2018

The First Ten: A Decade of Impact at the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab

We are pleased to share our report, The First Ten: A Decade of Impact at the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab. While there is no way to adequately express our gratitude to the extraordinary people and organizations with whom we have worked over the last decade, we offer this report as a tribute to you all.

We started the University of Chicago Crime Lab in 2008 and the Education Lab in 2011 because of the unconscionable levels of gun violence and social inequity in Chicago and across the nation. We firmly believed that the University of Chicago was in a position to do more to be a part of the solution.

Over the last decade, we have sought to use rigorous research and data to pursue answers, insights, and scalable solutions, working closely with those most deeply affected by gun violence and educational inequity. To do this work, we joined forces with those already developing and implementing promising ideas across the public, non-profit, and private sectors. We’ve tried our best to approach this work with humility, honesty, vigor, and a seriousness of purpose.

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Latest Updates

The best way to cut gun violence, and it’s almost free
Op-Ed
Crain's Chicago Business
Jul 2025

The best way to cut gun violence, and it’s almost free

In an op-ed for Crain’s Chicago Business, Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig highlights the importance of using data-informed practices to improve public safety and shares key insights from behavioral economics that provide a playbook for addressing gun violence that is both effective and low-cost.

Research on cognitive behavioral therapy for at-risk youth
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Probable Causation
Jul 2025

Research on cognitive behavioral therapy for at-risk youth

Dr. Nour Abdul-Razzak joins host Jennifer Doleac on the Probable Causation podcast to discuss the Choose to Change program—an intervention that integrates trauma-informed therapy with comprehensive support to reduce youth violence and improve educational outcomes.

Deaths of decision-making are killing American teens. Schools can fix it.
Op-Ed
Brookings
Jul 2025

Deaths of decision-making are killing American teens. Schools can fix it.

Crime Lab executive director Katie Hill pens an op-ed for Brookings about how cognitive behavioral programs can teach teens decision-making skills that can dramatically reduce violence and save lives – often at little or no additional cost.