7331. Empirical Analysis of Crime and Criminal Justice

During the past several decades, criminal justice reform has become one of the nation's most important social justice issues. At the same time, the increasing availability of large administrative datasets has given social scientists the opportunity to produce empirical research that improves our understanding of the causes and consequences of various aspects of the criminal justice system. In this course, students will read a selection of articles from social science, law, criminology, and public policy on the criminal justice system while also learning the basic concepts needed to become an educated consumer of empirical research in general. The course will cover topics spanning the entire breadth of the criminal justice process, including policing, prosecution, sentencing, incarceration, probation, post-incarceration outcomes, and more.