The Better Cybercrime Metrics Act directs the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, in coordination with the Bureau of the Census, to include questions relating to cybercrime victimization on the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). This report is an environmental scan of information on the types, definitions, and measurement of cybercrime and provides recommendations for potential revisions to the NCVS that would broaden the survey’s ability to capture cybercrime victimization. The report presents research, evidence, and recommendations regarding (1) existing cybercrime classifications/taxonomies, definitions, and measures (including state and federal laws and classifications from the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine); (2) the existing measurement of cybercrime in the NCVS; and (3) recommendations for revision to the measurement of cybercrime in the NCVS. The authors recommend that the bureau measure individual types of cybercrime rather than using an aggregate or composite approach.

The purpose of this study is to quantify race-based disparate impact and differential treatment at the national level and at the level of individual federal judicial districts. The authors analyze over one-half million sentencing records publicly available from the United States Sentencing Commission database, spanning the years 2006 to 2020. At the system-wide level, Black and Hispanic defendants receive average sentences that are approximately 19 months longer and 5 months longer, respectively. Demographic factors and sentencing guideline elements account for nearly 17 of the 19 months for Black defendants and all five of the months for Hispanic defendants, demonstrating the disparate impact of the system at the national level. At the individual district level, even after controlling for each district’s unique demographics and implementation of sentencing factors, 14 districts show significant differences for minoritized defendants as compared to White ones. These unexplained differences are evidence of possible differential treatment by judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys.

Restoring Promise is a program that works with departments of corrections to transform housing units so that they are grounded in dignity for young adults in prison. Launched in 2017, Restoring Promise is now operating in six prisons and one jail across five states. The housing units are led by trained corrections professionals and mentors—incarcerated people serving long sentences who live on the unit and guide the young adults. This brief presents findings from a randomized controlled trial conducted in prisons in South Carolina. The study found that Restoring Promise’s approach to culture change in prisons significantly reduces violence and the use of restrictive housing, commonly known as solitary confinement. Compared to those housed in the general population, living in a Restorative Promise unit decreased young adults’ odds of receiving a violent infraction by 73%. The study found that two and a half times the number of young adults were convicted for a violent infraction in the general population group than in the Restoring Promise group. Additionally, young adults living in a Restoring Promise unit experienced an 83% reduction in the odds of a restrictive housing stay during their first year of participation.

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Education began a new grant program aimed at supporting states and territories as they design, develop, and use statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs). These systems integrate data from agencies and programs across a state or territory to help facilitate data driven decision making and answer critical questions about student learning and outcomes, workforce preparation, social programs and policies, and economic development. This report presents aggregate summary statistics of SLDS capacity based on state-level response to the 2019 and 2020 SLDS survey collection, as well as two data files of individual-level state response (2019 and 2020). The report found that in 2020, 98% of states and territories indicated that K–12 student data were included in their SLDSs; this was slightly higher than in past years. In 2019 and 2020, the most commonly included types of K–12 data by states and territories were student demographics, grade level, and school enrollment and completion status, each operational in 85% of states and territories. Additionally, in 2020 56% of states and territories reported that they had publicly published a comprehensive dictionary with K–12 student data, and an additional 35% indicated that they either planned to publish one or were in the process of doing so. In 2020, 41% of states and territories reported operational use of data for reports to the governor or legislature and for data quality reports describing issues such as error rates and timeliness of data submissions.

report summarizes the prevalence and effectiveness of strategies to improve student safety in schools. The report identifies two common approaches to improving school safety: increasing security and building supportive school communities. The report found that strategies to increase physical security have grown in use over time; however, the evidence base for some of these strategies such as metal detectors and arming school staff is not robust. The report found that there is a growing interest in improving school safety by building supportive school communities to protect against the perpetration of school violence, noting that research shows practices such as increasing student access to mental health and counseling resources can help support school safety. The report concludes with seven recommendations for policy and practice to support school safety including investing in restorative practices and social and emotional learning and conducting equity reviews of school safety measures and their impact on discipline outcomes.

This study evaluates time management behaviors as predictors of sleep quality in traditional entry university students. The authors hypothesize that time management behaviors predict perceived control of time, which in turn, would predict global sleep quality. Using a cross-sectional convenience sample of university students who completed a 73-item instrument that comprised the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Time Management Behavior scale, the authors found significant paths between setting goals and priorities, mechanics of time management and preference for organization for perceived control of time. Additionally, the authors identified a significant path between perceived control of time and global sleep quality. The authors conclude that this study suggests that time management behaviors are associated with global sleep quality, and that health education interventions addressing sleep quality of traditional entry university students should consider incorporating time management behaviors.

Employee ownership has a long and important tradition in the U.S. Today, approximately 18% of employees have some form of ownership stake in the company where they work. Employees participating in ownership in the U.S. do so through a variety of means, including employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), equity compensation programs, worker-owned cooperatives, and employee-owned trusts (EOTs). This brief provides updated statistics and analysis regarding workers’ participation in employee ownership plans and the wealth and job quality benefits those workers realize from their participation. About 10.1 million employees participate in ESOPs, with a total wealth of $1.8 trillion; those who are 55 years or older, or who been with the ESOP employer for 10 years or long have more wealth on average. In addition to wealth building opportunities, employee-owned companies often outperform non-employee-owned companies on a range of measures related to job quality, such as wages, insurance benefits, training, and job security. An estimated 11.8 million employees participate in different combinations of equity compensation plans, including grants of restricted stock, stock options, and employee stock purchase plans. Estimates show that approximately 10,000 workers are employed in between 900 and 1,000 worker-owned cooperatives, and an estimated 13,000-60,000 employees are employed by 31 EOTs.

The authors use new administrative data to measure physicians' earnings and estimate the influence of healthcare policies on these earnings, physicians' labor supply, and allocation of talent. Combining the administrative registry of U.S. physicians with tax data, Medicare billing records, and survey responses, the authors find that physicians' annual earnings average $350,000 and comprise 8.6% of national healthcare spending. The age-earnings profile is steep; business income comprises one-quarter of earnings and is systematically underreported in survey data. There are major differences in earnings across specialties, regions, and firm sizes, with an unusual geographic pattern compared with other workers. The authors show that health policy has a major impact on the margin: 25% of physician fee revenue driven by Medicare reimbursements accrues to physicians personally. Physicians earn 6% of public money spent on insurance expansions. The authors find that these policies in turn affect the type and quantity of medical care physicians supply in the short run; retirement timing in the medium run; and earnings affect specialty choice in the long run.

In this research, the authors use the Analysis of Transfers, Taxes, and Income Security (ATTIS) microsimulation model to hypothetically create a situation in which every eligible household receives a housing choice voucher and finds a rental unit that will accept it. The authors examine the results in terms of aggregate benefit dollars and reductions in poverty as measured by the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), both nationally and at the state level. Additionally, the authors look at the results by age group and by race and ethnicity. The results of the model indicate that under the hypothetical scenario of full funding and full use of housing vouchers, aggregate annual housing subsidies would increase by $118 billion. Because of the increased benefits, the SPM poverty rate would decline by 13% overall and by 23% for children. An estimated 6.4 million people – including 2.5 million children – would receive enough additional support to have their families’ resources rise above the SPM poverty level. The extent of the change would vary, but across all states the model indicated there would be substantial increases in benefits and reductions in poverty. Poverty would also decline for all racial and ethnic groups, with the biggest relative decline for Hispanic people.

This report provides governors with 17 specific, actionable recommendations to prevent overdose across five pillars of the Substance Use Disorder Continuum of Care: foundations, prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery. The recommendations included represent evidence-based and promising actions states and territories can consider as they work to strengthen the continuum of care for people at risk for overdose, including those with substance use disorder. Recommendations include actions such as establishing a state government coordinating body to set a statewide vision for overdose prevention and implementing and investing in policies and programs that expand medication for opioid use fisorder access beyond the office setting. For each of the five pillars, the roadmap provides two to five recommendations and prioritizes those with the greatest potential impact.

telehealth services expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, the association between state policies and telehealth availability has been insufficiently characterized. This cohort study measured whether mental health treatment facilities offered telehealth services each quarter from April 2019 through September 2022. The sample comprised 12,828 mental health facilities with outpatient services that were not part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs system. Four state policies were identified: payment parity for telehealth services among private insurers; authorization of audio-only services for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program beneficiaries; participation in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, permitting psychiatrists to provide telehealth services across state lines; and participation in the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, permitting clinical psychologists to provide telehealth services across state lines. Overall, 88.1% of facilities offered telehealth services in September 2022 compared with 39.4% of facilities in April 2019. All four policies were associated with increased odds of telehealth availability. Facilities that accepted Medicaid as a form of payment had lower odds of offering telehealth services over the study period, as did facilities in counties with a higher proportion (>20%) of Black residents. Facilities in rural counties had higher odds of offering telehealth services.

In this cross-sectional study, the authors use repeated data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey to evaluate associations between changes in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit amounts and food insufficiency, a severe form of food insecurity characterized by recent food inadequacy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, SNAP emergency allotments provided temporary increases to households’ benefit size—either to the maximum or by $95, whichever was greater. The authors examined household food insufficiency (sometimes/often not enough food to eat in the last 7 days), overall and among children, for state-months in which the SNAP emergency allotments had ended and for states in which they were still active. Results indicated that ending SNAP emergency allotments was associated with significantly higher overall and child food insufficiency, with point estimates translating to 5% and 6% relative increases in prevalence, respectively. Associations were most pronounced among reported SNAP recipients, who experienced approximately a 21% relative increase in both food insufficiency and child food insufficiency. Observed associations persisted out to 15 months, and there was no evidence of differential trends in outcomes before SNAP emergency allotments ended. When comparing respondents during the 2 months before and after SNAP emergency allotments ended, small differences were found in recent employment and state-month-level per-household SNAP coverage, implying findings were unlikely a result of changes in economic conditions or SNAP coverage.