Justice Lab Methodology

In our regular Justice Lab column, Marshall Project staff writer Dana Goldstein examines, interprets and offers her opinions on the latest social science research on the criminal justice system and its many related fields, from poverty to health to education. Justice Lab will scrutinize research-based claims that policymakers, advocates and others make, exploring whether insights from research can — or cannot — be applied in the real world. The column will also look at what causes crime and other social problems.

Goldstein will sometimes include graphs and charts as they are published in studies she examines, and link to papers and books she cites. The Marshall Project cannot always vouch for this research but will alert the reader when research comes from organizations with a point of view on the issue at hand.