Jens Ludwig: More spending won’t be enough to reduce Chicago’s gun violence
More spending on community violence intervention programs almost surely won’t be enough by itself to reduce gun violence in Chicago.
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Jens Ludwig and Jacob Miller: We are seeing a lethal shift in America’s gun violence crisis
While the total number of shootings is going down, the lethality of shootings seems to be going up.
Jens Ludwig: Pandemic learning loss is Chicago’s next big crisis
I worry Chicago is missing the next gun violence crisis developing right in front of us, as a result of unresolved pandemic learning loss.
Rachel Graber and Jens Ludwig: Here’s how Chicago can better connect domestic violence victims with services
While the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical need for swift action in tackling public health crises, we have been sluggish in applying this lesson to address the escalating domestic violence...
Jens Ludwig: Public safety inequality is growing in Chicago and across America
One of the biggest changes in American society the past 50 years has been growing income inequality. That has, understandably, gotten an enormous amount of attention. But alongside that trend...
Ashna Arora and Jens Ludwig: Is electronic monitoring contributing to gun violence? Here’s a look at the data.
Homicides have surged by 60% in Chicago since 2019. Why? The search for answers has involved a lot of finger-pointing. This is partly because in Chicago, unlike in many U.S....
Op-ed: New York and Los Angeles got their gun violence under control. Why can’t Chicago do the same?
The homicide rate in Chicago has increased by nearly 60% over the last two years. But homicides — most of which are committed with guns — are up in cities...
Data Points: How the pandemic has accelerated carjackings in Chicago
Chicago, like other cities across America, has seen a surge in carjackings this year. It's a crime that until recently most of the public had largely forgotten about; between 2001...
Data Points: Illegal gun carrying in Chicago spiked in 2020 — and deadly violence followed
One of the most striking changes in crime in Chicago over the past year is something few people are talking about. It's not the utterly tragic 55% increase in homicides...
The real costs of gun crimes
Gun violence is a major social problem in Chicago and other American cities. The Illinois legislature is considering a proposed law that would increase the mandatory minimum prison sentence for...