As 2025 begins, the Crime and Justice Institute (CJI) reflects on a year of transformative, evidence-driven initiatives. This past year, we launched new projects, expanded our team of experts, and forged strategic partnerships that have driven meaningful reform in justice systems nationwide. Our efforts have remained focused on achieving results that prioritize fiscal responsibility, public safety, and long-term sustainability, all while equipping states with the resources and autonomy to lead change on their own terms.  

At the heart of CJI’s efforts is our decades-long commitment to advancing nonpartisan solutions supported by data and research. Together, we will build on these accomplishments in the year ahead, continuing to pave the way for lasting progress.  

Looking Forward

As we enter 2025, CJI remains deeply committed to working alongside our partners to drive meaningful, sustainable reforms tailored to their communities’ unique needs and budgets. Our approach is rooted in rigorous, data-driven analysis, research, and evidence-based practices that enable our partners to design justice reforms that are both fiscally responsible and effective in enhancing public safety. Recognizing that crime and justice are nonpartisan issues, we excel at facilitating bipartisan collaboration by focusing on outcomes that benefit all stakeholders—improving public health, reducing recidivism, or optimizing resource allocation. This focus on actionable data and shared goals ensures that the reforms we help implement deliver lasting impact for communities. Our upcoming projects include: 

  • State Justice Systems: Through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative, we will continue to build partnerships with state and local governments to enhance public safety outcomes by supporting states in using criminal justice resources more effectively and efficiently to address the complex factors driving crime and recidivism. With our partners and supporters at Arnold Ventures, we will continue to support efforts by state and community-based stakeholders to protect the progress made and expand efforts to develop and implement sustainable policies that improve the lives of individuals and communities. 
  • Youth Justice: We will continue to assist states in implementing innovative, research-based, and data-informed policies to elevate the voices of impacted youth and families and improve youth justice outcomes while promoting sustainable strategies to reinvest cost savings into effective prevention and intervention programs.  
  • Community Supervision: In collaboration with the National Institute of Corrections and the American Probation and Parole Association, we are developing a new resource to aid community supervision leadership in effectively implementing the National Standards for Community Supervision and sustaining progress within their agencies. 
  • Absconding: With support from Arnold Ventures, we will be releasing a focused analysis of absconding behavior among individuals on community supervision to illuminate common characteristics among individuals who abscond and the factors driving this behavior.  
  • Restrictive Housing Reform: With support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, we will continue to assist state corrections departments as they take steps to reduce restrictive housing use, enhance staff capacity, document innovative practices, develop resources, and promote data collection to measure impact. We will also evaluate efforts across sites and continue intensive support and publications. 

Progress Made

DRIVING TAILORED, STATE AND LOCAL-LEVEL POLICY CHANGE

CJI’s work is rooted in the belief that state and local leaders are best positioned to develop and implement justice solutions that fit their unique needs. In 2024, we continued to support pragmatic, evidence-driven policy changes that enhance public safety while prioritizing state-level leadership and budget-conscious reforms. 

  • Facilitated Justice Reinvestment:  
    • In Oklahoma, we facilitated a follow-up justice reinvestment process from its 2018 effort that resulted in the adoption of multiple policy changes to its adult corrections system. This year’s effort focused on challenges at the county level and Oklahoma’s growing jail population, limited behavioral health treatment options and cumbersome court processes. Similar to the 2018 engagement, Oklahoma leaders recommended a series of changes that promote smarter and more efficient processes that provide timely information at key decision-making points and appropriate resource allocation to improve public safety and address complex system challenges. 
    • In New Mexico and North Dakota, we kicked off a justice reinvestment process focused on the challenges of providing effective behavioral health treatment to justice-involved populations in rural areas of the state and improving the reentry process to prepare individuals to be stable members of their communities. 
    • In Louisiana, Nevada, and Utah, we supported efforts to present data and outcomes that showed the public safety benefits of bipartisan, evidence-based policies as well as accurate representations of crime trends to refute unsupported perceptions of crime at the state level. 
  • Improved Safety in Prisons: We led a multi-state initiative to reduce the use of restrictive housing in prisons, creating safer environments for those living and working in them. Learn more about our Institutional Corrections efforts.  
  • Expanded Opportunities for States and Local Governments: Together with the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Council of State Governments Justice Center, we launched the Justice Reinvestment Initiative Assessment Center, providing additional opportunities for states to receive assistance as they examine challenges and opportunities in their criminal justice systems.  
FOSTERING INNOVATION THROUGH DATA-DRIVEN ANALYSIS AND COLLABORATION 

CJI remains a trusted partner in helping states and localities implement the reforms that best meet their specific needs. This year, we produced resources and hosted events that help states identify inefficiencies and implement innovative and cost-effective solutions. 

  • Promoted Innovations in Reentry: We published an Innovations Series brief examining why safe and stable housing is essential for successful reentry, and how two states—Louisiana and Tennessee—have developed innovative models to address housing gaps.  
  • Increased Understanding of Racial Equity: In collaboration with the Council on Criminal Justice, we produced two reports that analyzed racial disparities in imprisonment and examined how prison policies adopted in 12 states impacted racial disparities in their prison population.  
  • Standardized Community Supervision Practices: We partnered with the American Probation and Parole Association and the National Institute of Corrections to convene an expert working group that developed and published the National Standards for Community Supervision, designed to enhance public safety through evidence-based standards and best practices. 
  • Advanced Data Expertise: In partnership with the National Institute of Corrections and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, CJI hosted the ICRN/NCRP Annual Data Providers event. This gathering brought together state corrections leaders, researchers, and federal partners to explore innovations in the NCRP data collection process and discuss how to leverage data to improve correctional systems, enhance staff safety, and support successful community reintegration. 
  • Facilitated Pioneering Restrictive Housing Reform: We partnered with two state prison systems to spearhead staff-led reforms in restrictive housing, focused on developing future leaders, installing sustainable, effective practices, and enhancing staff morale and safety. Learn more about our Institutional Corrections efforts. 
PROMOTING EFFECTIVE JUSTICE PRACTICES AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INTEGRATION 

CJI continued to work at the intersection of justice and behavioral health, providing solutions that save money and improve outcomes for individuals in the justice system.  

  • Published Behavioral Health Crisis Response Landscape Analysis: Developed with support from Arnold Ventures, our comprehensive report can be used as a guide for first responders, behavioral health providers, city leaders, and state policymakers to address barriers to the adoption and sustainability of crisis response programs. 
  • Promoted Improved Treatment: Through our partnership with the National Institute of Corrections, we delivered training to prisons and jails to divert people with mental illness from restrictive housing and to ensure proper assessment and treatment is provided is correctional facilities. Learn more about our Institutional Corrections efforts.  
  • Developed a Substance Use Assessment Framework: We facilitated a multiagency workgroup that created a revised substance use assessment procedure where agencies will use consistent treatment recommendation levels. Learn more about our Community Supervision and Reentry work. 
  • Enhanced Peer Supports for Jail Staff: We provided Peer Support training to jails across Tennessee in partnership with the Tennessee Corrections Institute to ensure jail employees have support for addressing stressors and other behavioral health needs. 
SUPPORTING THE SUCCESS OF DIRECTLY IMPACTED PEOPLE 

CJI is also focused on practical solutions that empower individuals to reintegrate into society without burdening the justice system or taxpayers. In 2024, we expanded initiatives designed to reduce recidivism and help people reintegrate effectively into their communities. 

  • Increased Awareness of Barriers: We teamed up with the Tennessee Office of Reentry to facilitate a reentry simulation that increased awareness of barriers faced by formerly incarcerated individuals, helping stakeholders create more supportive systems.  
  • Published Reentry Resource: For the fifteenth year in a row, we released the Coming Home Directory, a published and online compilation of services available to people returning to or living in communities in Greater Boston. 
  • Addressed Missed Court Appearances: We helped Tarrant County, Texas, to pilot an innovative program addressing missed court appearances—streamlining processes and reducing costly bench warrants, while improving fairness and outcomes for communities. Learn more about our Pretrial Justice efforts. 
  • Improved Safety and Justice for Youth: We collaborated with local jurisdictions to introduce cost-effective programs that bolster a continuum of care, improve youth engagement, reduce youth recidivism and confinement for minor infractions, and enhance public safety, all without the expense of excessive institutionalization. Learn more about our Youth Justice efforts. 

 

Read more about our 2024 accomplishments and explore our publications. 

 

Gratitude to Our 2024 Funders & Partners: Essential Collaborators for Effective Reform 

None of this work would be possible without the support of CJI’s dedicated funders and partners. Their investment in our mission enables us to continue delivering effective, sustainable, evidence-based strategies that strengthen state and local justice systems. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to the principles of fiscal responsibility, public safety, and long-term sustainability.

FUNDERS

Federal Organizations: 

  • Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Department of Justice 
  • National Institute of Corrections 
  • Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Department of Justice 

State and Local Government Organizations: 

  • Kansas Department of Corrections, Division of Juvenile Services 
  • Commonwealth of Kentucky, Kentucky Court of Justice/Administrative Office of the Courts 
  • Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections 
  • City of Baltimore, Maryland 
  • City of San Francisco, California 
  • City of San Joaquin County, California  
  • Utah Department of Corrections 
  •  Bureau of Substance Addictions Services, Massachusetts   
  • City of Fall River, Massachusetts  
  • Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security  
  • State Court Administrative Office, Lansing, Michigan 
  • City of Duluth Police Department, Michigan 
  • Oakland County, Michigan  
  • City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin  
  • Shelby County, Tennessee  

Private Organizations: 

  • Arnold Ventures 
  • Council on Criminal Justice 
  • Gardiner Howland Shaw Foundation 
  • Helmsley Charitable Trust 
  • Justice Management Institute  
  • Public Welfare Foundation  

Nonprofit and Research Organizations: 

  • Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston (YouthConnect)  
  • CNA Corporation  
  • Community Foundation of Greater Memphis 
  • Justice Management Institute 
 PARTNERS 
  • ACLU of Louisiana 
  • Americans for Prosperity  
  • American Indian Governance and Policy Institute (University of Montana) 
  • American Probation and Parole Association 
  • Association of Paroling Authorities International 
  • Association of Women Executives in Corrections 
  • Bridging Divides Initiative 
  • Council on Criminal Justice (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) 
  • Fines and Fees Justice Center 
  • Flathead Reservation Reentry Program 
  • Institute for Justice  
  • James Madison Institute (Florida) 
  • Justice for Families 
  • Libertas (Utah) 
  • Montana Consortium for Urban Indian Health 
  • Montana Innocence Project 
  • National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies  
  • Native American Development Corporation 
  • Nolan Center for Justice  
  • Parole Project (Louisiana) 
  • Prison Fellowship Police Foundation 
  • Reason Foundation 
  • Return Strong (Nevada) 
  • Right on Crime  
  • RISE Reentry Program 
  • Three Flights 
  • Vera Institute of Justice