In reviews of scientific quality of studies, randomized controlled trials (RCT) are typically regarded as having the highest methodological rigour. Although the Cochrane Reviews are best known for their analysis of the effects of treatment in healthcare settings, they also investigate the effectiveness of criminological interventions. To our knowledge, no study has ever examined the conclusions of the Cochrane Reviews for this type of intervention. In this study, our analysis of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews between 2000 and 2008 found 33 Cochrane Reviews of criminological interventions. Not surprisingly, given its weight on RCT, on average only 2 % of these studies were assessed as having high methodological quality. These results raise questions about the appropriateness of the Cochrane Reviews to evaluate the scientific quality of social type interventions. Issues such as the representativeness of the environment where interventions are implemented, the concomitance and complexity of social problems, the contributions and limits of intervention protocols and the risks of delay, even paralysis, in the implementation of innovative approaches are not part of their scientific quality examinations.