Event Recording: What’s Driving the Crime Decline?

After spiking during the pandemic and the social justice protests of 2020-21, violent crime has fallen sharply over the past three years. Its news we should all celebrate—and it’s critical that we understand why if we want to extend progress into 2026 and beyond.

How much might be due to changes in criminal justice policies and programs, from tougher immigration enforcement and the deployment of the National Guard to expansion of community violence interruption programs? What about advances in crime detection and investigation and other technologies? To what extent are broader social and cultural forces at play? What else?

Experts and leaders from the Council on Criminal Justice came together for a fast-paced discussion of the most common—and controversial—claims.

Panelists

Thaddeus Johnson, Senior Fellow, Council on Criminal Justice
Charles Fain Lehman, Senior Fellow, The Manhattan Institute
Ernesto Lopez, Senior Research Specialist, Council on Criminal Justice
Emily Owens, Criminology and Economics Professor, University of California, Irvine
Alex Piquero, Sociology and Criminology Professor, University of Miami

Print this page

Recent Posts

Event Recording: Beyond Recidivism: What We Know About Women on Parole

The Council on Criminal Justice Women’s Justice Commission hosted a conversation with a panel of experts about what the findings revealed, how parole and reentry systems can better respond to women’s needs and responsibilities, and what it will take to improve outcomes for women, families, and communities.

UpClose With Matthew Cavedon

This month’s spotlighted member is Matthew Cavedon, director of the Project on Criminal Justice at the Cato Institute.

Event Recording: What’s Driving the Homicide Decline?

In this webinar, CCJ discussed a summary of the key takeaways and hosted a conversation with four of the participants about the explanations they found most plausible, what shaped those judgments, and what the findings suggest for sustaining progress.