The Veterans Justice Commission examined the extent and nature of veterans’ involvement in the criminal justice system and developed recommendations for evidence-based policy changes that enhance safety, health, and justice. Learn more: counciloncj.org/veterans-jus...

Veterans Justice Commission - Council on Criminal Justice

The Veterans Justice Commission is examining the extent and nature of veterans’ involvement in the criminal justice system and developing recommendations for

counciloncj.org

Watch the full discussion here: youtu.be/jJj2qoIj-sc?...

“BAD PAPER & BUREAUCRACY: HOW CHARACTER OF DISCHARGE AFFECTS VULNERABLE VETERANS”

YouTube video by Committee on Veterans Affairs' Democrats

youtu.be

On July 15th, CCJ Veterans Justice Commission Director David MacEwen testified at a @democrats-veterans.house.gov roundtable on how discharge status affects veterans' access to VA benefits—and how the @deptofwar.bsky.social and @deptvetaffairs.bsky.social can improve policies to better support them.

With the federal prison population down by nearly a third over the past decade and violent crime falling near historic lows, how can closing prisons help contribute to greater public safety? A perspective from CCJ Senior Fellow Jonathan Wroblewski: sentencing.substack.com/p/the-prison...

The Prisons We No Longer Need

Thirteen years after setting out to shrink the federal prison population, that population is much smaller, the country is much safer, and BOP is finally closing prisons

sentencing.substack.com

It’s way too soon to declare victory. Leaders and scholars alike should ask hard questions about what’s working, where, for whom, and under what conditions — and to keep investing in strategies that are producing results on the ground. Read our full mid-year 2026 crime trends report here:

Crime Trends in U.S. Cities: Mid-Year 2026 Update - Council on Criminal Justice

Examining changes in 13 offenses across a sample of 36 large U.S. cities, CCJ's mid-year analysis shows crime has continued to fall in the first half of 2026, with homicide likely dropping to another ...

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This is one of the most significant public safety developments in decades. It means lives saved, families spared trauma, and communities regaining stability. But it also demands serious analysis, because progress that is not well understood can be easily undone.

In today's hearing on Blanche's AG nomination, Senator Chuck Grassley cited CCJ's mid-year crime trends report and credited DOJ leadership for the broad declines in crime. While increased enforcement may play a role, there's no single or easy explanation for the drop. Read more 👇

CCJ's Mid-Year 2026 Crime Trends report found that the homicide rate fell 18% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year. That’s down 51% from a recent peak at mid-year 2022, and it puts the national homicide rate on track for another historic low. ➡️ Read the report:

Crime Trends in U.S. Cities: Mid-Year 2026 Update - Council on Criminal Justice

Examining changes in 13 offenses across a sample of 36 large U.S. cities, CCJ's mid-year analysis shows crime has continued to fall in the first half of 2026, with homicide likely dropping to another ...

counciloncj.org

“Progress that is not understood can be easily lost.” CCJ President & CEO @abgelb.bsky.social spoke with Bill O'Reilly on No Spin News to discuss findings from the Council's latest crime trends report and what we know and don’t know about the forces driving the recent drops in crime.

CCJ Senior Fellow Thaddeus Johnson spoke with @cnn.com about the growing use—and documented misuse—of automated license-plate reader systems, stating that while ALPRs can strengthen certain investigations, they're no shortcut to safer communities. Read more: www.cnn.com/2026/07/26/u...

Inside the growing police use and misuse of Flock’s license-plate reader cameras | CNN

The arrests of two Milwaukee Police officers have put the spotlight on the surveillance technology that can be misused and abused.

cnn.com

CCJ welcomes Jonathan Wroblewski as a senior fellow! He brings a distinguished career in law and public service, including time as both a federal prosecutor and local public defender, to help the Council carry forward the work of our Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.

What should individual and system accountability look like 250 years from now? For The Just Trust's Justice & The Next 250 initiative, Khalil Cumberbatch, CCJ’s director of engagement and partnerships, shares his vision of accountability that extends beyond punishment.

A report from the non-partisan Council on Criminal Justice shows most other categories of crime are also headed below pre-pandemic levels in major cities across the country Read more ⬇️ buff.ly/vbTVe8l

The latest numbers from a sample of U.S. cities indicate continuing crime decreases that go beyond a reversion to pre-2020 norms.

The homicide rate has dropped to historic lows. Contrary to what politicians say, no one really knows why.

The latest numbers from a sample of U.S. cities indicate continuing crime decreases that go beyond a reversion to pre-2020 norms.

reason.com

The homicide rate was 18% lower in the first half of 2026 compared to the first half of 2025 across 30 major U.S. cities, according to a report out Thursday from the Council on Criminal Justice.

Homicide rates in the US are nearing a historic low

The homicide rate was 18% lower in the first half of 2026 compared to the first half of 2025 across 30 major U.S. cities, according to a report out Thursday from the Council on Criminal Justice.

scrippsnews.com

Homicide rates are falling in many cities across the U.S., dropping by 18 percent since the same period last year, and by the end of 2026 the murder rate could plummet to its lowest nationwide in more than a century, according to a new report.

A companion report examines how jurisdictions could reduce those anticipated costs by shortening the amount of time women spend in prison with minimal public safety impact. counciloncj.org/what-happens...

What Happens When Women Serve Less Time in Prison? - Council on Criminal Justice

Reducing women’s time served in prison by half would produce substantial savings, with only a modest increase in annual arrests, most for nonviolent crimes.

counciloncj.org

New CCJ reports for the Women's Justice Commission project that the number of women in the justice system will reach roughly 1.1 million by 2035, with total annual costs increasing by about 34%, or about $8 billion. counciloncj.org/the-rising-c...

The Rising Cost of Women’s Justice System Involvement - Council on Criminal Justice

The number of women under correctional control is projected to rise to 1.1 million by 2035, with total annual costs increasing by about 34%, or roughly $8 billion.

counciloncj.org

CCJ Women’s Justice Commission member & former director of the Missouri Department of Corrections Anne Precythe argues in Governing that accountability doesn’t always require incarceration. Reserving prison for the highest-risk women can cut costs and keep families together.

How Keeping More Women Out of Prison Pays Off

It costs more to imprison them, both for their incarceration and its impact on families and communities. We can hold them accountable for breaking the law while using prison more judiciously.

governing.com

What safeguards are needed as immigration enforcement becomes increasingly intertwined with routine policing? Writing in @usatodayopinion.usatoday.com, CCJ Senior Fellow Thaddeus Johnson and Natasha Johnson share their perspective following fatal shootings by ICE agents in Houston and Maine.

USA TODAY Opinion@usatodayopinion.usatoday.com · 2w ago

Opinion: Missing records makes misconduct harder to detect. That blind spot is widening just as the government removes other tools of accountability.

"Local policies and programs surely matter, but the striking consistency of the decline suggests that macro-level forces are exerting enormous influence as well." - CCJ President & CEO @abgelb.bsky.social

There is no single or easy explanation for the trends. Researchers and practitioners have pointed to a range of possible influences, such as changes in criminal justice operations & strategies, technological advances, and broad shifts in society & culture: counciloncj.org/state-of-the...

Why is Crime Going Down? - Council on Criminal Justice

President Trump mentioned the historic homicide drop in his State of the Union. Recent CCJ commentary explores several drivers of the decline.

counciloncj.org

OUT TODAY: A new CCJ report finds that crime rates in 36 large American cities continued to fall in the first half of 2026, with homicides down 18% from the same period in 2025. Explore the full analysis from co-authors Ernesto Lopez and Bobby Boxerman: counciloncj.org/crime-trends...

In interviews with The Marshall Project - St. Louis, men incarcerated at Algoa, Ozark Correctional Center and Moberly Correctional Center described the effects of unrelenting heat in facilities with limited or no air conditioning.

These Missouri Prisons Get ‘Brutally Hot.’ In Solitary, It’s Even Worse.

A recent class action lawsuit from the MacArthur Justice Center sheds light on how extreme heat creates life-threatening conditions for those in solitary confinement.

themarshallproject.org

Drawing on her time with DOJ's Office of Justice Programs, CCJ Senior Fellow Amy Solomon spoke with @nytimes.com on the role of nonprofits in reducing violent crime and the importance of building trust between police and communities. Read the story: www.nytimes.com/2026/07/15/h...

How Charities Fight Crime

The final entry in our series on the opposite of violence.

nytimes.com

The report, prepared for the CCJ Women's Justice Commission, supports the Commission's efforts to document and raise awareness of the unique challenges facing women in the justice system and build consensus for evidence-based reforms. Learn more: counciloncj.org/womens-justi...

Women's Justice Commission - Council on Criminal Justice

The Women’s Justice Commission is examining the unique challenges facing women in the justice system and building consensus for evidence-based policy changes that enhance safety, health, and justice.

counciloncj.org

How are prisons approaching rehabilitation for women? CCJ convened correctional leaders from 17 states to explore how they're tailoring programming to women's distinct needs and the barriers to delivering and evaluating that support. Read the report: counciloncj.org/rethinking-r...

Rethinking Rehabilitation for Women in Prison - Council on Criminal Justice

CCJ convened three virtual focus groups with correctional leaders to better understand how prison systems are approaching rehabilitation for women, focusing on behavioral health, reentry, and prison c...

counciloncj.org

What are the costs, benefits, and public safety tradeoffs of women’s incarceration? Watch yesterday’s conversation with experts Elias Diggins, Victoria Kuhn, and @johnkroman.bsky.social, moderated by CCJ Policy Director Stephanie Kennedy, here: counciloncj.org/event-record...

Event Recording: The Rising Cost of Women’s Incarceration and What It Means for Public Safety - Council on Criminal Justice

In this conversation, the Council on Criminal Justice Women's Justice Commission and a panel of experts discussed the costs, benefits, and tradeoffs of women's incarcarceration.

counciloncj.org

CCJ congratulates Doug Bond, president and CEO of the Amity Foundation, on his election as a new member.

Read the full analysis from CCJ's Justice in Perspective series, led by Solomon, here: counciloncj.org/doj-budget-i...

DOJ Budget in Focus: Earmarks, Grants, and Congressional Priorities in 2026 - Council on Criminal Justice

Despite proposals to reduce DOJ grants, Congress largely rejected those cuts in its latest budget, while boosting earmarks to nearly $1 billion. A new CCJ report examines these trends and includes an ...

counciloncj.org