The National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice was launched in July 2020 by the Council on Criminal Justice. Its mission was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the justice system, develop strategies to limit outbreaks, and produce a priority agenda of systemic policy changes to better balance public health and public safety.
The Commission was composed of 14 members who represent a diverse range of relevant professional expertise. Commissioners included current and former justice system leaders, elected officials, advocates, a leading incarceration researcher, a top public health specialist, and a directly impacted individual.
Arriving in the midst of an opioid crisis, evidence suggests that COVID-19 and associated policies negatively impacted people with substance use disorders.
Evidence suggests that more testing, early testing, and early mass testing may have been strategies that helped states achieve lower rates of COVID-19 mortality behind bars.
Director, National Commission on COVID-19; Senior Fellow, Council on Criminal Justice
Supporters
Support for the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice comes from Arnold Ventures, Blue Meridian Partners (Justice and Mobility Fund), John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Microsoft, Schusterman Family Philanthropies, and CCJ’s general operating contributors.