A message from CJI Executive Director Christine Cole on racial justice

"The killings of Black and brown Americans and the structural racism in our society that has allowed them to happen, often with total impunity, demand more than words. They demand real, meaningful change."

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Recent Publications

7/19/2022

Promoting Success on Community Supervision: Strategies for Improving Outcomes and Reducing Revocations

With support from Arnold Ventures, a non-partisan philanthropic organization, the Crime and Justice Institute (CJI) assessed supervision practices in four states: Colorado, Florida, Mississippi, and Montana. Each was selected to represent different characteristics of community supervision populations, including the size, demographic composition, and regional environment, as well as to include different mechanisms for a person…

6/13/2022

A framework for public safety to prepare for elections

  See below for links to additional election preparation resources. Regardless of political affiliation, all public safety leaders should commit to supporting the democratic processes and institutions that support a free and fair election. It is imperative that public safety officials make plans in advance to support elections and respond in the case of challenges…

3/4/2022

COVID-19 and Criminal Justice in Nevada: Learning from a Crisis

Click here to read the full report. Click here to read a summary of the report recommendations. Beginning in 2018, to address significant 10-year growth in its prison population, Nevada participated in the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI), a public-private partnership funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Pew Charitable Trusts. As a result…

1/12/2022

Colorado’s Justice System Policy Changes During COVID Show Positive Public Safety Outcomes

The Crime and Justice Institute (CJI) analyzed the public safety impacts of Colorado’s policy changes to reduce community supervision caseloads in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and found that individuals who were released early or were moved to a lower level of supervision were less likely to recidivate than those who weren’t.

Community Supervision Policy Assessment Briefs About Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon, and Utah

Many states have enacted comprehensive justice system reforms to reduce the use of incarceration and community supervision with the aim of focusing resources on people at higher risk of reoffending and investing in strategies to achieve better outcomes for people and communities. The Crime and Justice Institute partnered with the Urban Institute to assess policy reforms in six states.

10/1/2021

City of Milwaukee Settlement Agreement Third Annual Report

CJI is currently working with the City of Milwaukee towards compliance with a court-ordered settlement agreement regarding Milwaukee’s police practices. Key elements of that agreement include data collection efforts and improved accountability mechanisms. Read the third annual report here. Find all of CJI’s Milwaukee reports here.

9/15/2021

De-escalation Resources

A new collection of resource guides offers elected officials, law enforcement agencies, and members of the public concrete strategies to prepare for potentially contentious public school board meetings and to recognize and de-escalate conflicts.

6/24/2021

Missing the Full Picture: Pitfalls of Charge-Based Exclusions

Charge-based risk assessment exclusions are administrative policies that prevent individuals from receiving a pretrial risk assessment because they have been charged with certain types of offenses, such as violent crimes, DUI, contempt of court, probation violations, and sex offenses. Exclusions are separate from statutory requirements for detention and release and are commonly implemented to protect…

News

A photo of the Louisiana State Capitol building, where CJI provided technical assistance
July 29, 2022

New report highlights CJI-supported Justice Reinvestment Initiative in Louisiana

The Urban Institute released a new report, New Programs for and Approaches to Justice System Challenges, highlighting CJI’s technical assistance in Louisiana.

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