Reducing Violent Crime and Firearms Violence in Indianapolis, Indiana, 2003-2005

The lever-pulling model was first developed as part of a broad-based, problem-solving effort implemented in Boston in the mid-1990s. The lever-pulling strategy was a foundational element of many collaborative partnerships across the country and it was a central element of the strategic plans of many Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) jurisdictions. This effort attempted to deter the future violent behavior of chronic offenders by first communicating directly to them about the impact that violence had on the community and the implementation of new efforts to respond to it, and then giving credibility to this communication effort by using all available legal sanctions (i.e., levers) against these offenders when violence occurred. The purpose of the study was to perform an experimental evaluation of a lever-pulling strategy implemented in Indianapolis, Indiana. Probationers were randomly assigned to the law enforcement focused lever-pulling group, the community leader lever-pulling group, or a regular probation control group during six months between June 2003 and March 2004. There were a total of 540 probationers in the study--180 probationers in each group. Probationers in the law enforcement focused lever-pulling group had face-to-face meetings with federal and local law enforcement officials and primarily received a deterrence-based message, but community officials also discussed various types of job and treatment opportunities. In contrast, probationers in the community leader lever-pulling group attended meetings with community leaders and service providers who exclusively focused on the impact of violence on the community and available services. Three types of data were collected to assess perceptions about the meeting: offending behavior, program participation behavior, and the levers pulled. First, data were collected using a self-report survey instrument (Part 1). Second, the complete criminal history for probationers (Part 2) was collected one-year after their meeting date. Third, all available probation data (Part 3) were collected 365 days after the meeting date. Part 1, Self-Report Survey Data, includes a total of 316 variables related to the following three types of data: Section I: meeting evaluation and perception of risk, Section II: Self-reported offense and gun use behavior, and Section III: Demographics. Part 2, Criminal History Data, includes a total of 94 variables collected about the probationer's complete offending history as well as their criminal activities after the treatment for one year. Part 3, Probation Data, includes a total of 249 variables related to probation history and other outcome data.

拉杠杆（lever-pulling）模型最早于1990年代中期在波士顿开展的一项综合性问题解决项目中首次被提出。拉杠杆策略是全美众多合作项目的核心构成要素，同时也是诸多“安全社区计划（Project Safe Neighborhoods, PSN）”辖区战略规划的核心内容。该项目旨在通过以下路径遏制惯犯日后的暴力行为：首先直接向其阐明暴力行为对社区造成的影响，并通报应对暴力的全新举措；随后通过在暴力事件发生后对这些惯犯动用所有合法制裁手段（即“杠杆”），为上述沟通举措赋予公信力。本研究的目的是对印第安纳州印第安纳波利斯市推行的拉杠杆策略开展实验性评估。2003年6月至2004年3月的六个月期间，研究对象被随机分配至三个组别：以执法为核心的拉杠杆组、以社区领袖为核心的拉杠杆组，以及常规缓刑监管对照组。本研究共纳入540名缓刑对象，每组各180人。以执法为核心的拉杠杆组的缓刑对象将与联邦及当地执法官员进行面对面交流，主要接收威慑导向的相关信息，同时社区工作人员也会为其介绍各类就业与治疗帮扶机会。与之相对，社区领袖拉杠杆组的缓刑对象则会与社区领袖及服务提供者开展座谈，座谈内容仅围绕暴力行为对社区的影响以及可获取的帮扶服务展开。本次研究共收集三类数据以评估相关座谈的效果：违法犯罪行为、项目参与行为，以及所动用的制裁杠杆。首先，通过自陈式调查工具收集第一部分数据；其次，在座谈结束一年后，收集缓刑对象的完整犯罪历史记录作为第二部分数据；最后，在座谈结束365天后，收集所有可获取的缓刑监管相关数据作为第三部分数据。第一部分：自陈式调查数据，共包含316个变量，涵盖三类内容：第一板块为座谈评估与风险感知，第二板块为自我报告的违法及枪支使用行为，第三板块为人口统计学信息。第二部分：犯罪历史数据，共包含94个变量，内容涵盖缓刑对象的完整违法犯罪记录，以及干预后一年内的刑事活动情况。第三部分：缓刑监管数据，共包含249个变量，涉及缓刑监管历史及其他结局数据。