Grounding Criminal Justice Policy in Facts and Evidence
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UpClose With Kris Steele
This month’s spotlighted member is Kris Steele, executive director of The Education and Employment Ministry. In his interview, Steele shares his perspective on the importance of education in breaking incarceration cycles and emphasizes the importance of informing policy decisions by values of faith, reconciliation, and mercy.

Event Recording: Executive Power — Exploring Clemency and Pardons
On February 12, 2025, leaders of the Council on Criminal Justice Centering Justice initiative – Khalil Cumberbatch and Marc Levin – led a discussion exploring the use of executive clemency, including pardons, commutations, and reprieves.

Meeting Bulletin #3: January 2025
For its third convening, the Women’s Justice Commission gathered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and focused on women’s needs, experiences, and outcomes as they move through the criminal court system pretrial.

Homicide, Most Other Violent Crimes Fall Below Pre-Pandemic Levels in U.S. Cities
New CCJ analysis of 2024 crime trends also shows year-over-year decreases
in 12 of 13 offenses, with only reported shoplifting continuing its recent rise

Crime Trends in U.S. Cities: Year-End 2024 Update
Homicide and most other violent crimes have fallen below pre-pandemic levels in a sample of 40 U.S. cities. CCJ’s year-end 2024 analysis also shows a year-over-year decrease in 12 of 13 major offenses, with shoplifting the lone exception.

UpClose With Jamila Hodge
This month’s spotlighted member is Jamila Hodge, executive director of Equal Justice USA. In her interview, Hodge discusses how the criminal justice field addresses violent crime and the importance of identifying solutions that address the underlying drivers of violence.