School of Arts & Sciences Department of Criminology Archives

Evidence-based crime prevention

John MacDonald outlines seven key facts about crime and criminal offenders in Vital City to explain why politically popular criminal justice reforms tend to fail.

WHYY: Fighting blight by fixing up homes could bring down Philly gun violence, new study shows

News

Replacing broken windows, picking up garbage, and pulling weeds around abandoned houses in Philadelphia could lead to a drop in gun crime in those areas. Research from Gina South, John MacDonald, and colleagues was reported on by WHYY. Community Action Board Co-Chair...

Fixing abandoned housing can reduce violence

Publications

Gina South, John MacDonald, and colleagues found that structural interventions to remediate abandoned housing in low-income, Black neighborhoods were associated with reductions in nearby weapons violations, gun assaults, and shootings in a randomized controlled...