Reducing Gun Violence, Advancing Justice

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Improving storytelling through data
News and Events

Improving storytelling through data

Learn more about Alivia’s experience in the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy.

Policing Leadership Academy
Project

Policing Leadership Academy

The Policing Leadership Academy (PLA) is designed to increase safety and fairness in America’s most violent neighborhoods.

CVI Leadership Academy
Project

CVI Leadership Academy

The Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) is a first-of-its-kind program to train community violence intervention leaders from across America.

The Crime Lab designs, tests, and scales data-driven innovations to improve the public sector’s response to the dual challenges of America’s gun violence crisis and a criminal justice system that is not truly just.

Given its scale, when it comes to gun violence and the criminal justice system, the government can cause the most harm from its failure–or have the greatest positive impact. That’s why working with public sector agencies to improve their response is central to the Crime Lab’s work: it’s the best way to make progress at scale.

Watch the video

View a compilation of video messages congratulating the graduates of the second cohort of the CVI Leadership Academy

Celebrating at the Cohort 2 graduation of the CVI Leadership Academy.

Topics

Our goal is to have an outsized impact on our streets, in our courts, and across our justice system to support neighborhoods disproportionately suffering from these crises. That’s why the Crime Lab measures success in terms of real-world results.

Explore Our Approach

Community Violence Intervention

Community Violence Intervention

Through a combination of street outreach by credible messengers and behavioral science-informed interventions, community violence intervention (CVI) programs help de-escalate stressful situations before they lead to violence.

Criminal Justice Reform

Criminal Justice Reform

We're advancing long overdue reforms to reduce the harms of America's broken criminal justice system.

Gun Violence

Gun Violence

In cities across America, communities face high rates of gun violence and significant harm caused by the criminal justice system – both of which disproportionately impact communities of color.

Policing

Policing

If we want to address America’s gun violence epidemic and save lives today, fair and effective policing is essential. But for too many communities, we are failing to deliver that kind of policing.

Youth Violence

Youth Violence

Gun violence is the leading cause of death for young people in America. But youth violence interventions can help keep kids safe and reach those who are the hardest to reach.

Latest News & Events

Welcome Katie Hill, our new Executive Director
Announcement
Oct 2024

Welcome Katie Hill, our new Executive Director

Read the announcement of the Crime Lab’s new Executive Director.

University of Chicago Crime Lab adds to leadership team
Media Mention
Crain's Chicago Business
Oct 2024

University of Chicago Crime Lab adds to leadership team

Pawan Naidu of Crain’s Chicago Business covers the Crime Lab’s announcement of our new Executive Director, Katie Hill.

University of Chicago Crime Lab gets new leader
Media Mention
Chicago Sun Times
Oct 2024

University of Chicago Crime Lab gets new leader

The Chicago Sun Times covers the Crime Lab’s announcement of our new Executive Director, Katie Hill.