FAQ Listing

CrimeSolutions classifies programs and practices in four levels: Effective, Promising, Ineffective, and Negative Effects based on the strength of the evaluation research that indicates an intervention achieves its goals (i.e., its justice-related outcomes).

Evidence Ratings

Evidence Rating	One-Study Icon	Multiple-Study Icon	Description
Effective			Program or practice is likely to result in the intended outcome(s).
Promising			Program or practice may result in the intended outcome(s).
Ineffective			Program or practice has strong evidence that the program did not have the intended effect. While programs and practices rated Ineffective may have some positive effects, the overall rating is based on a preponderance of the evidence
Negative Effects			Program or practice may result in negative outcomes.

A single study icon is used to identify programs and outcomes that have been evaluated with a single sample.

A multiple studies icon is used to represent a greater extent of evidence supporting the evidence rating. The icon depicts programs that have more than one study sample in the evidence base demonstrating effects in a consistent direction. 

More info on how we rate programs and how we rate practices.

Before evidence for an intervention is reviewed and rated, the program or practice is screened to determine whether it meets CrimeSolutions’ criteria for inclusion on the website. This includes a thorough review of the intervention’s purpose to determine its alignment with CrimeSolutions’ goals and the strength of the available evidence.

See how we rate programs and how we rate practices.

For practices, study reviewers analyze all of the eligible and applicable meta-analysis studies to determine whether there is evidence that the practice achieves its goal(s). See how we rate practices. 

For programs, study reviewers analyze the most rigorous evaluation research available to determine whether there is evidence that the program achieves its goal(s). Up to three studies prior to March 2025 and 10 after, representing the most rigorous evaluation research available, are selected to comprise the program’s evidence base.

Starting in March 2025, the rating process moved to ratings-by-outcome, eliminating an overall program rating. Similar to rating practices, study outcomes are determined and individually rated.

Not necessarily. Effective programs may not work equally well in all contexts or with all populations. Local factors should always be considered when selecting and implementing programs.

Not necessarily. A Promising rating indicates that there is some evidence of effectiveness, but more rigorous evaluation research is needed. These programs may still be impactful, especially if they align well with local needs. The foundation of the program can be adapted to local needs, and the research design can be enhanced to assist with improving outcomes.

CrimeSolutions includes Ineffective programs and practices to inform policymakers and practitioners about the current status of available evaluation evidence before planning or implementing similar efforts. While interventions with Ineffective ratings may have some evidence of positive effects, it is important to evaluate each intervention based on your specific goals.

Programs and practices rated Ineffective or Negative Effects have strong evidence that the program did have the intended effects or had harmful effects when trying to achieve justice-related outcomes. In cases where Negative Effects were found, CrimeSolutions will identify and describe observed negative effects.

Gaining an understanding as to why a program did not work can provide valuable insights. An Ineffective rating may only apply to specific outcomes, and the program may have other Effective or Promising outcomes in other dimensions of the evaluation.

The rating title was changed to better reflect the interventions that did not have their intended effect, even though some evaluations may have demonstrated certain positive outcomes. The new rating better communicates the evidence assessment of the intervention outcome.

You may notice that a practice’s outcome ratings may not be the same as the programs that are encompassed by that practice and vice versa. For example, some practices have outcomes that are rated Effective, but program outcomes listed in the Related Programs section are rated Promising, Ineffective, or Negative Effects.

This can happen because practice ratings reflect an assessment of the average effectiveness of a specific characteristic(s) common across programs, strategies, or procedures. Practice ratings do not take into account variations in implementation or other program-specific factors. If such variations impact the effectiveness of the essential practice characteristic(s), practice and program ratings may diverge as the program-specific effectiveness may differ from the average effectiveness across multiple programs.

Programs rated during and after March 2025 are rated-by-outcome, which will be a more direct comparison to outcomes rated in practices.