Council on Criminal Justice

What does Silicon Valley’s “move fast and break things” motto mean for AI in criminal justice?  At a U.S. Commission on Civil Rights meeting, CCJ Senior Fellow Jonathan Wroblewski explained why AI products need rigorous evaluation before they’re implemented in the justice system.

What factors have led to the historic decline in homicide, and what can be done to sustain the progress? ➡️ Watch yesterday’s webinar: counciloncj.org/event-record...

Expert panelists included CCJ Sr. Fellow Thaddeus Johnson, CCJ Policy Director Stephanie Kennedy, Manhattan Institute Sr. Fellow @charlesflehman.bsky.social, Northwestern University Professor Andrew Papachristos, & @norc.org Sr. Fellow & Director @johnkroman.bsky.social, w/ moderator Abby Walsh.

After surging in 2020, the homicide rate fell sharply from 2022 through 2026, and it’s now at its lowest level since at least 1900. This broad reversal has left policymakers, the media, and the public asking: Why? ⤵️

CCJ convened four dozen top crime scholars to assess nearly 50 potential explanations, voting on whether each factor likely made a major, limited, or negligible / no contribution to the decline.

Why do some people succeed after prison while others struggle? 🗓️ Join us 10/29 at 12pm ET as the CCJ Women’s Justice Commission explores how parole & reentry systems can better respond to women’s needs and responsibilities: events.zoom.us/ev/AodbzKUs7... ⬇️

After a steep rise, the homicide rate fell sharply from 2022 through 2026, hitting its lowest rate in 2025 since at least 1900. What may explain this historic drop, and what likely doesn't? @stateline.org covers CCJ's report on nearly 50 potential factors: stateline.org/2026/10/12/r...

What’s driving the historic homicide decline—and how can we sustain it? CCJ convened four dozen crime scholars to assess nearly 50 possible explanations. 📅 Join our webinar on 10/21 at 3pm ET to explore what they found. ➡️ Register: events.zoom.us/ev/AvR-Uo8_t...

Featuring: - CCJ's Thaddeus Johnson and Stephanie Kennedy - @charlesflehman.bsky.social, Manhattan Institute - Andrew Papachristos, Northwestern University - @johnkroman.bsky.social, @norc.org - Moderated by CCJ's Abby Walsh

OUT TODAY: The U.S. has seen a dramatic, unexpected shift in homicide. After surging in 2020, the rate fell sharply from 2022-2026 and is now at its lowest level since at least 1900. Why has homicide dropped so much, so fast, and in so many places? ⤵️ counciloncj.org/whats-drivin...

"The drop in homicide over the past four years is one of the most significant public safety developments in decades. Theories and claims abound, and sorting among them is essential if we’re going to sustain the progress." - CCJ President and CEO @abgelb.bsky.social

OUT TODAY: The U.S. has seen a dramatic, unexpected shift in homicide. After surging in 2020, the rate fell sharply from 2022-2026 and is now at its lowest level since at least 1900. Why has homicide dropped so much, so fast, and in so many places? ⤵️ counciloncj.org/whats-drivin...

A small group of factors stood out as leading contributors. When major and limited contribution ratings are considered together, six factors drew broad agreement.

OUT TODAY: The U.S. has seen a dramatic, unexpected shift in homicide. After surging in 2020, the rate fell sharply from 2022-2026 and is now at its lowest level since at least 1900. Why has homicide dropped so much, so fast, and in so many places? ⤵️ counciloncj.org/whats-drivin...

CCJ convened four dozen leading crime scholars to assess nearly 50 potential factors behind the decline. Drawing on research, recent trends, and their expertise, participants rated policies, practices, and societal trends as likely major, limited, or negligible/non-contributors.

AI promises to make criminal justice safer, fairer and more effective, but it also creates new risks to privacy, liberty and the reliability of decisions that affect people's lives. The controversy over automated license plate readers like Flock Safety's captures both sides. ⤵️

CCJ Task Force on AI Chair and former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht writes in Governing that the Flock controversy raises questions beyond one company or technology, arguing that as AI evolves, governance must evolve with it. www.governing.com/management-a...

In CCJ’s latest UpClose feature, Women's Justice Commission member and @pathfindernetwork.bsky.social Executive Director Leticia Longoria-Navarro discusses building a justice system that holds people accountable while creating opportunities for change, healing, and the prevention of future harm.

How can responses to youth crime strike the delicate balance between protecting public safety and holding young people accountable while avoiding approaches that research has shown to be ineffective? ➡️ Watch yesterday’s webinar: counciloncj.org/event-record...

Last week, the Federal Bureau of Prisons announced the launch of the First Step Act Department to focus solely on the successful implementation of the law. ⤵️ spectrumlocalnews.com/us/snplus/cr...

Signed into law in 2018 with strong bipartisan support in Congress, the FSA was a landmark criminal justice bill aimed at reforming sentencing laws and reducing recidivism.

Trust in the criminal justice system is near its lowest point since Gallup began measuring it in 1993, ranking among the least trusted institutions in its survey. And that trust increasingly depends not only on how the system behaves, but on which party is in charge. ⤵️

Writing for @thefulcrum-us.bsky.social, @marclevin.bsky.social and Khalil Cumberbatch argue that the justice system, case by case, must answer one simple question: Will the same rules apply to me, no matter who is in power?