How Long is Long Enough?

CCJ Task Force on Long Sentences produces their final report, consisting of 14 recommendations that outline steps to focus resources on violence prevention and victim restoration.

Honoring Service, Advancing Safety: Supporting Veterans From Arrest Through Sentencing

CCJ commission calls for better identification of veterans at the front end of the justice system, increased diversion of veterans away from incarceration, and a national center to advance research and coordinate support

2022 Annual Report

Crime trends, long prison sentences, racial disparities, policing, veterans in the justice system, Medicaid for incarcerated people, community violence reduction - we were busy last year.

CCJ report shows drop in homicide, other violent crime in 2022

Murder, gun assaults and most other types of violent crime fell last year, but robberies increased and motor vehicle thefts surged

Black-White National Imprisonment Trends,
2000 to 2020

A new report advancing earlier CCJ research examines 2000-2020 trends in racial disparities within the U.S. criminal justice system.

Centering Justice

Centering Justice is a collaborative project engaging a diverse range of the nation’s top thinkers and doers in an ongoing, ideologically vibrant conversation about criminal justice policy.

Veterans Justice Commission

Roughly 200,000 active-duty service members leave the armed forces each year. Most transition to civilian life successfully, but others struggle with mental health challenges, substance use, homelessness, and criminality.

A Statistical Portrait

Through a series of charts, Long Sentences by the Numbers outlines the most current and comprehensive data available on the nature and extent of long sentences, which the Task Force defines as prison terms of 10 years or more.

A Synthesis of Stakeholder Input

Read the second in a series of publications from the Health and Reentry Project (HARP). It outlines key principles for changing Medicaid’s role in reentry, proposes a new reentry care model, and identifies essential elements for successful implementation of potential Medicaid reentry policies.

Violent Crime Working Group

Composed of a diverse range of leaders representing community organizations, law enforcement, the public health sector, and academia, the Violent Crime Working Group is dedicated to addressing the most pressing and challenging issues concerning crime, violence, and justice.

Consensus Proposals to Improve Policing

Launched in late 2020, the Task Force on Policing identified the policies and practices most likely to reduce excessive use of force, increase accountability, and rebuild trust between the police and communities. The diverse group of law enforcement, civil rights, and community leaders assessed more than two dozen reforms and identified five top priorities. The final report highlighted five priorities for reform.

Welcome to the Council

 

Independent and nonpartisan, the Council is an invitational membership organization and think tank, serving as a center of gravity and incubator of policy and leadership for the criminal justice field.

Grounding Criminal Justice Policy in Facts and Evidence

upclose Spotlight

Ganesha

"Once anybody touches, particularly people of color, our criminal justice system, it's almost like a fly trap, and it's very hard to extricate yourself if you do not have connections and finances ... [This cycle] prevents you from being a productive member of society in a lot of different ways."

Ganesha Martin
President & CEO, G.M.M. Consulting, LLC
VP of Public Policy and Community Affairs, Mark43
jkorzenik

"It is hard to find anything that can more positively impact our communities than opening up gateways of opportunity for people who have had interaction with the justice system."

Jeffrey Korzenik
Managing Director, Chief Investment Strategist
Firth Third Bank
1200px-Pulitzer2018-james-forman-jr-20180530-wp

“I feel like particularly when we’re talking about the criminal justice system, we’re at a stage where a lot of the problems have been very well defined … But I think the challenge that we face in the country is building up a set of alternatives, what to do instead. If we’re not going to rely as much on police and prosecutors and prisons … then what are we going to build up in its place?”

James Forman, Jr.
Professor, Yale Law School
Faculty Director, Yale Law and Racial Justice Center
Learn More

Latest posts

Sort by Topic
Sort by Topic

Event Recording: Pretrial Justice, Sentencing and Corrections—Finding Common Ground in State Capitals

On May 15, the leaders of the Council on Criminal Justice Centering Justice initiative – Khalil Cumberbatch and Marc Levin – led a discussion exploring bipartisan cooperation on pretrial justice, sentencing, and corrections with three experts from the field.
Read More

Meeting Bulletin #2: Developing the Crime Trends Research Agenda

In the Crime Trends Working Group’s second meeting, members discussed what research is needed to inform discussions on nationwide crime trends and identified initial topics for investigation.
Read More

GOVERNING
Why We Need More College Graduates Behind the Badge

Attracting more people with four-year degrees — and more women — into policing is likely to produce better outcomes. Among other things, they are less likely to draw complaints and use force.
Read More

Can Repairing Abandoned Housing Reduce Gun Violence?

This research examines whether environmental changes such as housing façade repairs, trash cleanup, or weed removal can improve health and safety in low-income, Black neighborhoods.
Read More

Relief from Criminal Justice Fees Prevents Increased Debt but Does Not Impact Crime

In this analysis, the Council reviews research examining the effects of debt relief on the likelihood of criminal activity and future involvement in the criminal justice system.
Read More

Combining Procedural Justice Training and Hot Spots Policing Reduces Crime and Improves Community Relations

This analysis reviews a study showing that blending hot spots policing with procedural justice training has positive effects on crime rates, police behavior, and perceptions of police.
Read More
More Posts