Real Examples of Translation

Abstract

While the concept of translation is relatively new, there have been attempts in the past to convert basic criminological knowledge into policy and practice. One of these efforts began in the 1970s when correctional research findings were interpreted as “nothing works.” This prompted the federal and many state governments to restructure their sentencing laws, and it spawned a number of important academic works offering fresh rationales for penal policies. Another example from history is efforts by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to improve juvenile justice decision-making through the translation of research on minorities and girls in the system. More recently, concerns over mass incarceration and recidivism have brought about efforts to improve the reentry of offenders back into the community. These actual examples show the challenges and opportunities of translation.