Law, Society and Justice
Fair and effective justice systems are essential to a thriving democracy. The National Academies explore issues in law enforcement, criminal justice reform, and civil rights. Discover research that informs public trust in legal systems and promotes fairness across society.
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Improving Diagnosis in Rural Communities
Feature Story
People who live in rural communities often face additional hurdles in accessing health care, which can hinder timely diagnosis and treatment of illness. A recent National Academies workshop explored these challenges and ways to improve diagnostic care in rural America.
System that Investigates and Provides Determinations of Cause and Manner of Deaths in Custody Needs Comprehensive Reform, Says New Report
News Release
The system that investigates deaths in custody is fragmented, under resourced, and in need of comprehensive reform. A new National Academies report outlines the challenges facing the U.S. medicolegal death investigation system and recommends actions to improve it at the local, state, and federal levels.
- Gulf Research Program and NOAA Award $4 Million to Support Environmental Literacy for Community Resilience Oct 22, 2025 News Release
- Federal Tax Credits in 2021 Lifted More than 2 Million Children Out of Poverty, Says New Report Sep 25, 2025 News Release
- Finalists Announced for $50 Million Award to Support a Safer, More Resilient, and Sustainable Future for the Gulf Coast Region Sep 9, 2025 News Release
- An Enduring Guide to Responsible Research Gets an Update Sep 2, 2025 Feature Story
- New Issue Paper: Identifying Gaps in Sexual Harassment Remediation Efforts in Higher Education Jul 23, 2025 Media Advisory
- Improving Support for Family Caregivers Jul 2, 2025 Feature Story
- New Issue Paper Explores Postdoc Experiences With Sexual Harassment May 14, 2025 Media Advisory
- Systematic and Nationally Coordinated Approach for Newborn Blood Spot Screening Is Needed, Says New Report May 1, 2025 News Release
- Report Calls for Creation of National Information Clearinghouse for Cybercrime Data; Urges FBI to Adopt New System for Categorizing Cybercrimes Apr 17, 2025 News Release
- Wildfire Recovery: Protecting health and safety during and after wildfires Feb 28, 2025 Program News
- New Report Finds Co-Prescribing Opioids and Benzodiazepines to Veterans at VHA from 2007 to 2019 Increased Their Risk of Death Feb 6, 2025 News Release
- Empowering Women in STEM Entrepreneurship Jan 13, 2025 Feature Story
- Science Misinformation, Its Origins and Impacts, and Mitigation Strategies Examined in New Report; Multisector Action Needed to Increase Visibility of, Access to High-Quality Science Information Dec 19, 2024 News Release
- Rural Areas Offer Unique Opportunities for STEM Education, But Targeted Resources, Connectivity, and Training Needed Dec 11, 2024 News Release
- Amidst Compounding Disasters, Resilient Housing Can Anchor Communities Dec 3, 2024 Program News
- Celebrating Native American Heritage Month with Cynthia-Lou Coleman Nov 25, 2024 Feature Story
- Workshop Advances Disaster Preparedness Information Exchange Between Indigenous Leaders and Public Health Officials Nov 13, 2024 Impact Story
- New Report Calls for Changes to How Biomedical Research Uses Race and Ethnicity Oct 30, 2024 News Release
- Involving LatinX Communities in Science Journalism: An Interview with Yvette Cabrera Sep 30, 2024 Feature Story
- New Report Provides Road Map for Policy Changes to Transform Child Health Care and Meet the Challenges of the Youth Health Crisis Sep 19, 2024 News Release
- New Report: A Plan to Promote Defense Research at Minority-Serving Institutions Aug 14, 2024 Media Advisory
- Constructing Valid Geospatial Tools for Environmental Justice: New Report Aug 9, 2024 Media Advisory
- FDA, USDA, and Congress Should Address Vulnerabilities in the Infant Formula Market to Mitigate Future Shortages, Says New Report Jul 25, 2024 News Release
- Intensifying Pace and Severity of Extreme Events Increases Risks of Compounding Disasters and Demands Rethinking of U.S. Emergency Management, Says New Report Jul 17, 2024 News Release
- Winner of the 2024 Frontiers Planet Prize Discusses His Research in Sustainability Science Jul 16, 2024 Feature Story
- Disaster Recovery: What Community-Driven Relocation Could Look Like Jul 2, 2024 Program News
- Little Progress Has Been Made in Closing Racial and Ethnic Gaps in U.S. Health Care; Federal Government Should Act to Fix Structural Inequities Jun 26, 2024 News Release
- Brainstorming Solutions to Disinformation Apr 29, 2024 Feature Story
- The Challenge of Predicting Climate Migration Apr 23, 2024 Feature Story
- Urgent Action Needed from NIH, FDA, Congress, and HHS to Improve Inclusion of Pregnant and Lactating Women in Clinical Trials, Says New Report Apr 10, 2024 News Release
- Upcoming Workshop Will Explore New Ideas for Countering Disinformation Apr 5, 2024 Feature Story
- Biomedical Journal Editors Announce New Practices for Using Race, Ethnicity, and Ancestry Descriptors in Genomics Research, Following Recommendations from 2023 National Academies Report Mar 12, 2024 Feature Story
- Celebrating Black History and Heritage with Janina Jeff Feb 29, 2024 Feature Story
- Gulf Research Program Awards Nearly $2M to Empower the Next Generation of Community Resilience Leaders Jan 23, 2024 News Release
- Recovery Agencies Should Proactively Plan for Community Relocation Before and After Climate Disasters, Says New Report Jan 17, 2024 News Release
- U.S. Health Care Systems Should Classify Care for Intimate Partner Violence — Including Reproductive Care, Forensic Exams — As Essential Jan 11, 2024 News Release
- Strengthening Science to Support Justice Oct 23, 2023 Feature Story
- New Issue Papers Explore Bystander Interventions for Sexual Harassment; Ways to Evaluate Efforts to Prevent Sexual Harassment; and Policies to Prevent ‘Passing the Harasser’ Oct 12, 2023 Media Advisory
- Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education Summit to Be Held Oct. 17-18 Oct 5, 2023 Media Advisory
- New Report Identifies Policies to Reduce Intergenerational Poverty in the U.S. Sep 21, 2023 News Release
- National Academies Create Standing Committee on Reproductive Health, Equity, and Society Sep 6, 2023 News Release
- Report Calls for U.S. to Align Equity and Emerging Science, Technology, and Innovation in Health and Medicine Aug 22, 2023 News Release
- U.S. Should Create a Federal Entity Responsible for Advancing Racial, Ethnic, and Tribal Health Equity, and Implement a Health Equity Policy Audit and Score Card Jul 27, 2023 News Release
- National Academies Presidents’ Statement on Affirmative Action Jun 30, 2023 Statement
- Nobel Prize Summit Fuels Initiatives to Combat Misinformation and Disinformation and Build Trust in Science Jun 22, 2023 Feature Story
- U.S. Needs New Federal Strategy for Funding Community Health and Resilience in Gulf States, Better Data on Local Needs, Says New Report Jun 21, 2023 News Release
- Nobel Prize Summit on Countering Misinformation and Building Trust in Science Kicks Off May 24 May 19, 2023 Feature Story
- New Report Recommends Broad Policy Improvements to Reduce Opportunity Gaps for Young Children May 16, 2023 News Release
- Tackling Inequities in Emerging Technologies May 4, 2023 Feature Story
- Health Care and Child Care Needs Should Be Elevated in the Nation's Poverty Statistics, Says New Report Mar 29, 2023 News Release
- Researchers Need to Rethink and Justify How and Why Race, Ethnicity, and Ancestry Labels Are Used in Genetics and Genomics Research, Says New Report Mar 14, 2023 News Release
- U.S. Should Scale and Spread Whole Health Care Through VA and HHS Leadership, Create Federal Center for Whole Health Innovation, Says New Report Feb 15, 2023 News Release
- Higher Ed Institutions, STEMM Organizations Should Act to Change Cultures to Support Inclusive Excellence and Dismantle Barriers Created by Systemic Racism and Implicit Bias Feb 14, 2023 News Release
- Nobel Prize Summit on Countering Misinformation and Building Trust in Science To Be Held May 24-26 Feb 2, 2023 News Release
- Taliban’s Ban on Education for Afghan Women and Girls Will Have Potentially Disastrous Consequences, Say U.S. National Academies Presidents Dec 23, 2022 Statement
- New Report Identifies Action Steps and Research to Accelerate Progress on Sustainable Development Goals Nov 29, 2022 News Release
- To Reduce Racial Inequality in the Criminal Justice System, Government Should Explore Ways to Reduce Police Stops, Detention, and Long Sentences, Says New Report Nov 15, 2022 News Release
- To Improve Research Collaboration Among Land-Grant Universities, Congress Should Facilitate Participation of Historically Black and Tribal Colleges and Universities, Says New Report Nov 3, 2022 News Release
- VA Should Focus its Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry on Communications and Improving Health Care Oct 14, 2022 News Release
- Gulf Research Program Announces Grant Awards for Two HBCUs for Research on the Social Determinants of Health in At-Risk Gulf Communities Aug 12, 2022 News Release
- Two Decades of EngineerGirl: Building a More Diverse Field Jul 6, 2022 Feature Story
- National Academies’ Gulf Research Program Awards $3.7 Million to Support Innovative Community Engagement Methods and Enhance Data Usage to Develop Equitable Outcomes to Climate Hazards Jun 22, 2022 Program News
- Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Competed Space Mission Leadership at NASA Will Require Extensive Efforts Along Entire Career Pathways, Says New Report May 18, 2022 News Release
- Lack of Equitable Representation in Clinical Trials Compounds Disparities in Health and Will Cost U.S. Hundreds of Billions of Dollars; Urgent Actions Needed by NIH, FDA, Others to Boost Representation May 17, 2022 News Release
- National Academies’ Gulf Research Program Awards $8.6 Million to Promote Equity in Health and Community Resilience for At-Risk Communities May 16, 2022 Program News
- To Modernize the Consumer Price Index, BLS Should Accelerate Use of New Data Sources and Provide Price Indexes for Different Incomes, Says New Report May 3, 2022 News Release
- Recidivism Is Inadequate Measure of Success After Prison; New Measurements and National Standards Are Needed, Says New Report Apr 28, 2022 News Release
- Strategic Commitment, Long-Term Investments Needed by Defense Department to Expand Research Capacity at HBCUs and Other Minority Institutions, New Report Says Apr 28, 2022 News Release
- New Publications Examine the Use of Procedural Justice to Address Sexual Harassment, Describe Innovative Policies to Stop ‘Passing the Harasser’ Apr 20, 2022 Media Advisory
- NIH Should Standardize Questions Used to Collect Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation Data in Studies and Surveys, Says New Report Mar 9, 2022 News Release
- International Treaty, Transparency Measures Recommended to Build Resilience of America's Medical Product Supply Chains Mar 3, 2022 News Release
- CHR Statement regarding Attacks on Health Care in Ukraine Mar 2, 2022 Program News
- Expanding the Pool of Tech Talent Feb 25, 2022 Feature Story
- A Decade of Success: ‘Creative Mind’ Traveling Exhibit Spotlights Prominent Black Scientists and Researchers Feb 23, 2022 Feature Story
- New Report Reviews VA Monograph on Economic Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Service and Emotional Support Dogs for Veterans with PTSD Feb 1, 2022 News Release
- National Academies Partner with Chan Zuckerberg Initiative on New Grant Program to Recognize and Further Leadership by Biomedical Researchers Who Promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Jan 26, 2022 News Release
- National Academies’ Gulf Research Program Announces Six Early-Career Research Fellows Focused on Offshore Energy Safety Jan 20, 2022 Program News
- Actions Needed by Higher Education Institutions, Technology Companies, Federal Agencies to Increase Representation of Women of Color in Tech Dec 9, 2021 News Release
- National Academies Statement in Support of Findings and Conclusions of 2019 Report on Child Poverty Nov 9, 2021 Statement
- Rebalancing Power to Combat Sexual Harassment Nov 3, 2021 Feature Story
- Violence Against Health Workers During War Oct 26, 2021 Feature Story
- When Talking to Parents About COVID-19 Vaccines for Children, Emphasize Safety, Encourage Speaking with Family Doctor, and Leverage Social Connections, Says New Expert Consultation Oct 13, 2021 News Release
- National Academies Release New Videos and Illustrated Stories to Help Kids and Teens Manage Mental Health and Emotions During COVID-19 Sep 23, 2021 News Release
- Transportation’s Role in Equity and Justice: Restoring and Revitalizing Neighborhoods and Communities Jul 27, 2021 Feature Story
- Breaking Down Barriers to Entrepreneurship for Women Jul 21, 2021 Feature Story
- As Surgeon General Urges ‘Whole-of-Society’ Effort to Fight Health Misinformation, the Work of the National Academies Helps Foster an Evidence-Based Information Environment Jul 15, 2021 Feature Story
- Variants, Misinformation, and ‘Brain Drain’ — The COVID-19 Vaccine Experience in Brazil, India, and Africa Jul 6, 2021 Feature Story
- Panel Says Creating White House Task Force, Expanding Housing Programs, and Improving Access to Social Supports Could Avert Rental Eviction Crisis Triggered by Pandemic Jun 25, 2021 News Release
- U.S. Army Should Continue to Use Hydrocarbon Fuel as Primary Source of Energy on the Battlefield, Says New Report Jun 9, 2021 News Release
- Disrupting the Impacts of Implicit Bias May 28, 2021 Feature Story
- National Academy of Medicine Launches Initiative Supported by YouTube on Evaluating the Authoritativeness of Online Providers of Health Information Mar 23, 2021 News Release
- U.S. Global Change Research Program Should Shift Focus to Preparing for and Avoiding Worst Potential Consequences of Climate Change, Says New Report Mar 16, 2021 News Release
- New Report Reviews Veterans Affairs Monograph on Potential Therapeutic Effects of Programs with Service and Emotional Support Dogs on Veterans with PTSD Mar 12, 2021 News Release
- New Partner Network Created to Engage a Range of Organizations in Sharing Efforts to Prevent Sexual Harassment in Higher Education Feb 26, 2021 News Release
- Although Childhood Cancer Survival Rates Have Improved, Survivors Face Disability-Related Challenges Throughout Adulthood Dec 9, 2020 News Release
- The Far-Reaching Impacts of Racism and Bias Dec 3, 2020 Feature Story
- New Report Calls for More Comprehensive Data on LGBTQI+ Well-Being Oct 21, 2020 News Release
- To Adhere to Public Health Guidelines and Mitigate COVID-19, Officials Should Use Their Discretion to Minimize Incarceration, Says New Report Oct 20, 2020 News Release
- ‘We Must Let Opportunity Meet Talent’ Oct 15, 2020 Feature Story
- Action Collaborative Releases Repository of Initiatives Aimed at Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education Sep 30, 2020 Media Advisory
- An Update on Our Response to COVID-19: A Message from the Presidents of the NAS, NAE, and NAM Sep 14, 2020 Statement
- New Approaches Are Needed to Determine Whether Respiratory Health Problems Are Associated With Military Deployment to the Persian Gulf Region Sep 11, 2020 News Release
- Academies Study Will Examine COVID-19 in Correctional Facilities and Strategies for Decarceration Sep 10, 2020 Feature Story
- In Their Words: Youth Share Their Thoughts on National Academies Adolescent Health Report Aug 13, 2020 Feature Story
- Categorizing Workers’ Needs by Generation Such as Baby Boomers or Millennials Is Not Supported by Research or Useful for Workforce Management Jul 21, 2020 News Release
- CHR Endorses Call for Human Rights-Based Approach to COVID-19 May 20, 2020 Program News
- What Data Do We Need to Reopen the Country? Webinar Explores What to Watch May 19, 2020 Feature Story
- Defending Health & Human Rights in Sudan Sep 30, 2019 Program News
- International Day of Peace Sep 21, 2019 Program News
- World Humanitarian Day Aug 19, 2019 Program News
- Nelson Mandela Day Jul 18, 2019 Program News
- The Harmful Consequence of Separating Families Jun 21, 2018 Statement
- Statement on Harmful Consequences of Separating Families at the U.S. Border Jun 20, 2018 Statement
- Collaborating on Human Rights Investigations: Fire Research and Forensic Science May 1, 2017 Program News
- New Tactics of Abuse: Digital Surveillance and Human Rights May 1, 2017 Program News
- Higher Education Under Assault: Spotlight on IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund May 20, 2016 Program News
- Health Professionals and Human Rights Oct 22, 2015 Program News