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 2014 Annual Report illustrates some of the creative and successful efforts that are taking place across the city today: tutoring programs that are closing the achievement gap; workforce training programs that are equipping exoffenders for—and placing them in—meaningful jobs; greening initiatives that lower utility bills for seniors on fixed incomes; youth development programs that provide stability and enrichment to homeless youth; and support services for low-income women in need of treatment and a safe place to stay. These programs offer vital reminders of our power and capacity to affect change.
A proven strategy for reducing unintended pregnancy and abortion in Baltimore.
Food Access and Waste Reduction: Proposal for a Vendors’ Market in Baltimore City.
An Abell inquiry into one of the most prominent prototypes of the “new” newsroom.
A report by the Justice Policy Institute surveying people who returned to prison from parole and community supervision agents.
Header photo courtesy of Venture for America.