The Center for American Progress is dedicated to developing policies that (1) shrink the footprint of the criminal justice system while improving public health and safety; (2) promote equity and accountability within the justice system; and (3) provide opportunities for people directly impacted by a criminal conviction. The Criminal Justice Reform team’s work stems from principles of fair laws and enforcement of laws; just and proportional responses to crime; comprehensive investments in safety outside of the justice system; and data- and evidence-driven solutions.
The next attorney general has a daunting task to rebuild the U.S. Department of Justice; this report contains recommendations from former DOJ officials who served in multiple administrations on how to start that important work.
Postsecondary institutions must take immediate action to help address the issue of police brutality.
This resource guide serves as an update to "News You Can Use: Research Roundup for Re-Entry Advocates," providing new information and links to additional criminal justice reform resources.
State and federal governments have been making huge strides in advancing automatic record-clearance measures, which are needed now more than ever as a global health crisis launches the United States into its second recession in just more than a decade.
It is time to put more constraints on the president’s use of the military at home.
Police reform in the United States cannot take root through a menu-of-options approach that fails to bring about meaningful accountability for departments and officers.
The power of commutations is a ready-made tool to save lives, but officials need to actually use it.
Clemency is a criminal justice reform tool that governors and the president can use to correct unjust sentences.
In addition to granting early release orders, policymakers must reform U.S. reentry systems to ensure that justice-involved people benefit from relief measures and can access vital social support programs during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The war on drugs has adversely affected people of color for decades; if enacted, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act has an opportunity to correct these harms.
Having a criminal record can be a life sentence to poverty, but some states and localities are implementing progressive policies to change that.
Young adults who have been disproportionately affected by America’s criminal justice system are in need of solutions to reduce the collateral consequences of a criminal record.
The collateral consequences of having a criminal record create barriers and restrict opportunities for families across generations—policy solutions must be comprehensive and multigenerational.
Police have a responsibility to change their practices amid the pandemic to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among the public and law enforcement officers.
As the novel coronavirus pandemic intensifies, officials must be vigilant in educating and persuading the public to adhere to stay-at-home orders, only using the criminal justice process as a last resort.