COVID-19 has significantly affected the American criminal justice system. In particular, states have tried to reduce involvement with the justice system and limit person-to-person interactions, whether with law enforcement, in courts, in jails and prisons, or with community supervision officers. Read about these and other actions in our brief.
Join us at NCSL Base Camp 2020, and listen to Barry Friedman at the session on Policing Perspectives: State Oversight and Community Engagement. Learn more
Read our overview on law enforcement, a state bill tracking database on law enforcement legislation, a report on police-mental health collaboration programs, and other front-end justice articles and reports.
View Corrections and Sentencing topics, including how data analysis is driving justice reforms, criminal records and reentry laws, cannabis and employment, and our enactment database.
Read information on juvenile justice topics, including racial and ethnic disparities, our 2019 year-end report, and listen to a podcast on COVID-19 and juvenile justice reform.
NCSL tracks many criminal justice hot topics like marijuana; human trafficking; juvenile life without parole; death penalty; drug crime policy and other issues.
NCSL maintains criminal justice legislation and bill tracking databases. Check out the new community supervision and reentry resources.