Criminal Justice Reform

We’re advancing long overdue reforms to reduce the harms of America’s broken criminal justice system.

In cities across America, communities face high rates of gun violence and significant harm caused by the criminal justice system, which disproportionately impacts people of color. For too long, the public sector has failed to address these overlapping and systemic crises, partly because policymakers view them as a trade-off. But to truly increase public safety, society must find solutions that advance justice and reduce gun violence simultaneously.

That’s why we’re working with public sector agencies to reform our criminal justice system by designing pretrial risk assessment tools, studying the effects of cash bail, and promoting treatment instead of incarceration for individuals arrested on non-violent substance use charges.

Our evaluation of the Narcotics Arrest Diversion Program found participants were 44% less likely to be re-arrested for drug possession and violent crime charges.

We worked with Luminosity and the NYC Criminal Justice Agency to design and implement New York City’s pre-trial risk assessment tool, helping low-risk defendants avoid jail time while they await trial and helping judges avoid releasing high-risk defendants.

Related Projects
Illinois Department of Corrections’ (IDOC) Facilities Mapping Project

Illinois Department of Corrections’ (IDOC) Facilities Mapping Project

To improve access to college education opportunities in prison, the Crime Lab partnered with the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) to produce interactive statewide maps to connect facilities with nearby postsecondary education providers.

New Jersey Portfolio
CURRENT

New Jersey Portfolio

The Crime Lab is partnering with the New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to help strengthen reforms to the state’s criminal justice system introduced in 2017, including eliminating cash bail and introducing a risk assessment tool to aid in pretrial release decisions.

Chicago Fire Department Technical Assistance

Chicago Fire Department Technical Assistance

Crime Lab data analysts were embedded in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) division of the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) to generate data dashboards and visualizations using data from patient care reports.

Targeted Interventions for High-Risk Domestic Violence Victims

Targeted Interventions for High-Risk Domestic Violence Victims

The Crime Lab studied targeted approaches to identify high-risk domestic violence victims, conduct outreach, and provide resources to lower the risk of experiencing future harm.

Related Resources
Transforming Criminal Justice Responses to Substance Use: Impacts on Crime, Housing, and Health Outcomes
Academic Paper

Transforming Criminal Justice Responses to Substance Use: Impacts on Crime, Housing, and Health Outcomes

Jan 2025

This paper evaluates the impact of diverting individuals who possess drugs away from arrest and into substance use treatment in Chicago between 2010-2022.

Agent-Based Model of Combined Community- and Jail-Based Take-Home Naloxone Distribution
Academic Paper

Agent-Based Model of Combined Community- and Jail-Based Take-Home Naloxone Distribution

Dec 2024

This paper outlines the impact and cost-effectiveness of naloxone distribution, particularly for people facing criminal justice involvement.

Empirical Analysis of Prediction Mistakes in New York City Pretrial Data
Academic Paper

Empirical Analysis of Prediction Mistakes in New York City Pretrial Data

Feb 2024
Brookings Institution Commentary: Making the invisible epidemic visible
Brief

Brookings Institution Commentary: Making the invisible epidemic visible

Aug 2023

Using new data from a large urban trauma center in Chicago, we document substantial under-reporting of domestic violence at the time of receiving medical care.

Latest Updates

How Treating Teens’ Trauma Is Stopping Violence in Chicago
Podcast
Tradeoffs
Jun 2025

How Treating Teens’ Trauma Is Stopping Violence in Chicago

The Tradeoffs Podcast highlights the Crime Lab’s study of Choose to Change, a program that pairs cognitive behavioral therapy with wraparound supports to engage young people who are increasingly disconnected from school and often exposed to high levels of trauma – with the goal of keeping them safe and helping them thrive.

Major Public Safety Associations Participate in Congressional Briefing on Law Enforcement Training Priorities During National Police Week
Web Post
Brooks Bawden Moore Blog
Jun 2025

Major Public Safety Associations Participate in Congressional Briefing on Law Enforcement Training Priorities During National Police Week

Alumni of the Crime Lab’s Policing Leadership Academy (PLA) participated in a bipartisan briefing as part of National Police Week, focusing on key law enforcement training priorities.

Book Review: What We Get Wrong About Violent Crime
Media Mention
The New Yorker
Jun 2025

Book Review: What We Get Wrong About Violent Crime

Malcolm Gladwell pens a review of “Unforgiving Places,” a new book by Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig, that reflects on how the book “challenges our assumptions about why most shootings happen—and what really makes a city safe.”