Marc A. Levin

The next ViCE seminar is this Thursday, October 9, at 1pm ET.

@emilycleslie.bsky.social will present: "The Effect of Access to Counsel on Case Outcomes in Traffic Court: Evidence from a Field Experiment"

More info: jenniferdoleac.com/vice-seminar/

So fun: @jeffasher.bsky.social interviews the one and only Michael Lewis in the first episode of his new podcast about crime data.

www.ahdatalytics.com/jeff-alytics...

The next ViCE seminar is this Thursday, October 2, at 1pm ET.

David Macdonald will present: "Post-Release Supervision, Returns to Prison and New Convictions"

More info: jenniferdoleac.com/vice-seminar/

From the IAmA community on Reddit: At least 43 people have been killed in Mississippi prisons since 2015. Just 6 people have been convicted. We’re journalists who spent nearly a year investigating the... Explore this post and more from the IAmA community

🔍 Join us now in a Reddit AMA with The Marshall Project - Jackson's @dajaehenry.com and @mississippitoday.org's Mina Corpuz, who are discussing their investigation into Mississippi's deadly prisons where at least 43 people have been killed since 2015:

Missouri Police Officers Often Stay Licensed After Serious Misconduct Missouri’s system often takes years to resolve a misconduct allegation, in some cases allowing officers to move on to a new department.

"Misconduct is supposed to be reported to the Missouri Department of Public Safety, but sometimes it takes years for that to happen — if it’s ever done. ...Missouri isn’t a state that automatically revokes a police license when an officer is convicted of a serious crime."

The next ViCE seminar is this Thursday, September 18, at 1pm ET.

Martti Kaila will present: "The Impacts of Guaranteed Basic Income on Crime Perpetration and Victimization"

More info: jenniferdoleac.com/vice-seminar/

The Arnold Ventures Criminal Justice team is hosting another *free* causal inference workshop for researchers interested in sharpening their skills.

This one will be taught by Sarah Tahamont the day before ASC (11/11 in DC).

Interested? Sign up by Sep 7!

events.arnoldventures.org/en/3ipjnC6/g...

More details on all our RFPs are here:
www.arnoldventures.org/grantees

Looking for research funding? Arnold Ventures has several open RFPs. This includes a standing RFP for causal research related to US crime/the CJ system/ppl w criminal records.

First step is a 3-page LOI. We aim to get you a funding decision within 3 months of that first step.

Six Republican governors sending National Guard troops to D.C. Six GOP governors are sending National Guard troops to assist in Trump's D.C. crime crackdown, even though crime levels in major cities in some of those states are higher than in the U.S. capital.

Thanks to @npr.org for the opportunity to weigh in on what’s happening in DC and how to best address violent crime.

www.npr.org/2025/08/20/n...

We have a long list of policy options to reduce crime, such as:

• Improving police staffing & presence
• Strengthening investigations & case clearances
• Better DNA collection & analysis
• Scaling summer youth employment programs
• & more…

Reach out to discuss what could work in your state or city

The next ViCE seminar is this Thursday, August 28, at 1pm ET.

Jacob Harris will present: "Misdemeanor Convictions Have Enduring Negative Effects on Voter Turnout"

More info: jenniferdoleac.com/vice-seminar/

We've also updated our evidence & practice briefing on problem-solving courts (PSCs) for women.

This aims to support practitioners by providing an overview of existing PSC approaches to female offending & a set of implementation lessons for operating a WPSC.

ow.ly/7KSF50WuFHW

Our new evidence briefing highlights the multiple & intersecting needs faced by women attending criminal court as defendants, victims, or witnesses, and highlights opportunities to improve women’s experiences of court & ensure that the courts can better meet their needs.

ow.ly/YaPv50WuEaV

The next ViCE seminar is this Thursday, August 21, at 1pm ET.

Jonathan Davis will present: "Mobile Crisis Response Teams Support Better Policing: Evidence from CAHOOTS"

More info: jenniferdoleac.com/vice-seminar/

Did you know the Arnold Ventures Criminal Justice team has a monthly newsletter? Keep up with our work and the issues we're watching, starting with the latest issue from July:

mailchi.mp/arnoldventur...

A few of the things we are trying are noted here: pilot what has worked in related fields, focus on improving recruitment and retention of women, and identifying those roles that civilians can do to free up officer time.
/end

This is an incredibly important issue where we can’t simply throw things at the wall and hope they stick, but - especially in a changing labor market - need to be more intentional and rigorous in piloting, testing, and replicating what works. /3

“Safer States: Shoring Up the Public Safety Workforce” Thankful to have had the chance to present and moderate a panel at the 2025 National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Summit on “Safer States: Shoring Up the Public Safety Workforce.” …

I wrote a short post here on some of the points I addressed on police staffing.

marckrupanski.com/2025/08/07/s...

/2

Last week I was fortunate to lead a panel during the @ncslorg.bsky.social 2025 Summit on “Safer States: Shoring Up the Public Safety Workforce." Thrilled to intro & learn from Montana DOC Director Brian Gootkin, and ASU Professor Beth Huebner. They're both doing exciting work worth checking out. /1

I whoeheartedly endorse this thread as I made the jump about 7 years ago and have no regrets, too.

In fact, I would encourage people who are interested in policy work to think about non-academic positions. In times like these, the skills are valuable and necessary.

There honestly are so many interesting jobs out in the world. Enjoy learning about them and thinking about what you'd like to try next. Life is too short (and that PhD took way too much work) to settle for a job & industry you aren't enjoying.

Tbh, this is a similar "game" to the one you'd play if you're interested in moving to another university. In academia, the big question is who is "movable," so you need to start telling people you're open to moving.

I sincerely believe that once you start spreading the word that you're open to leaving your faculty job, options will come your way. People aren't seeking you out because, historically, faculty do not leave — especially after they get tenure. Once you tell people you're interested, that will change.

At the end of your call, ask if they could introduce you to others who you might talk to. Notice which pieces of their job seemed especially interesting and lean in that direction. Your main goal at this stage is simply to meet lots of people outside of academia and tell them you're open to leaving.

Everyone loves talking about themselves. Make the ask an easy one (30 minutes!) and most folks will say yes - especially if you have some previous connection.

Reach out to people who have jobs you think seem cool and ask for a 30-min Zoom coffee. Tell them you're thinking about leaving your academic job and are starting to explore what options are out there. Say you'd like to chat about what their job is like & career paths in their industry.

Academics generally have little idea where our skills might be valued outside of the academy. So, you're starting from scratch. That's okay! Lean into curiosity.

You do have valuable skills: critical thinking, writing, public speaking, the ability to get sh*t done without close supervision.

It's been 2 years (+ 1 month) since I left academia. In case anyone is wondering, I have zero regrets. Indeed, I'm living my best life and am so happy I made the leap.

If you're considering leaving too, here are some thoughts on how to explore your options/find a job you'll love...

Text: Maryland's new data dashboard could aid local leaders in preventing shootings The new tool makes shooting data publicly available. It was designed to withstand the political turmoil in Washington. By Chip Brownlee Image: Man in a gallery passing by a black-and-white image of a child holding a sign that reads Less Talk More Action

Maryland is seeing a significant and sustained drop in gun violence. In hopes of keeping up the momentum, the state launched the Firearm Violence Data Dashboard, a public portal that shares near real-time data on shootings.

Read more: thetr.ac/UiItN