Jan 2020

New York City Criminal Justice Agency Release Assessment

This website describes the New York City Criminal Justice Agency Release Assessment, how it is scored, how it performs, and how it is used in court

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Latest Updates

Webinar Recording: Validating CJA’s Updated Release Assessment
Event
New York City Criminal Justice Agency
Jul 2025

Webinar Recording: Validating CJA’s Updated Release Assessment

Crime Lab Senior Research Director Greg Stoddard provided remarks at a New York City Criminal Justice Agency (CJA) webinar on the latest validation study of CJA’s release assessment tool. The release assessment, developed in partnership with the Crime Lab, is an interview used by trained staff members to estimate whether someone will return to court if released pretrial.

Curbing gun violence in Chicago doesn’t require that we first end poverty
Op-Ed
Chicago Tribune
Oct 2025

Curbing gun violence in Chicago doesn’t require that we first end poverty

Crime Lab leaders Katie Hill and Jens Ludwig penned an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune highlighting the root causes of gun violence and the growing body of research showing that increased neighborhood vibrancy generates surprisingly large changes in the prevalence of gun violence, by as much as 30%.

A fighting chance
Media Mention
The University of Chicago Magazine
Oct 2025

A fighting chance

In The University of Chicago Magazine’s Fall ’25 issue, Susie Allen profiles Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig to discuss his book, “Unforgiving Places,” which challenges conventional wisdom on gun violence and suggests new approaches to solving the problem.