Aug 2025
Data Resources Reference Sheet
This resource contains a list of data resources sometimes used by the Crime Lab. The list is Chicago-centric, but some state and national data sources are also included.
Please note: While we believe all the included resources are good sources of information, the Crime Lab did not create or maintain any of the sources below with the exception of the Violence Reduction Dashboard—which was originally created by Crime Lab and is now maintained by the City of Chicago.
Latest Updates
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
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
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.
