Jeff Sessions Claims the ACLU Caused a Spike in Chicago Homicides—Here's Why He's Wrong
The research the attorney general drew his conclusions from had some serious flaws.
Homicide
My Brother's Keeper
When her brother is sentenced to death for a murder he didn't commit, one woman takes on the corrosive culture of capital punishment.
Confiscate Guns, Save Lives
Laws prohibiting domestic abusers from possessing firearms are ineffective at reducing the rate of domestic-abuse-related homicides. Strong enforcement mechanisms are essential.
Vastly Underreporting Police Homicides
But a CDC database that began in 2003 may help solve that problem.
Which Police Strategies Work?
A new report examines data from more than 1,400 studies of programs such as broken windows policing, gun buybacks, therapy, and other attempts to curtail death and violence in American cities.
A Look at Those Who Kill Their Own Family Members
A distinct criminological profile emerges when researchers study the men and women who kill family members.
More Guns Mean More Police Officer Homicides
Yet another study finds areas with higher rates of gun ownership experience higher rates of homicide.
The Psychology and the Politics of Nightclub Surveillance Video
Research shows that “feeling safe” is highly subjective.
Reconsidering Juvenile Life Sentences—Again
A new Supreme Court case could affect thousands of prisoners serving life sentences without parole for crimes they committed as teens.
It’s Poverty, Not the 'Teenage Brain,' That Causes the Most Youth Crime
A new analysis of crime stats suggests that economics trumps biology in causing violent behavior in teenagers.
The Links Between Mental Illness and Gun Violence
Vanderbilt University’s Jonathan Metzl and Kenneth MacLeish address our anxieties and correct our assumptions.
Making Police Departments More Diverse Isn’t Enough
Local police departments should reflect the communities they serve, but fixing that alone won’t curb unnecessary violence.
A Stillborn Child and the Disputed Case Law on ‘Fetal Harm'
Rennie Gibbs, a 16-year-old in Mississippi when she gave birth to a stillborn child, is facing life in prison for taking cocaine during her pregnancy. Hers is among a burgeoning number of cases in which women are prosecuted for allegedly endangering their unborn children.
Mapping the Laws, Lobbying, and Life-Altering Consequences of Guns
Some recent attempts to quantify the chaos.
Hitler's Baby Pictures: The Diversity Paradox and Fear of the Normal
Evil needs a face and it doesn't look like your neighbor—or your child. Evil must be inhuman, other. The familiar is innocent. We let our guard down. This is part of the diversity paradox.
George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin, and Racial Bias in 'Justifiable Homicide' Trials
In the 29 states that use the law, stand your ground increases the likelihood of a justified homicide ruling—but only when a white person is accused of killing a black person.
Violent Crime Is Dropping: Why Are We So Scared?
A majority of Americans continue to overestimate crime rates, even as crime levels drop across the country.
Gun Ownership Neither Increases Nor Decreases the Crime Rate
You are no less likely to be a victim of violent crime in a country with fewer guns.
The Correlation Between Gun Ownership and Homicide Rate
If you control for developing countries and South Africa, with its history of apartheid and ethnic conflict, there is a strong link between the number of guns per capita and gun-related homicides in a country.