Criminal Justice Case Study Topics

We live in a moment when body cameras, risk assessment tools, and wrongful conviction reviews are reshaping everyday justice. We at TopicSuggestions work with students who need case studies that connect theory, law, and data without getting lost in jargon. We will share a concise set of criminal justice case study topics that are specific, researchable, and ready for class projects. We will organize them by policing, courts and prosecution, corrections and reentry, juvenile justice, victim services, forensics and technology, community prevention, and comparative policy, with quick notes on scope and possible sources.

Best Case Study Topics on Criminal Justice

We will keep the list practical so you can pick a topic today and start building a clear, evidence-based case study.

1. Re-allocating AI Governance Across the Seventh Schedule: A Constitutional Design Experiment

– We map specific AI governance functions (data, models, compute, safety oversight) to Union, State, and Concurrent List entries and ask which constitutional anchors most credibly support each allocation?
– We test whether a “dominant purpose” doctrine can resolve overlapping entries for AI safety and consumer protection without violating federal balance?
– We simulate Article 258/258A cooperative compacts for AI enforcement and ask how we constitutionally safeguard accountability in delegated functions?
– We evaluate if a bespoke Seventh Schedule entry or Directive Principle for algorithmic risk is warranted under Article 368, and we model amendment externalities?

2. Customary Autonomy Meets Digital Welfare: Reconciling Fifth/Sixth Schedule Protections with Platform State Capacity

– We audit Aadhaar-enabled benefit delivery in Scheduled Areas and ask how we reconcile constitutional morality with collective consent practices of tribal communities?
– We examine whether community customs qualify as “law” under Article 13 for challenging platform rules, and we test doctrinal paths for exemptions?
– We prototype opt-in/out community data registries and ask if PESA and Sixth Schedule councils can constitutionally authorize such collective data governance?
– We evaluate remedies when digital exclusion burdens fall disproportionately on ST households and ask how we operationalize Article 15(4) without entrenching surveillance?

3. Panchayati Raj as Climate Federalism: Embedding Carbon Competences in the Eleventh Schedule

– We codify climate-relevant functions into the Eleventh Schedule and ask whether Article 243G can sustain binding local climate mandates?
– We simulate a Gram Sabha “climate veto” over emission-intensive siting and ask how we square it with Article 19(1)(g) and reasonable restrictions?
– We design a just transition formula for devolution tied to climate risk and ask how we constitutionally ring-fence funds against state-level clawbacks?
– We test whether environmental rulemaking by Panchayats can be insulated from pre-emption by state laws under a cooperative federalism rubric?

4. Constitutional Delimitation by Transparent Code: From Article 82 to Auditable Algorithms

– We build a verifiable delimitation algorithm and ask if its adoption can qualify as “law” under Articles 327/328 without unduly delegating legislative power?
– We evaluate fairness constraints (population variance, community representation) and ask how we reconcile them with Articles 14 and 325?
– We simulate post-census scenarios and ask whether algorithmic rules entrench or alleviate demographic freeze externalities?
– We propose an ECI “algorithmic sandbox” and ask what constitutional guardrails ensure judicially reviewable transparency?

5. The Right to Be Forgotten vs Open Courts: A Differential Privacy Model for Judicial Records

– We design a differential privacy layer for judgments and ask whether it preserves Article 19(1)(a) transparency while protecting Article 21 informational privacy?
– We test how varying privacy budgets affect precedent usability and ask whether anonymization distorts stare decisis under Article 141?
– We examine remedies for re-identification harms and ask how we structure accountability across courts, registries, and third-party platforms?
– We propose a rule-making protocol under Article 145 for “authoritative anonymization” and ask how we align it with RTI jurisprudence?

6. Constitutional Torts in Near Space: Extending Article 21 to Suborbital Flights and Private Launch Corridors

– We model victim compensation for launch mishaps and ask whether strict liability can be grounded in constitutional tort doctrine rather than only statute?
– We test horizontality pathways for fundamental rights claims against private space operators and ask how we delineate “State” under Article 12 in this sector?
– We examine expropriation of overflight easements and ask how Article 300A property protections apply to suborbital corridors?
– We propose an intergovernmental liability-sharing compact and ask how Parliament can anchor it within the Union List without crowding State police powers?

7. Linguistic Federalism with Real-Time LLMs: Reimagining Article 348 and the Eighth Schedule in Courtrooms

– We evaluate fairness of machine translation across Eighth Schedule languages and ask how we certify “authoritative translations” for judicial use under Article 348?
– We measure outcome disparities in bail and appeals when LLM-assisted interpretation is used and ask how we prevent due process dilution under Article 21?
– We design a cryptographically signed translation pipeline and ask whether courts can adopt it via Article 145 rule-making without legislative amendment?
– We test whether language access through AI reconfigures the balance between High Courts and subordinate courts in multilingual states?

8. Anti-Defection Meets Liquid Democracy: Can Constituent Mandates Reframe the Tenth Schedule?

– We prototype constituency-level digital mandates and ask whether they provide a principled defense against “voluntarily giving up membership” findings?
– We test whether party constitutions that codify binding digital primaries can align legislative voting with intra-party democracy without violating the Tenth Schedule?
– We examine secrecy and coercion risks in digital mandate systems and ask how we reconcile them with electoral secrecy and freedom of conscience?
– We model judicial review standards for Speaker decisions when legislators cite authenticated constituent mandates as justification for deviations?

9. Rights of Rivers Within Article 262: Designing Personhood that Works with Inter-State Water Tribunals

– We propose a river guardianship architecture and ask how legal personhood can coexist with Entry 56 and tribunal adjudication under Article 262?
– We simulate basin-wide remedies when river guardians conflict with state irrigation priorities and ask which forum has constitutional primacy?
– We integrate indigenous stewardship claims and ask how Fifth/Sixth Schedule bodies can hold fiduciary duties to a river-person without jurisdictional chaos?
– We test whether river personhood alters standing and remedies for environmental flows in original jurisdiction cases?

10. Federated Precedent: Harmonizing Article 141 with High Court Diversity Using Distributed Learning

– We train federated models on High Court corpora to detect doctrinal divergence and ask how we prioritize issues for Supreme Court harmonization?
– We design a “precedent ledger” of digitally signed holdings and ask whether such a registry can be recognized via Article 145 rules to guide lower courts?
– We simulate certification triggers under Article 134A based on quantified conflict and ask how we guard against forum shopping?
– We evaluate whether federated curation of precedent strengthens or weakens the autonomy of High Courts under Article 226 in rights expansion cases?

11. Policing resource allocation informed by urban soundscapes

We ask: Can ambient acoustic signatures (traffic patterns, crowd noise, repeated loud events) predict short-term spikes in street-level crime and improve dynamic patrol routing? We ask: How do noise-derived predictors compare with traditional sensor data? We will collect anonymized urban audio snippets and correlate spectrotemporal features with police CAD logs, use time-series ML models, and run a small randomized trial of acoustic-informed patrol shifts under IRB and privacy safeguards.

12. Impact of micromobility pick-up/drop-off patterns on crime displacement

We ask: Do e-scooter and bike-share docking density and temporal flow alter nearby property and violent crime patterns? We ask: Can changes in micromobility infrastructure be used as non-policing interventions to reduce hotspots? We will map trip data against crime incidents using spatial regression and difference-in-differences around introduced docking hubs, and conduct stakeholder interviews with operators and residents.

13. Prepaid unconditional cash assistance as a recidivism intervention for low-level offenders

We ask: Does short-term unconditional cash support at reentry reduce petty reoffending and criminalized survival behaviors? We ask: What mediators (housing stability, employment search, stress reduction) account for effects? We will design a pilot RCT offering modest prepaid debit to eligible released individuals, track administrative outcomes and self-reported measures, and conduct qualitative follow-ups to understand mechanisms.

14. Influencer-mediated moral panics and their effects on jury impartiality

We ask: How do high-reach social media influencers who comment on ongoing trials shape prospective juror attitudes and implicit bias toward defendants? We ask: What mitigation strategies (voir dire phrasing, juror education) reduce this spillover? We will run mock-jury experiments exposing participants to curated influencer content, measure attitude shifts, and test procedural countermeasures.

15. Use of smart-home IoT telemetry to corroborate domestic violence allegations

We ask: Can time-stamped IoT logs (door sensors, smart speakers, thermostats) provide reliable corroborative evidence without breaching privacy or consent norms? We ask: What legal protocols are required to admit such data ethically? We will develop a protocol for consenting survivors, perform forensic validation of device logs against incident reports, and engage legal analysis with victim advocates to draft admissibility guidelines.

16. Cultural-linguistic bias in automated translation used during interrogations

We ask: Do commercial machine-translation systems systematically misrender idioms, denials, or culturally specific phrasing for underrepresented languages in interrogation transcripts? We ask: What error types most impact admissibility and fairness? We will compare human expert translations to MT outputs across real-case excerpts, quantify semantic and pragmatic distortions, and propose correction algorithms and policy recommendations for interpreter use.

17. Climate-adaptive urban design (cooling/canopy) effects on youth offending trajectories

We ask: Do greening interventions and shade/thermal-comfort plazas change patterns of youth congregation and reduce environmental stressors that correlate with violent incidents? We ask: Are effects moderated by socioeconomic context? We will employ a longitudinal quasi-experimental design comparing sites before/after greening, combine behavioral observation with police data, and interview youth to capture perceived safety and routine changes.

18. Microfinance-coupled peer mentoring as diversion for juvenile misdemeanants

We ask: Can small starter microloans paired with trained peer mentors divert juveniles from reoffending by fostering entrepreneurship and social capital? We ask: What repayment structures and mentorship intensities maximize positive outcomes? We will pilot a community program randomizing eligible youth to microloan+mentor versus standard diversion, track recidivism and economic indicators, and carry out process evaluation with mentors.

19. Predictive policing model sensitivity to charter school scheduling and extracurricular shifts

We ask: Do temporal predictors in crime forecasting models produce spurious patterns when town-wide schedule changes (e.g., charter school calendar shifts, after-school program expansions) alter youth presence patterns? We ask: How can models be robustified to such policy-induced temporal nonstationarity? We will audit models against school schedule data, simulate schedule perturbations, and develop adjustment layers to reduce false hotspot signals.

20. Neurodiversity-informed custodial design and its impact on in-prison violence and self-harm

We ask: Do sensory-adjusted cells, routine-clarity interventions, and staff training tailored to neurodivergent inmates reduce incidents of violence and self-injury? We ask: Which design elements yield the largest effect sizes for specific neurodivergent profiles? We will co-design interventions with neurodiversity advocates, implement a matched-site pilot in custodial settings, and measure incident rates, wellbeing scales, and staff incident reports, ensuring stringent ethical oversight.

21. Algorithmic Bail-Setting and Community Trust in Procedural Justice

We propose to study how deployment of algorithmic risk-assessment tools for pretrial release affects community perceptions of fairness and willingness to cooperate with law enforcement. We ask: 1) To what extent do algorithmic bail decisions change public trust in local courts across demographic groups? 2) How does transparency about the algorithm’s inputs affect perceived legitimacy? 3) What downstream effects on reporting and witness cooperation emerge after algorithm adoption? We outline methods: We will conduct a mixed-methods study combining difference-in-differences analysis across counties that adopt risk tools, randomized vignette experiments measuring perceived legitimacy, and focus groups in affected neighborhoods to map mechanisms.

22. Legal-Fintech Interventions and Restitution Compliance Among Offenders

We propose to investigate whether mobile payment and automated legal-fintech systems increase rates and timeliness of restitution payments by convicted individuals. We ask: 1) Does offering automated micro-payment plans via fintech apps increase overall restitution collection? 2) How do user-interface design and behavioral nudges affect default and late payment rates? 3) What equity consequences emerge for low-income defendants? We outline methods: We will partner with a court pilot to randomize financial-product features, analyze administrative payment records for compliance patterns, and interview participants about usability barriers.

23. Microgeographic Policing Effects on Informal Economies (Street Vendors and Sex Work)

We propose to examine how intensified microgeographic enforcement strategies (hot-spot patrols, pedestrian stops) reshape informal economic activity and displacement. We ask: 1) How do micro-policing sweeps affect where and when street vendors and sex workers operate? 2) What are the safety and health consequences for displaced workers? 3) How does displacement alter violent crime patterns at a block-by-block level? We outline methods: We will use high-resolution spatial-temporal incident and business-activity data, conduct geospatial displacement analyses, and combine ethnographic fieldwork with participant mapping to capture adaptive behaviors.

24. Late-Career Officer Misconduct: Organizational Inertia and Reform Barriers

We propose to study factors that allow patterns of misconduct to persist among late-career police officers despite internal complaint systems. We ask: 1) What organizational norms and procedural loopholes shield late-career misconduct from corrective action? 2) How do promotion pathways and retirement incentives interact with reporting behavior? 3) Which reform levers reduce recurrence without eroding institutional knowledge? We outline methods: We will analyze personnel and complaint records longitudinally, conduct interviews with supervisors and internal affairs staff, and simulate policy counterfactuals using agent-based modeling of career incentives.

25. Driver’s License Restoration Policy and Employment Trajectories After Conviction

We propose to evaluate the causal impact of expedited driver’s license restoration policies on post-conviction employment and recidivism for individuals with mobility-dependent jobs. We ask: 1) Does earlier restoration of driving privileges improve long-term employment stability? 2) How do differential effects vary by rurality and public-transport access? 3) What is the mediating role of hours worked and job quality? We outline methods: We will exploit administrative policy rollouts as natural experiments, link licensing and unemployment insurance records, and run subgroup analyses by commuting distance and sector.

26. Cross-Border Cybercrime Extradition Delays and Plea Bargain Dynamics

We propose to analyze how delays and uncertainty in international extradition processes shape prosecutorial charging decisions and defendant plea strategies in cybercrime cases. We ask: 1) How do extradition timelines influence whether prosecutors pursue formal charges versus transnational cooperation alternatives? 2) Do prolonged delays increase plea-take rates or harsher plea concessions? 3) What role do diplomatic relations and mutual legal assistance treaty strength play? We outline methods: We will compile a dataset of cross-border cybercrime cases with timing metrics, model prosecutorial choices using survival analysis, and interview defense attorneys and prosecutors involved in transnational cases.

27. Virtual Reality for Jury Empathy Training and Its Effect on Sentencing Outcomes

We propose to test whether immersive VR simulations intended to foster juror empathy toward victims or defendants alter verdicts and sentencing recommendations. We ask: 1) Do VR empathy interventions change guilt assessments or recommended sentence severity compared with traditional voir dire materials? 2) Are effects moderated by juror demographics and prior empathy scores? 3) What ethical and legal constraints emerge from using immersive evidence presentations? We outline methods: We will run randomized controlled trials with jury-eligible participants comparing VR and standard evidence presentations, measure attitudinal mediators, and conduct legal-ethical analyses with courtroom stakeholders.

28. Forensic Genetic Genealogy and Resource Allocation for Cold Cases

We propose to examine how the use of forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) shifts police resource allocation across cold cases and affects clearance prioritization. We ask: 1) Does adoption of FGG increase investigator attention toward older, biological-evidence–rich cases at the expense of other case types? 2) How does FGG availability influence decisions to reallocate budgets or personnel? 3) What equity implications arise if FGG benefits cases with preserved biological evidence more often? We outline methods: We will analyze budget and case-assignment records from agencies before and after FGG adoption, map changes in clearance trajectories, and interview cold-case teams about decision criteria.

29. Probation Caseload Composition, Specialized Needs, and Racially Differential Outcomes

We propose to study how heterogeneity in probation officer caseloads (mental health needs, employment barriers, supervision intensity) contributes to racial disparities in technical violation rates and revocations. We ask: 1) How does caseload composition predict differential supervision actions against clients of different races? 2) Do specialized units (e.g., mental-health caseloads) reduce racialized sanctioning? 3) What workload thresholds precipitate increased technical violation filings? We outline methods: We will merge probation supervision records with officer assignments, use multilevel models to isolate caseload effects, and pilot a workload-equalization intervention with randomized assignment.

30. Spatial Placement of Opioid Treatment Services and Subsequent Felony Recidivism Patterns

We propose to assess whether neighborhood-level placement of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and harm-reduction centers alters local felony recidivism and arrest patterns among people with opioid use disorders. We ask: 1) Do increased proximate treatment options reduce non-drug felony arrests among program participants? 2) How quickly do spatial effects manifest, and do they spill over to adjacent neighborhoods? 3) What combinations of services (MAT plus job support) yield the largest reductions in felony recidivism? We outline methods: We will implement a spatial regression discontinuity leveraging phased clinic openings, link treatment intake to criminal records, and perform cost-effectiveness comparisons of service bundles.

31. Algorithmic Bail-Tuning: How real-time risk-score updates during pretrial monitoring affect decision cascades

We propose studying how incremental updates to algorithmic risk scores (from GPS, compliance apps, court appearance records) change decisions by prosecutors, defenders, and judges.
We ask: How do short-term score fluctuations alter bail modifications, plea incentives, and supervision intensity? What patterns of overreaction or complacency emerge across stakeholders?
We will collect time-stamped decision and score logs from a pilot jurisdiction, interview decision-makers about reasoning when scores change, and run event-history models to link score dynamics to concrete outcomes.

32. Microinteraction Power Dynamics in Virtual Courtrooms and Their Effect on Case Outcomes

We propose examining nonverbal and verbal microinteractions (turn-taking delays, camera framing, muted audio) in remote hearings and their association with rulings and plea behavior.
We ask: Which microinteraction features correlate with reduced defense effectiveness or harsher outcomes? How does technology-mediated presence reshape judicial perceptions of credibility?
We will code recordings of virtual hearings for microinteraction variables, pair them with case outcomes, and conduct mixed-methods analysis combining quantitative associations with interviews of judges, attorneys, and defendants.

33. Coercion Language Signatures: Automated detection of subtle coercive phrasing in custodial interrogations

We propose developing a linguistic classifier that flags patterns of implied threats, promises, or leading formulations that are legally borderline yet common.
We ask: Which lexical and syntactic features predict later recantation, false confession indicators, or suppression motions? How consistent are these features across jurisdictions and interviewer experience levels?
We will assemble a corpus of recorded interrogations with outcome markers, apply NLP techniques for pragmatics and discourse, and validate findings against case-level legal and psychological benchmarks.

34. Intergenerational Effects of Juvenile Diversion: Longitudinal case studies linking diversion experience to family criminal trajectories

We propose tracing how a youth’s diversion participation influences siblings’ and parents’ interactions with the criminal justice system over a decade.
We ask: Does successful diversion reduce arrest risk among family members, or do labeling effects propagate through household networks? What program elements (restorative justice, skills training) mediate intergenerational impacts?
We will combine administrative records with family interviews and social network mapping to model transmission mechanisms and estimate causal effects using sibling fixed-effects and propensity weighting.

35. Body-Worn Sensor Fusion to Reconstruct Custodial Narratives and Dispute Accounts of Force

We propose integrating officer body-camera, detainee-worn smartwatch, and facility fixed-sensor data to create multi-perspective reconstructions of custody incidents.
We ask: How does multimodal fusion change determinations about use-of-force legitimacy compared with single-camera evidence? What metadata synchronization errors most often produce conflicting accounts?
We will pilot data fusion in partnership with a municipal agency, develop synchronization and visualization tools, and evaluate impact on internal investigations and adjudication outcomes.

36. Cross-Border Digital Evidence Sharing: Legal friction and technical incompatibility in transnational cybercrime prosecutions

We propose mapping case studies where evidence moved across legal regimes (MLATs, mutual legal assistance) to identify operational bottlenecks and data-loss risks.
We ask: Which procedural or format incompatibilities most frequently lead to evidence exclusion or delay? How do differences in privacy standards shape prosecutorial strategies across borders?
We will analyze case files, interview prosecutors and defense counsel involved in cross-border cases, and produce a typology of friction points with recommended procedural reforms.

37. Urban Green Space and Crime Reporting: Does increased visibility and foot traffic change the detection and policing of low-level offenses?

We propose investigating whether greening projects and new park designs shift resident willingness to report, police patrol patterns, and enforcement of minor ordinance violations.
We ask: Do changes in environment create reporting biases that alter crime statistics independently of actual offense rates? How do policing responses to greened areas differ by neighborhood socioeconomics?
We will use difference-in-differences on geocoded incident and complaint data around greening interventions, complement with surveys of residents and patrol logs, and model reporting versus true-incidence separations.

38. Retail Loyalty Data as a Forensic Source: Ethical and evidentiary limits for investigating organized retail theft

We propose evaluating the use of private commercial datasets (purchase histories, loyalty-program scans, in-store movement analytics) in building prosecutable cases against organized retail networks.
We ask: What inferential leaps are needed to move from pattern detection in loyalty data to individual culpability? What admissibility and privacy challenges arise in different evidentiary standards?
We will collaborate with retailers to test case reconstructions, map chain-of-custody and provenance issues, and produce guidelines balancing investigative utility with constitutional and ethical constraints.

39. Telepresence and Plea Bargaining: How remote access to counsel and remote courts modifies defendants’ plea calculations

We propose studying whether remote counsel-client meetings and remote arraignments materially change plea acceptance rates, time-to-disposition, and defendant comprehension.
We ask: Do defendants facing remote interactions receive different plea offers or make different decisions than those with in-person access? Which technological or procedural features mitigate any negative effects?
We will run a quasi-experimental comparison across courtrooms with differing telepresence setups, code plea outcomes, and conduct cognitive interviews to assess comprehension and perceived fairness.

40. Adaptive Policing During Extreme Weather: Case studies on crime pattern shifts and justice responses in climate emergencies

We propose analyzing policing strategies and criminal justice system responses during extreme weather events (heatwaves, floods) to identify adaptive practices and rights-protective failures.
We ask: How do enforcement priorities, arrest patterns, and detention practices change during climate emergencies? What protocols best preserve due process under operational stress?
We will compile paired pre/during/post-event administrative data across multiple events, interview first responders and court administrators, and develop policy recommendations for resilient, rights-compliant operations.

41. Algorithmic Sentencing Rhetoric: How Courtroom Language Shapes Risk Scores

We propose to study whether the phrasing judges and attorneys use when introducing algorithmic risk assessments influences the scores’ perceived legitimacy and subsequent sentencing outcomes.
Research questions: 1) Do different rhetorical frames (technical, narrative, moral) change a judge’s weighting of a risk score? 2) Does defense vs. prosecution framing systematically shift score interpretation? 3) Can subtle linguistic cues predict departures from algorithmic recommendations?
Overview: We will run randomized vignette experiments with practicing judges and attorneys, pair those with qualitative discourse analysis of real hearing transcripts, and correlate framing features with sentencing variance using mixed-effects models. We will secure IRB approval, access redacted transcripts, and pre-register hypotheses.

42. Micro-Environmental Design and Juvenile Recidivism in Recreational Parks

We propose to examine whether specific design elements of parks (lighting, sightlines, mixed-use amenities) correlate with juvenile offending and recidivism rates in adjacent neighborhoods.
Research questions: 1) Which park design features associate with reduced youth reoffending within a 1 km radius? 2) Do community programming and design interact to affect juvenile case processing? 3) Can design interventions reduce arrests without increasing displacement?
Overview: We will combine GIS-based park feature inventories, juvenile arrest records, and a matched-control difference-in-differences design around newly renovated parks. We will supplement with interviews of probation officers and youth to interpret mechanisms.

43. Cross-Border Policing of Transient Digital Currency Crimes in Tourist Hubs

We propose to investigate how local police in major tourist destinations detect, report, and cooperate internationally on crimes that exploit transient visitors using digital currencies.
Research questions: 1) How do local law enforcement protocols vary for crypto-related thefts involving tourists? 2) What information-sharing barriers impede cross-border case resolution? 3) Which low-cost forensic practices improve outcomes in high-turnover locales?
Overview: We will map policies across several tourist cities, conduct semi-structured interviews with liaison officers, and analyze case outcomes for crypto-related offenses. Network analysis of interagency communication and policy diffusion models will identify best practices.

44. The Effect of Family Visitation VR Programs on Pretrial Defendants’ Court Compliance

We propose to test whether virtual-reality facilitated family contact for detained pretrial defendants affects court appearance rates and bail compliance.
Research questions: 1) Does scheduled VR family visitation reduce bench warrants and missed appearances? 2) Are effects moderated by defendant age, charge severity, or preexisting family support? 3) What are cost–benefit implications for jails implementing VR?
Overview: We will implement a randomized controlled trial in a county jail offering VR visitation, track appearance and compliance outcomes for 6–12 months, and conduct cost-effectiveness and qualitative family interviews to assess acceptability.

45. Color-Coded Case Management: Does Visual Queueing Reduce Case Backlogs in Public Defender Offices?

We propose to evaluate whether introducing standardized visual triage (color codes for urgency/risk) in public defender case management systems improves disposition times and client outcomes.
Research questions: 1) Does color-coded queueing reduce average time to counsel contact and resolution? 2) Does it change plea bargaining patterns or trial rates? 3) How do attorneys perceive cognitive load and ethical implications of triage?
Overview: We will pilot a color-coding overlay in two defender offices, use time-series analysis on workflow metrics, and run focus groups with staff to refine implementation and measure unintended consequences.

46. Informal Restorative Economies: Reparative Microgrants and Community Recidivism

We propose to study whether small, community-administered reparative microgrants to victims (funded by local restorative justice pools) influence recidivism and community cohesion.
Research questions: 1) Do microgrants tied to mediated restorative agreements reduce repeat offending more than standard restitution? 2) How do victims’ satisfaction and perceptions of justice differ? 3) What governance models ensure fairness and scalability?
Overview: We will co-design interventions with community boards, randomize eligible cases to microgrant-mediated restitution vs. standard processes, and use mixed methods (recidivism tracking, victim surveys, governance ethnography) to evaluate outcomes.

47. Sleep Deprivation Signatures in Police Body-Camera Speech and Use-of-Force Incidents

We propose to explore whether linguistic and acoustic markers of officer sleep deprivation in body-camera footage correlate with elevated use-of-force incidents.
Research questions: 1) Can speech pauses, prosody, and lexical choices serve as reliable proxies for officer sleep debt? 2) Do these markers predict higher rates of escalation controlling for call type? 3) Can intervention thresholds be operationalized for scheduling reforms?
Overview: We will extract audio features from large BWC corpora, link to officer shift logs and incident outcomes, and apply supervised machine learning plus causal inference methods (e.g., instrumental shifts) to test associations.

48. Algorithmic Evidence Decay: How Time-Stamped Digital Evidence Loses Probative Value in Prosecutors’ Decision-Making

We propose to investigate whether and how prosecutors discount digital evidence (e.g., geolocation, social media) as it ages, and the thresholds at which they consider it probative.
Research questions: 1) What temporal windows make different digital evidence types persuasive for charging decisions? 2) Do institutional norms or caseload pressures accelerate evidence decay? 3) Can standardized freshness metrics improve charging consistency?
Overview: We will conduct conjoint experiments with prosecutors varying evidence age, analyze charging outcomes in real case datasets with time-lagged digital evidence, and propose operational freshness metrics validated against conviction rates.

49. Civil Remedies for Police Data Breaches: Case Studies of Municipal Liability and Community Remedies

We propose to analyze municipal legal and restorative responses to police department data breaches exposing sensitive community information.
Research questions: 1) What civil litigation strategies have been used and which yielded meaningful remedies? 2) How do settlements or ordinances vary in terms of accountability vs. compensation? 3) What non-legal community-driven remedies have surfaced and with what effects?
Overview: We will compile case studies of recent police data breaches, perform legal outcome coding, interview plaintiffs, counsel, and community organizers, and synthesize best-practice frameworks for mixed legal-restorative responses.

50. Nighttime Public Transit Policing and Gendered Safety Perceptions Among Shift Workers

We propose to examine how policing strategies on overnight transit routes affect perceived safety, ridership, and reporting behavior among nocturnal shift workers (healthcare, hospitality, logistics).
Research questions: 1) Do highly visible patrols increase actual safety but reduce ridership due to perceived criminalization? 2) How do gender and occupation intersect in safety perceptions and reporting? 3) Which non-police interventions (lighting, mobile escort apps) produce better trade-offs?
Overview: We will use ridership and incident data before/after patrol policy changes, conduct surveys and ride-alongs with shift workers, and run a multi-arm field experiment testing alternative interventions with outcome measures on safety, usage, and complaint rates.