CrimeSolutions
For the past 14 years, DSG has been the contractor for Intervention Assessment and Content Development Services for CrimeSolutions: first for the Office of the Assistant Attorney General (2010–14) and then for the National Institute of Justice (2014–24). Working closely with U.S. Department of Justice staff, DSG has helped make CrimeSolutions the go-to resource for evidence-based interventions in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victimization.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
CrimeSolutions is a user-friendly clearinghouse that contains hundreds of rigorously evaluated programs and practices. It is a resource for practitioners and communities seeking to know what works, what is promising, and what does not work in courts, corrections, reentry, crime prevention, substance misuse, criminal and juvenile justice, law enforcement, school safety, and victims and victimization.
HISTORY
In 2011, as part of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Justice Program’s Evidence Integration Initiative, DSG developed and has since operated CrimeSolutions for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), DOJ’s research, development, and evaluation arm. Originally, the database contained only evaluated programs. Evaluated practices were added in 2014.
In 2013, DSG relaunched the Model Programs Guide (the MPG) with juvenile justice and youth prevention, intervention, and treatment programs that were reviewed using the CrimeSolutions program review process, scoring instrument, and evidence standards. MPG and CrimeSolutions now share a common database of juvenile-related programs, which makes searches easier for users. For example, when a user on MPG selects a program, the user will see the CrimeSolutions profile for that program open in a new window. CrimeSolutions also shares a database with the National Mentoring Resource Center (for youth mentoring programs).
Also, in 2014, in response to a string of tragic mass shootings, including at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., NIJ asked DSG to conduct an evidence assessment of school safety programs and practices to add to CrimeSolutions. As of 2021, there were more than a hundred programs and practices on CrimeSolutions related to enhancing and improving school safety.
In 2016, the What Works in Reentry Clearinghouse (WWRC) merged with CrimeSolutions. This was done to provide practitioners and policymakers with a single place to search for what works, what doesn’t work, and what’s promising in reentry programs. Each program from the WWRC was re-reviewed and rated using the CrimeSolutions program scoring instrument.
CONTACT US ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Want to nominate a program or practice for review and inclusion on CrimeSolutions.gov? Fill out the online nomination form.
Contact Project Director Rachel Stephenson at rstephenson@dsgonline.com or 301.951.0056.