Policy and Program Evaluation
We work with government agencies and community-based partners to rigorously evaluate gun violence intervention programs and criminal justice policy reforms.
Across every project or partner, we work to generate high-quality research about the factors driving public safety trends and identify evidence-based interventions to save lives. Access to good and unbiased data is the common denominator for strong evaluation, which is why we pursue data-sharing agreements with public agencies and seek to make our own data publicly available whenever possible. We focus on policies and programs that are supporting the communities and individuals most impacted by gun violence and criminal justice system harms.
From leading randomized controlled trials — the gold standard in research — to evaluating historical and real-time data, the Crime Lab uses a variety of methods to rigorously evaluate policies and interventions.
Latest Updates
University of Chicago Economist Jens Ludwig Testifies on Violence Reduction Research Before Illinois House Committee
The Illinois House Gun Violence Prevention Committee will today hear testimony from Dr. Jens Ludwig, who will detail violence reduction strategies from his book, “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence.”
The Alumni Dispatch – This Didn’t Happen Overnight: Three CVILA Alumni Reflect on Chicago’s Progress
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) Program Manager Heather Bland sat down with Chicago alumni Pamela Montgomery-Bosley, Edwin Galletti, and Guillermo Gutierrez to explore how their leadership, lived experience, and daily work are reshaping public safety and advancing community violence intervention across Chicago.
How to get safer streets with tighter police budgets
Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton and Policing Leadership Academy Executive Director Ken Corey co-authored an op-ed about the importance of police leadership and ensuring police commanders are equipped with the tools to run modern, data-driven organizations.
