Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

www.national-academies.org

This page intentionally left blank.

Billions of dollars have been spent on crime prevention and control programs over the past decade. However scientifically strong impact evaluations of these programs, while improving, are still uncommon in the context of the overall number of programs that have received funding. The report of the Committee on Improving Evaluation of Anti-Crime Programs is designed as a guide for agencies and organizations responsible for program evaluation, for researchers who must design scientifically credible evaluations of government and privately sponsored programs, and for policy officials who are investing more and more in the concept of evidence-based policy to guide their decisions in crucial areas of crime prevention and control.

The committee could not have completed its work without the help of numerous individuals who participated in the workshop that led to this report. We are especially grateful to the presenters: John Baron, The Council for Excellence in Government; Richard Berk, University of California, Los Angeles; Anthony Braga, Harvard University; Patricia Chamberlain, Oregon Social Learning Center; Adele Harrell, the Urban Institute; Steven Levitt, University of Chicago; Robert Moffitt, Johns Hopkins University; Lawrence Sherman, University of Pennsylvania; Petra Todd, University of Pennsylvania; Alex Wagenaar, University of Minnesota; and Edward Zigler, Yale University. The committee thanks Sarah Hart, the director of the National Institute of Justice, for her ongoing encouragement and interest in our work, Patrick Clark, our program officer, and Betty Chemers, the director of the Evaluation Division, who both provided invaluable guidance as we developed the workshop themes. The committee also

thanks all of those who gave of their time and intellectual talents to enrich this report through their participation in the workshop discussion of the papers. We have included biographical sketches of committee members and staff as Appendix A and also a complete list of workshop participants as Appendix B of this report.

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Philip J. Cook, Department of Public Policy, Duke University; Brian R. Flay, Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago; Rebecca A. Maynard, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania; Therese D. Pigott, Research Methodology, School of Education, Loyola University, Chicago; Patrick H. Tolan, Institute for Juvenile Research and Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago; and Jack L. Vevea, Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Brian Junker, Department of Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University. Appointed by the National Research Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Mark W. Lipsey, Chair

Committee on Improving Evaluation of Anti-Crime Programs

This page intentionally left blank.