Philadelphia Low Intensity Community Supervision Experiment
This program reduced the amount of community supervision of low-risk criminal offenders in Philadelphia. Participants in the program received fewer visits per year from their probation officers than they would normally. The study found no increases in crime from reducing the amount of supervision from probation officers.
Citation: Barnes, Geoffrey C., Lindsay C. Ahlman, Charlotte Gil, Lawrence W. Sherman, Ellen M. Kurtz, and Robert Malvestuto. 2010. “Low-intensity Community Supervision for Low-risk Offenders: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.” Journal of Experimental Criminology 6:159–89.
The Impacts of Philadelphia’s Accelerated Schools on Academic Progress and Graduation
Philadelphia’s accelerated schools are full-time academic programs for students who are at risk of failing to graduate. In 2010, researchers from Mathematica Policy Research evaluated the effectiveness of Philadelphia’s accelerated schools. This evaluation demonstrates that these schools increase graduation rates among students who are at high risk of dropping out of school.
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. November 2010 Enriching summer work An Evaluation of the Summer Career Exploration Program
This evaluation measured the effects of the Summer Career Exploration Program on short-term earnings, employment, and other outcomes. Researchers found positive effects on short term employments and earnings, but did not find a significant impact during the one-year follow-up period.
Strategic Property Code Enforcement and its Impacts on Surrounding Markets
In this study, the Department of Licenses and Inspections fined owners of vacant properties for different code violations, such as having missing or boarded up doors and windows. Researchers found positive effects on the surrounding neighborhood, including increased property values in the area.
Citation: Ratcliffe, J.H., Taniguchi, T., Groff, E.R. and Wood, J.D. (2011). “The Philadelphia Foot Patrol Experiment: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Police Patrol Effectiveness in Violent Crime Hotspots. Criminology, 49: 795-831.