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Gun control

Information and data about gun violence, firearms, and gun control policy

On this page, the Prison Policy Initiative has curated all of the research about gun control that we know of. For research on other criminal justice topics, see our Research Library homepage.

From Punishment to Prevention: A Better Approach to Addressing Youth Gun Possession Sentencing Project, June, 2025“In our national survey [of public defenders and youth justice professionals], 57% characterized the courts' handling of gun possession cases in their jurisdictions as "a major concern."”
Evaluating Firearm Violence After New Jersey's Cash Bail Reform Jaquelyn L. Jahn, Jessica T. Simes, & Jonathan Jay, May, 2024“Although New Jersey's pretrial detention population dramatically decreased under bail reform, the study did not find evidence of increases in overall firearm mortality or gun violence, or within racialized groups during the postpolicy period.”
Building a Mass Movement for Community-Led Public Safety Square One Project, May, 2024“This report examines the political context of [community violence intervention] advocacy...and lays out a framework for how to build a mass movement...that can dramatically reduce gun violence over the long term.”
U.S. Youth Attitudes on Guns American University's Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL), July, 2023“59% of participants agreed that gun safety laws should be stricter. Yet about 40% of youth reported at least "somewhat easy" access to a gun, with 21% reporting "very easy" access to a gun.”
Predicting and Preventing Gun Violence: An Experimental Evaluation of READI Chicago Monica P. Bhatt et al, January, 2023“There is no statistically significant change in an index combining three measures of serious violence, the study's primary outcome. But one component, shooting and homicide arrests, shows a suggestive decline of 64 percent.”
Sentences Imposed on Those Convicted of Felony Illegal Possession of a Firearm in Illinois Loyola University Chicago Center for Criminal Justice Research, Policy, and Practice, July, 2021“As a result of increased arrests, and mandatory prison sentences for most firearm possession offenses, prison admissions for these crimes increased 27% between 2014 and 2019, while admissions for all other crimes fell 38%”
Criminal Justice Solutions: Model State Legislation Brennan Center for Justice, December, 2018“This report offers state lawmakers model legislation based on smart, bold policy solutions that would keep crime low while reducing mass incarceration.”
What Do We Know About the Association Between Firearm Legislation and Firearm-Related Injuries? Epidemiologic Reviews, February, 2016“Evidence from 130 studies in 10 countries suggests that in certain nations the simultaneous implementation of laws targeting multiple firearms restrictions is associated with reductions in firearm deaths.”
State Firearm Legislation and Nonfatal Firearm Injuries American Journal of Public Health, August, 2015“There is significant variation in state-level hospital discharge rates for nonfatal firearm injuries, and stricter state firearm legislation is associated with lower discharge rates for such injuries.”
Contagion in Mass Killings and School Shootings PLoS ONE, July, 2015“We find significant evidence that mass killings involving firearms are incented by similar events in the immediate past. On average, this temporary increase in probability lasts 13 days.”
National Gunfire Index SST, March, 2015(All but two of the 28 cities saw reductions in their rates of gunfire.)
Effects of Policies Designed to Keep Firearms from High-Risk Individuals Annual Review of Public Health, March, 2015“Some prohibitions for high-risk individuals (e.g., those under domestic violence restraining orders, violent misdemeanants) and procedures for checking for more types of prohibiting conditions are associated with lower rates of violence.”
Background Checks For Firearm Transfers, 2012 - Statistical Tables Bureau of Justice Statistics, December, 2014“Since the inception of the Brady Act on March 1, 1994, through December 31, 2012, nearly 148 million applications for firearm transfers or permits were subject to background checks. More than 2.4 million applications (1.6%) were denied (table 1).”
Gun Possession among American Youth: A Discovery-Based Approach to Understand Gun Violence PLOS ONE, November, 2014“We identified more than 40 behavioral factors, including heroin use, using snuff on school property, having been injured in a fight, and having been a victim of sexual violence, that have and continue to be strongly associated with gun possession.”
The Impact of Right to Carry Laws and the NRC Report: The Latest Lessons for the Empirical Evaluation of Law and Policy Stanford Law School, September, 2014“The strongest evidence of a statistically significant effect would be for aggravated assault, with 11 of 28 estimates suggesting that RTC laws increase this crime at the .10 confidence level.”
State Variation in Hospital Use and Cost of Firearm Assault Injury, 2010 Urban Institute, August, 2014(Hospital use for firearm-assault injury is disproportionately concentrated among young males, particularly young black males, in all six study states.)
Reducing Gun Violence in America Informing Policy with Evidence and Analysis Center for Gun Policy and Research, February, 2014“Unless we take action, during... four years some 48,000 Americans will be killed with guns - nearly twice as many people as were killed in combat during the entire Vietnam War.”
Strategies for Reducing Gun Violence in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts A Report to Speaker of the House of Representatives Robert DeLeo Committee to Reduce Firearm Violence, February, 2014“Massachusetts already has some of the strongest gun laws in the nation. For example, over the last few years the Brady Center ranked Massachusetts 3rd among US states in terms of strength of our gun laws.”
The Hospital Cost of Firearms Urban Institute, September, 2013“Young males (age 15–24) are the most common firearm assault victims, visiting the ED almost seven times more than the national average.”
The Relationship Between Gun Ownership and Firearm Homicide Rates in the US 1981-2010 American Journal of Public Health, September, 2013“..we found that states with higher levels of gun ownership had disproportionately large numbers of deaths from firearm-related homicides.”
Priorities for Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-Related Violence Institute of Medicine, June, 2013“The complexity and frequency of firearm violence, combined with its impact on the health and safety of Americans, suggest that a public health approach should be incorporated into the strategies used to prevent future harm and injuries.”
Firearm Violence, 1993-2011 Bureau of Justice Statistics, May, 2013“Nonfatal firearm crimes declined 69%, from 1.5 million victimizations in 1993 to 467,300 victimizations in 2011.”
The Cost of Firearm Violence Children's Safety Network, 2013“PIRE researcher Ted Miller estimates annual firearm injury costs average $645 per gun in America.”
Firearms Stolen during Household Burglaries and Other Property Crimes, 2005-2010 Bureau of Justice Statistics, November, 2012“On average, firearms were stolen in an annual average of about 4% of the 2.4 million burglaries occurring each year, in 2% of the 529,200 robberies, and in less than 1% of the 13.6 million other crimes involving theft from 2005 through 2010.”
Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2005 Bureau of Justice Statistics, November, 2006“The Firearm Inquiry Statistics Program is an ongoing data collection effort focusing on the procedures and statistics related to background checks in selected States.”
Survey of State Procedures Related to Firearm Transfers, 2005 Bureau of Justice Statistics, November, 2006“The report summarizes issues about State procedures, including persons prohibited from purchasing firearms, restoration of rights of purchase to prohibited persons, permits, prohibited firearms, waiting periods, fees, and appeals.”
Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2004 Bureau of Justice Statistics, October, 2005
Survey of State Procedures Related to Firearm Sales, Midyear 2004 Bureau of Justice Statistics, July, 2005
Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2003: Trends for the Permanent Brady Period, 1999-2003 Bureau of Justice Statistics, September, 2004
Weapon Use and Violent Crime, 1993-2001 Bureau of Justice Statistics, September, 2003
Background Checks for Firearm Transfer, 2002 Bureau of Justice Statistics, September, 2003
Survey of State Procedures Related to Firearm Sales, Midyear 2002 Bureau of Justice Statistics, April, 2003
Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2001 Bureau of Justice Statistics, September, 2002
Survey of State Procedures Related to Firearm Sales, Midyear 2001 Bureau of Justice Statistics, April, 2002
Firearm Use by Offenders Bureau of Justice Statistics, November, 2001“18% of state prisoners committed their crimes while armed”(Topics of this BJS Special Report include types of firearms used, characteristics of inmates using firearms, why and where inmates used their firearms, and where they obtained their firearms)
Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2000 Bureau of Justice Statistics, July, 2001
Firearm Injury and Death from Crime, 1993-97, Bureau of Justice Statistics, October, 2000“Firearms assault injuries and murders fell between 1993 and 1997”
Federal Firearm Offenders, 1992-98: With Preliminary Data for 1999 Bureau of Justice Statistics, June, 2000
Presale Handgun Checks, the Brady Interim Period, 1994-98 Bureau of Justice Statistics, June, 1999
Presale Handgun Checks, 1996 Bureau of Justice Statistics, September, 1997“Overall, 2.7% of all handgun purchases had their application for purchase rejected during 1996. About 68% of the rejections were for a prior felony conviction or a current felony indictment.”
Firearm Injury from Crime: Firearms, Crime, and Criminal Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, April, 1996
Weapons Offenses and Offenders--Firearms, Crime, and Criminal Justice: Selected Findings Bureau of Justice Statistics, November, 1995
Guns Used in Crime: Firearms, Crime, and Criminal Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, July, 1995
Federal Firearms-Related Offenses: Federal Offenses and Offenders Bureau of Justice Statistics, July, 1995(Notes the association between firearms involvement and an increased severity of sentence)
Guns and Crime: Handgun Victimization, Firearm Self-Defense, and Firearm Theft Bureau of Justice Statistics, April, 1994
Firearms and Crimes of Violence Bureau of Justice Statistics, February, 1994“trends in firearm use in serious violent crime, based on FBI data on homicide, BJS data on victimization and inmate firearm use, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data on firearm ownership by high school students.”

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