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

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.

Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Technical Assistance

Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Technical Assistance

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
Brookings Institution Commentary: Making the invisible epidemic visible
Research 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.

Video about the Narcotics Arrest Diversion Program
Video

Video about the Narcotics Arrest Diversion Program

Jun 2023

This video provides an overview of the Crime Lab’s evaluation of the Narcotics Arrest Diversion Program, a program implemented by the community behavioral health provider Thresholds.

NADP Research Brief
Research Brief

NADP Research Brief

Jun 2023

Research Brief for the Narcotics Arrest Diversion Program.

New York City Criminal Justice Agency Release Assessment
Website

New York City Criminal Justice Agency Release Assessment

2023

Latest Updates

Public Safety: A Call to Action for Business
Event
Sep 2023

Public Safety: A Call to Action for Business

Webinar- Situational decision-making: A new training to improve policing
Event
Sep 2023

Webinar- Situational decision-making: A new training to improve policing

University of Chicago kicks off training for anti-violence leaders from across the country
Media Mention
WBBM Newsradio
Sep 2023

University of Chicago kicks off training for anti-violence leaders from across the country

WBBM 780’s Nancy Harty discusses the launch of the Crime Lab’s first cohort of the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy.