We believe that a community of creative problem-solvers, faced with complicated, seemingly intractable challenges, is well-served by thought-provoking, research-based information and analysis. We support the development and dissemination of research in two ways:
Abell Reports are commissioned reports by subject matter experts, academics, and investigative journalists that provide studies of selected issues on the public agenda.
These projects – undertaken with grant funding by academics and nonprofit research and advocacy organizations – advance learning on issues key to Baltimore City.
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In 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a consent decree for the Baltimore Police Department, mandating wide-ranging reforms. In a pair of companion reports, researchers from the University of Maryland examine the current state of community-police relations and how certain initiatives could help to improve them.
Eviction prevention programs, which cover up to three months of past-due rent, are a cost-effective way to stabilize families, pay landlords, and reduce costs to the state. This report examines two different scenarios that would prevent disruptive displacements.
Ten years ago, Maryland’s legislature passed a bill to expedite utilities’ replacement of their natural gas pipes in the name of safety. Since then, Maryland has adopted ambitious climate goals that will require the near elimination of natural gas use in homes by 2045. Yet the state continues to allow utilities to invest billions in replacing pipes, which consumers will have to pay for — with a profit for the utilities — for decades to come.
Our 2018 Annual Report highlights programs focused on creative financing of local entrepreneurs, improvements to the City’s green infrastructure, and tenacious efforts to prevent homelessness, reform our broken parole system, and teach young, struggling readers.
Public banks, owned by state or municipal governments and dedicated to public service, have a proven track record of promoting local economic development and financial inclusion in the U.S. and abroad.
Education Strategy Group (ESG), with funding from the Abell Foundation, conducted an external assessment of career readiness priorities, practices, and programs in Baltimore City Schools.
Child support enforcement practices fuel a cycle of poverty and instability for low-income parents and families. This Abell Report examines the data and recommends strategies Maryland can adopt to reform its child support system.
This Abell Report examines recent efforts at reforming the juvenile justice systems in various states and finds key lessons for Maryland.
Header photo courtesy of Venture for America.