About the Commission
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.
Impact Reports
Impact Report:
COVID-19 and Crime
This updated analysis explores trends in violent, property, and drug offenses during the COVID-19 pandemic through March 2021.
Impact Report:
COVID-19 and SUD Treament
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.
Impact Report:
COVID-19 and Testing in State Prisons
Arriving in the midst of an opioid crisis, evidence suggests that COVID-19 and associated policies negatively impacted people with substance use disorders.
Commission Members
Steven Raphael
University of California, Berkeley
Jo-Ann Wallace
National Legal Aid and Defenders Association Insurance Program
Thomas Abt
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.
