2020). She is also a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. Her research program is in the area of psychology and crime and application of science to help reduce violence and recidivism. Her early work considered biological (e.g., genes, neurophysiology) and psychosocial factors (e.g., stress, early adversity) involved in the development and maintenance of problems of externalizing, and current on-going work focuses on pathways to incarceration, reentry, and intersections between mental health and criminal justice system involvement.