News and Events
Media Contact

Kim Smith
Director of National Programs and External Engagement
In Chicago, cognitive behavioral therapy shows promise curbing youth violence
NPR’s Meg Anderson reported on Chicago’s Choose to Change (C2C), a program that combines trauma-informed therapy with wraparound supports and aims to reduce youth violence. The Crime Lab found that the program can effectively and sustainably reduce violence involvement and the likelihood of being arrested.

Unforgiving Places: The Behavioral Science of Ending Gun Violence
In this talk hosted by Chicago Booth’s Think Better Speaker Series, Jens Ludwig argued that the lack of progress in reducing gun violence ultimately stems from our having misunderstood the nature of the problem, and that behavioral science gives us a new way to understand – and solve – gun violence in America.

Do the Police Have a Management Problem?
Crime Lab Pritzker Director Dr. Jens Ludwig was featured on the latest Freakonomics Radio episode with Policing Leadership Academy participants and leaders. In this episode, Jens and Freakonomics Radio host Stephen J. Dubner discussed our Policing Leadership Academy and the importance of professionalizing police leadership to effectively reduce gun violence.

Discontinued violence-prevention program for struggling teens revived with $25 million
The Crime Lab’s founding executive director Roseanna Ander and director of national programs Kim Smith provide comments about the Chicago Public Schools’ unanimous board vote to reinstate Back to Our Future, a violence prevention program to reengage disconnected youth.

Jens Ludwig — Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence
Join Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig for a book talk and signing at Politics and Prose Bookstore at Union Market in Washington, DC for his upcoming book, “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence.”

Jens Ludwig and Chief Bill Scott: The Unexpected Origins of Gun Violence
Join Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig for a book talk and signing at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, CA for his upcoming book, “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence.”

Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence
Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig authored a book that argues the lack of progress in reducing gun violence ultimately stems from our having misunderstood the nature of the problem, and that behavioral science gives us a new way to understand – and solve – gun violence in America.

2025 CVI Leadership Academy Celebration and Graduation
The CVI Leadership Academy will host the graduation of its third cohort and a celebration of the field in Miami, FL.

Unforgiving Places: The Behavioral Science of Ending Gun Violence
In this talk hosted by Chicago Booth’s Think Better Speaker Series, Jens Ludwig argued that the lack of progress in reducing gun violence ultimately stems from our having misunderstood the nature of the problem, and that behavioral science gives us a new way to understand – and solve – gun violence in America.

Combining Mentorship and Therapy, Program Aims to Prevent Teen Violence Before It Happens
Matt Masterson for WTTW News covers the Crime Lab’s study of Choose to Change, a six-month intervention that combines “near-peer” mentorship and cognitive behavioral therapy to help steer teens away from violence and get them back on a more successful track.

In Chicago, cognitive behavioral therapy shows promise curbing youth violence
NPR’s Meg Anderson reported on Chicago’s Choose to Change (C2C), a program that combines trauma-informed therapy with wraparound supports and aims to reduce youth violence. The Crime Lab found that the program can effectively and sustainably reduce violence involvement and the likelihood of being arrested.

A Conversation on Recent Immigration Changes with Former Border and Customs Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske
The City Club of Chicago and the UChicago Crime Lab are hosting a dinner event in conversation with former Border and Customs Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske, who will share his insights on immigration and the role of state and local law enforcement, as well as the changes we can anticipate under the second Trump administration.

Are We Thinking About Gun Violence All Wrong?
Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig sat down with Jerusalem Demsas for The Atlantic’s Good on Paper podcast to preview his upcoming book, “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence,” and discuss the behavioral science-informed solutions that could reduce gun violence in American cities.
