Policy and Program Evaluation
We work with government agencies and community-based partners to rigorously evaluate gun violence intervention programs and criminal justice policy reforms.
Across every project or partner, we work to generate high-quality research about the factors driving public safety trends and identify evidence-based interventions to save lives. Access to good and unbiased data is the common denominator for strong evaluation, which is why we pursue data-sharing agreements with public agencies and seek to make our own data publicly available whenever possible. We focus on policies and programs that are supporting the communities and individuals most impacted by gun violence and criminal justice system harms.
From leading randomized controlled trials — the gold standard in research — to evaluating historical and real-time data, the Crime Lab uses a variety of methods to rigorously evaluate policies and interventions.
Latest Updates
We can do more to stop gun violence, with more support for community intervention
In a commentary published by the Chicago Sun-Times, Vaughn Bryant and Paul Carrillo cite Crime Lab data showing that each dollar invested into community violence intervention programs provides between $4 and $20 of social good in return.
Cities are increasingly embracing violence interventions programs to control deadly violence
Route Fifty covers the Crime Lab’s evaluation of READI Chicago – a violence intervention initiative that provides those most at risk of gun violence with supported job and cognitive-behavioral programming.
How Chicagoans are tackling gun violence
Kim Smith, Director of Programs at the University of Chicago Crime Lab joins WBEZ’s Reset podcast with Sasha-Ann Simons to discuss solutions to gun violence.
