Homeland Security and Public Safety

commentary

Treating Mental Health Within Jails Should Start Beyond Jails

In the United States, people with mental health concerns are disproportionately jailed at a staggering rate. It is essential that people have access to the health care they need while incarcerated. But efforts to build up community-based alternatives are essential, too.

Stephanie Brooks Holliday

blog

Reconstructing Ukraine, Wildfires, Telehealth: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on reconstructing Ukraine, what to do about wildfires, virtual mental health care services, and more.

commentary

State and Local Policy Is Changing for Psychedelics. What Will the Feds Do?

Psychedelics are attracting interest as a treatment for some mental health conditions. In response, some states and cities are changing their laws and policies on the supply and use of these mind-altering substances. But like cannabis, most psychedelics are federally prohibited—raising some tough questions for the federal government.

Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer, Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand

commentary

We Aren't Helpless in the Face of Increasing Fires and Smoke

Modernizing, better funding, and expanding wildland firefighting forces in North America won't make fires or smoke magically disappear. A massive paradigm shift is necessary. But it's clear something needs to happen immediately too.

Jay Balagna

blog

Extremist Beliefs Among Veterans, Space Traffic, Teacher Well-Being: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on whether extremist beliefs are more prevalent among veterans, why it's time to manage traffic in outer space, crises facing the Russian military, and more.

commentary

The Case for a Governance-First U.S. Security Policy in the Sahel

Both terrorism and coups are on the rise in the Sahel. To reverse this troubling trend, the United States could ramp up support aimed at improving security governance, professionalizing militaries, and strongly sanctioning all forms of military takeovers in the region. This would require a real shift from the current U.S. security approach in the region.

Alexander Noyes @alexhnoyes

blog

Arming Teachers, F-16s for Ukraine, Commercial Spaceflight: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how teachers feel about arming teachers, what F-16s will (and won't) do for Ukraine, the need to regulate commercial spaceflight, and more.

blog

Immigration Policy, the Black-White Wealth Gap, ChatGPT: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the challenges facing U.S. immigration policy, what it would take to close America's Black-white wealth gap, risks and opportunities associated with artificial intelligence, more.

blog

Extremism, Medicaid, Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Law: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on addressing domestic extremism, managing reductions in Medicaid enrollment, the effects of Florida's “Don't Say Gay” law, and more.

commentary

The United States Needs a Moonshot to Prevent Extremism from Metastasizing

Extremism is like cancer: It will always exist, but ignoring it runs the risk that it rears its ugly head, metastasizing throughout the country. The United States needs to ensure it has the proper tools to diagnose extremism in its earliest stages, and that the agencies tasked with protecting our democracy have the capability to get it into, and keep it in, remission.

Marek N. Posard @mnposard, K. Jack Riley

commentary

Enter Outer Space at Your Own Risk?

Since 2004, federal law has barred most participant safety regulations and leaves nearly all issues of safety up to the discretion of the company providing the service. It's time to allow the moratorium on regulation to expire and allow the development of safety standards, led by the FAA.

Douglas C. Ligor @DougLigor, Josh Becker

blog

Reflecting on the Pandemic, RAND Turns 75, Labor Trafficking: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, 75 years of influential RAND research, reducing labor trafficking in the United States, and more.

commentary

Waiting to Impale: Defending Taiwan with Artificial Reefs

Deterring a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is arguably the most important defense problem of the next few decades. Artificial reefs could help to deter China simply by waiting to impale any potential invasion force.

Scott Savitz

q&a

Alternative Futures Following a Great Power War: Miranda Priebe and Bryan Frederick in Conversation

Though not a great power war, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused many to wonder what a true great power war in Europe or the Indo-Pacific would look like, and especially what kind of world would emerge afterwards. Two RAND researchers discuss how their recent report sheds light on this issue.

blog

RAND Turns 75: A Look Through the Decades At World-Changing Research

From anticipating the Space Age in the 1940s to studying gun policy and COVID-19 responses in the 2020s, RAND is celebrating 75 years of research that has made a difference.