ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book endeavors to fill the gap and unravel the political, economic, social, cultural, and other concerns that can trump research evidence in policymakers' decisions. The 'evidence-based policy' outlines relevant research on the adoption and implementation of evidence-based policies in criminal justice and other policy areas. Three different theoretical frameworks were employed because the spread and contraction of boot camps were complex processes with multiple constituent parts. By quantitatively testing and qualitatively examining different explanations for the spread of boot camps, it therefore also increases current limited knowledge about criminal justice policymaking, the impact of research evidence on policy decisions, and the factors that facilitate the adoption and abolition of criminal justice policies. The use of both quantitative and qualitative methods in this project allowed a comprehensive but nuanced portrait of states' choices about boot camps to be created.
