Rod K. Brunson, a professor and chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Vijay F. Chillar, an assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of Central Florida, were invited to offer commentary on a JAMA Network Open research article titled "Evaluating Firearm Violence After New Jersey’s Cash Bail Reform." 

In the research article, the authors—led by Jaquelyn L. Jahn of Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health—demonstrate that bail reform regarding gun offenses in New Jersey did not result in increased gun violence, and in fact reduced the number of defendants being held awaiting trial during the study period.

"We applaud Jahn and colleagues for casting much needed light on important social justice issues facing the nation. Specifically, their research shows that state-level policy changes can simultaneously address public perception of criminal justice system unfairness and citizen concern about rising crime," Brunson and Chillar wrote. "Local crime-fighting strategies such as the [Newark Community Street Team] NCST demonstrate the value of effective solutions informed by the social context in which crime occurs. As such, crime reduction strategies should not be conceptualized or implemented in a one-size-fits-all manner, but rather as targeted, data-driven approaches."

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