What We’re Learning

What We’re Learning

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

Abell Reports are commissioned reports by subject matter experts, academics, and investigative journalists that provide studies of selected issues on the public agenda.

Abell-Supported Research

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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    Featured Reports

    Photo courtesy of the Goucher Prison Education Partnership.

    2024 Annual Report

    A reflection on the promising new approaches and new resources that have been brought to bear in the last decade.

    Abell Report: “Justice by Geography”: Improving Pretrial Electric Monitoring in Maryland

    Recent changes to state funding have reignited conversations among Maryland corrections leaders about expanding and strengthening electronic monitoring (EM) and pretrial services. This report summarizes key findings from the Justice Policy Institute’s research into EM as well as best practices.

    Abell Report: Evidence of Racial Bias in Home Appraisals in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area

    Racial bias in home appraising can harm individuals by making home purchases more expensive or refinancing unattainable, but when compounded on the community level, it can have profound impacts on minority communities’ ability to build wealth. Using newly available federal data, this report finds evidence of systemic appraisal bias that undervalues homes in predominantly Black communities in Baltimore City and the surrounding counties.

    Publications Library

    Warehouses: For Baltimore City, Ugly Ducklings With Beautiful Potential

    At stake are income and jobs; what’s needed to make it all happen are land, financing, and creative marketing.

    A Study of Barriers to the Placement of Foster Care Children in Permanent Homes

    Recommendations for how to decrease the amount of time children stay in foster care and increase both the number of children who are adopted and the speed in which they are adopted.

    Abell Salutes: The Barclay-Calvert Experiment

    The four-year results are promising.

    Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health is Making a Difference – from Baltimore to Bangladesh

    Dean Alfred Sommer says, “We want to add more years, and more to the quality of those years, that an individual and a society can enjoy. The world must learn that prevention is cheaper than the cure.”

    Casino Gambling: Should Baltimore Roll the Dice?

    As gambling grows in popularity, income-hungry jurisdictions across America are increasingly viewing casino gambling as a panacea: a way to boost tax revenues, reverse downward job trends, and to attract tourism.

    Header photo courtesy of Venture for America.