This page is no longer being updated. It may contain outdated information and links may no longer function as originally intended.
Yes. As new research becomes available, interventions may be re-reviewed and ratings may change to reflect the most current evidence base. Programs rated before March 2025 are going through a re-review process to transition their ratings using the ratings-by-outcome scoring instrument, providing more detailed information for each outcome instead of an overall program rating.
CrimeSolutions is a central, reliable resource to help practitioners and policymakers understand what works in justice-related interventions. Its purpose is to assist in practical decision making and program implementation by gathering information on specific justice-related programs and practices and systematically reviewing the existing evaluation and meta-analysis research against standardized criteria. Learn more about CrimeSolutions.
No. CrimeSolutions is a resource to assist justice practitioners and policymakers in using evaluation evidence for practical decision making. CrimeSolutions is not intended to be an exhaustive list of interventions that should or should not be adopted. The Office of Justice Programs and its components also recognize the importance of supporting innovative approaches and practices that may not yet have extensive evidence of effectiveness.
The platform provides evidence ratings for criminal justice, juvenile justice, and victim service-related interventions. CrimeSolutions has detailed intervention profiles, information about evaluation methods, and links to related resources and research.
“Evidence-based” typically refers to approaches with strong scientific evidence demonstrating effectiveness. “Evidence-informed” refers to approaches that incorporate elements from evidence-based practices but may have been adapted to different circumstances or may not have a rigorous evaluation of evidence.
Differences Between Programs and Practices
Programs
Practices
Description
A specific set of activities carried out according to guidelines to achieve a defined purpose.
A general category of programs, strategies, or procedures that share similar characteristics with regard to the issues they address and how they address them.
Question answered
How effective are program outcomes according to the most rigorous evaluation(s) available?
How effective is this general practice on average across many evaluations?
Example
Does the ABC Mentoring Program in Anytown, USA achieve it’s outcome goals?
While fidelity to the original program design is important, local adaption may be necessary to meet agency goals.
No. CrimeSolutions does not provide funding for interventions, but it does include cost information for programs, when available. Intervention profiles may also have contact information for researchers, program managers, or evaluators to obtain additional programmatic information outside of CrimeSolutions.
CrimeSolutions can help identify evidence-based interventions to address specific community challenges, which can strengthen funding applications by demonstrating that your proposed strategies are rooted in scientific evidence.
