Policing Health
Well before #DefundThePolice went viral, abolitionist activists and scholars had been calling for the redirection of funds from the criminal legal system into a broad set of nonpunitive community resources. Prior research has illustrated the expansive role police currently play in responding to social problems and health emergencies that could be addressed in other ways. To test this premise, we embarked on a study that asked whether a greater investment in social programs might reduce community reliance on police.
Housing inequities in Mass. start with those at public meetings, new report shows
A new report from Boston University researchers for the Massachusetts Coalition for Racial Equity in Housing finds the current housing policy process is hurting diverse communities and that the inequities can be traced directly to the voices showing up to public meetings.
POV: US Child Welfare System Is Falling Short Because of Persistent Child Poverty
Although US government spending on the child welfare system totaled $33 billion in 2018, the most recent year for which an estimate is available, it’s still failing to meet all children’s needs because of overwhelming demand. We have conducted extensive research, including policy analysis, program evaluations, and interviews with child welfare staff, parents, and youths. It has left us alarmed that a series of federal measures aiming to solve the system’s deep problems has failed to do so.