2024 Look Back

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In 2024, voters called on policymakers to curb violent crime in their communities, with many state lawmakers gravitating toward old ideas of increasing sentence lengths and time served to address this problem. We recognized an urgent need to focus state policymakers on the key issues that are driving violent crime trends and direct their attention toward strategies that improve solve rates for violent crime.

With support from the Action Now Initiative, we proactively connected with policymakers and other stakeholders in states and educated them on evidence-based solutions and the need to improve solve rates.

Key 2024 Milestones 

• In October, we hosted a convening that brought together 30 advocates, researchers, criminal justice leaders, and other key stakeholders to discuss violent crime and solve rates, build consensus on the issue, and refine the research agenda in this area. 
• We developed reports for all 50 states that break down state-specific trends in violent crime and solve rates. 
• We published The Accountability Gap: Unsolved Violent Crime in the United States, which distills state-by-state data on solve rates, violent crime trends, and polling on public perception regarding violent crime and clearance rates.
• We advised 15 states on evidence-based policies to increase solve rates for violent crimes.
• We met with public safety leaders, policymakers, law enforcement and legal personnel, and people with lived experience to promote effective public safety strategies. Our engagement focused on improving solve rates and rebuilding trust in the justice system.

Justice Counts, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance, enhances criminal justice data collection so that leaders will have actionable data to inform their decision-making. For the first time, agencies from all 50 states can report on their justice data in a first-of-its-kind centralized data-sharing portal, giving policymakers access to previously inaccessible justice system information. In 2024, we supported agencies in adopting criminal justice system metrics and beginning the process to share their data.

Key 2024 Milestones

• 2,676 agencies are now participating in Justice Counts across 29 states and 1 territory.
• Over 277,583 data points have been shared with us.
• We launched a cloud-based, open-source software program that allows agencies to enter data that will ultimately be shared publicly.
• We provided hands-on support to 19 states; Washington, DC; and Puerto Rico to improve their data collection and share data with Justice Counts.

We are excited to see the big picture of the status of the criminal legal system in New Mexico and nationwide. Being able to see local, municipal, and state data in one location with clear data descriptions and caveats will be insightful. —Cydni Sanchez, Deputy Chief Public Defender, New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender

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Arkansas faces significant criminal justice challenges, including high recidivism, rising violent crime, and one of the nation’s highest incarceration rates. Concerned about the connection between crime and prison releases, state leaders sought our help in 2023 through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative. 

This past year, we worked with a recidivism-reduction task force to analyze statewide trends and identify drivers of these issues. Using our findings, the task force is crafting data-driven recommendations to reduce recidivism, enhance public safety, and improve outcomes for people reentering the community from incarceration.

Key 2024 Milestones 

• We examined 10 years of data; conducted 127 interviews; visited 5 community supervision offices and 3 community corrections centers; and reviewed relevant statutes, policies, and procedures. 
• Through our analysis, we identified the key drivers of the state’s high rates of recidivism and violent crime to ensure policymakers have the actionable knowledge they need to improve the system.
• We offered 9 recommendations for the state to consider adopting in the upcoming legislative session, including establishing an Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Unit responsible for evaluating, recommending, and deploying EBPs and programs and ensuring the Department of Corrections reports annually to the legislature on relevant progress and outcomes.

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Understanding the current state of youth crime, violence, and mental health is crucial for shaping effective policy and support systems. In 2024, we analyzed the most recent data to help policymakers better understand trends in youth crime, violence, victimization, and mental health issues. 

With support from the Prudential Foundation and the William T. Grant Foundation, we compiled our findings in Navigating Concerns on Youth Crime, Violence, and Behavioral Health: What Does the Data Say?, a data tool to help policymakers achieve two goals:

1. Develop a statewide plan to provide community-based services that address the underlying reasons for youth’s behaviors, and
2. Focus the juvenile justice system on youth who commit serious and violent offenses.

Key 2024 Milestones

• Navigating Concerns was showcased at a September 2024 webinar where its findings were well received by over 200 attendees. 
• We saw over 10,000 online visitors to the data tool.
• Promotion of the tool generated more than 11,000 impressions on LinkedIn, 4,200 impressions on X, and 1,300 clicks via e-newsletters.

The Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division (B-HEARD) launched in New York City as a pilot program in June 2021. Photo courtesy of B-HEARD.

With growing calls for change in how jurisdictions approach public safety, community responder programs have become critical for crisis situations that do not require armed officers. These programs focus on de-escalating situations and addressing the root causes of crisis while avoiding arrest and incarceration. After launching a national commission to develop guidelines and best practices for community responder programs, in May 2024, we provided a roadmap to scale emergency first response programs across the country. The goal is simple: ensure that every call for help receives the right response.

Key 2024 Milestones

• Commissioners identified emerging practices, shared insights, and developed key actions for community responder programs.
• In May 2024, we published the commission’s report, which reached hundreds of leaders and policy influencers across the country: 
  • 5,000 CSG Justice Center email subscribers
  • 146 launch panel participants
  • 18,000 web page views 
  • Over 43,000 views on social media

You’ve got to say what’s a criminal call and what’s a non-criminal call. And those non-criminal calls, you don’t need that badge and a gun. You need a professional to help that person that’s going through their crisis, help them get back on track so they can start their lives the right way without trying to take a life. And again, you have to keep going back and forth with the community, with law enforcement to make it work. —Chief Anthony Holloway, St. Petersburg Police Department

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In collaboration with the Center for Policing Equity and the Joyce Foundation, we offered learning communities to support the development of community responder programs. These forums addressed specific areas, such as improving crisis systems, enhancing student-centered responses on college campuses, and providing alternatives for youth experiencing behavioral health crises. We provided hands-on support to communities to plan and implement 31 community responder programs in 2024 alone.

Key 2024 Milestones

• 33 cities and counties participated in community learning programs. 
• We hosted 26 learning community sessions that brought together 100 multidisciplinary professionals.
• Stamford, Connecticut, and St. Petersburg, Florida, teams finalized new policies to support youth and adult diversion through preexisting community responder programs.

Members of the CSG Justice Center Expanding First Response team meeting with staff from Salvation and Social Justice in Trenton, NJ. Photo by Melissa McKee, CSG Justice Center.

To develop proof points for community responder programs, we provided intensive technical assistance to four communities in New Jersey and Michigan. In partnership with Vital Strategies and the New Jersey Department of Health, we helped three cities implement overdose community responder programs as alternatives to police interactions for overdose and substance use-related calls. Similarly, we worked in Washtenaw County, Michigan, to help expand a pilot into a permanent program to respond to crises such as intoxication, family disputes, and homelessness in Ypsilanti.

With funding from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation, we provided intensive technical assistance to the Oakland, California, Fire Department to expand its Mobile Assistance Community Responders team, connect to outside evaluators, and communicate to the community about the effort. We also helped the City of Detroit explore community responder programs in partnership with the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) and Wayne State University.

Key 2024 Milestones

• We helped Paterson, Trenton, and Newark, New Jersey, implement and expand community responder programs. 
  • Paterson, New Jersey’s, Tier 1 Recovery Program (an overdose response program), has expanded from drug treatment referrals at the local library to performing harm reduction outreach with people experiencing homelessness and offers naloxone, wound care, fentanyl test strips, connections to vital services, and educational materials for people struggling with substance use issues.
• In Michigan, we helped expand a pilot into a permanent crisis response program in Ypsilanti.

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New Hampshire leaders sought assistance through the Justice Reinvestment Initiative to address the high use of county jails and public health resources by people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders. Our analysis revealed that while tens of thousands of people are booked annually, a small group cycles through the system at an alarmingly high rate.

In 2024, we completed a deeper analysis of state corrections and Medicaid data to identify this high-need, high-cost population and the barriers they face in accessing behavioral health services. We provided recommendations for reforms to improve access to services and outcomes for this population and the state’s justice system.

Key 2024 Milestones

• We completed a comprehensive analysis of criminal justice data across 9 out of 10 county jails, state prisons, and parole and probation systems, covering an extensive dataset of over 45,962 individuals. 
• Our findings equipped policymakers with critical insights into their state’s jail population, empowering them to develop strategies that connect people exiting jails to essential health care and treatment, fostering better outcomes for individuals and communities.  
• New Hampshire is considering several of our policy recommendations, including permanently expanding Medicaid for incarcerated people and funding reentry care coordinators to support individuals’ transitions back into their community.

The New Hampshire Department of Corrections and CSG Justice Center have been working together for several years on a BJA-funded Justice Reinvestment Initiative Project… We have found this TTA to be invaluable on our state planning efforts to leverage new opportunity for Medicaid to support corrections and reentry. —Helen Hanks, Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Corrections

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Across the country, people with unmet behavioral health needs frequently cycle through jails, courts, and crisis response systems, with no hope for an intervention that can address their needs and stop this revolving door. 

We’ve been working in Georgia since 2022 to help state leaders engage 12 diverse counties and recommend policies to reduce incarceration and improve behavioral health services. In 2024, this work achieved significant milestones as the state adopted and implemented several key recommendations to improve outcomes for this vulnerable population.

Key 2024 Milestones

• Aligned with our recommendations, Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs implemented a change to its Low-Income Housing Tax Credit for 2024, which incentivizes housing development for people who frequently cycle through various systems.
• Georgia established 5 jail in-reach programs to link people to appropriate services upon release.
• The state secured nearly $20 million via the Mental Health Parity Act to help counties reduce overutilization of services.
• The state dedicated funding for The David Ralston Center for Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Clearinghouse at the University of Georgia. We’re helping this team plan and implement the center.

Medicaid & Corrections Policy Academy convening in October 2024. From left to right: Ruby Qazilbash, Deputy Director for Policy, BJA; Marshall Clement, Deputy Director, CSG Justice Center. Photo by Liz Buck, Center for Health Care Strategies.

Recent changes to federal rules provide an unprecedented opportunity to use Medicaid to expand health care access for incarcerated individuals and people who are reentering the community. These changes will allow communities to strengthen pre-release services and ensure post-release continuity of care. However, departments of corrections need guidance to navigate these rules, work with Medicaid agencies and their partners, and coordinate services effectively.

In September 2024, we launched a 6-month-long Medicaid & Corrections Policy Academy to help states use reentry demonstration waivers to enhance health and reentry outcomes. We’re helping teams from Alaska, Colorado, Maine, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin use Medicaid reentry demonstration waivers to expand health care access.

Key 2024 Milestones

• In October, we convened leaders from corrections, Medicaid, correctional health, and behavioral health from the 6 state teams to help them gain a better understanding of the 2023 Center for Medicaid Studies guidance and how they can best use Medicaid resources to support reentry and increase health access for people who are incarcerated.
• 35 participants attended the in-person Policy Academy convening.
• Each month, the Policy Academy teams participated in virtual sessions focused on key policy decisions and worked with our TA coaches to incorporate emergent best practices into their state action plans.

This academy will assist us as we develop and enhance policy and practice to better serve clients during the transition from incarceration to the community. —Ray Woodruff, Reentry Director, Wisconsin Department of Corrections

Reentry 2030 is a bold national campaign supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to make reentry success a reality for people who have been in the justice system. People who are reentering their communities thrive when they are employed, stably housed, gaining skills, accessing needed treatment, and not returning to prison. 

In 2024, we made substantial progress to position Reentry 2030 states to achieve better and more successful reentry and reintegration outcomes. Four states joined Alabama and Missouri in committing to Reentry 2030: Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, and Washington. We helped these states develop actionable, bold, and transformational goals and detailed plans and provided intensive technical assistance to all Reentry 2030 states to help them make progress on their goals.

Reentry 2030 in Alabama

Alabama was the second state to join Reentry 2030 and set ambitious goals related to reducing the statewide recidivism rate by 50 percent and increasing participation in employment services by 50 percent by 2030. In 2024, we worked intensively with Alabama to make progress toward these goals. This included bringing multiple agencies and systems together to assess their reentry systems and resources and identify gaps.

Key 2024 Milestones

• Alabama expanded its capacity at day reporting centers across the state, where people on probation or parole can access needed services while ensuring compliance with supervision requirements. 
• The Alabama legislature passed a bill to reestablish the statewide reentry commission, Reentry Alabama, a collaborative of multiple state agencies and legislators. The commission met 5 times in 2024 and will guide the state’s work on Reentry 2030.
• Charles Barkley donated $1 million to the Alabama Community College System, part of Reentry Alabama, to support efforts to lower Alabama’s recidivism rate by increasing access to education opportunities.

What we’re doing today is turning the findings of a report into a reality for our state… We want to cut recidivism in half by the end of this decade. All of the partners you see here today are committed to the same goal. Together, let’s become one of the top states in the country on how we deal with recidivism. —Cam Ward, Director, Alabama Bureau of Paroles and Pardons

Reentry 2030 in Missouri

Missouri was the first state to join Reentry 2030 and commit to improving reentry success across the state. By 2030, Missouri aims to achieve the following goals:

• 100 percent of incarcerated Missourians who need career services receive them.
• 85 percent of incarcerated Missourians are employed within 30 days of release.
• 80 percent of formerly incarcerated Missourians maintain their employment for at least 9 months after release. 

In 2024, we continued providing tailored and targeted technical assistance to Missouri based on the state’s needs. This included engaging with state leaders and other stakeholders to assess their reentry systems, resources, and landscape. 

Key 2024 Milestones

• Since joining the campaign, Missouri has launched 10 new reentry centers across the Missouri Department of Corrections. 
• Missouri also established 6 regional reentry teams across the state.
• Missouri identified close to 2,000 Second Chance Act employers and hosted an annual Second Chance Employer Summit in March.
• Lack of access to official government documents often prevents people leaving jail and prison from obtaining employment and/or degrees, securing housing, and accessing social services. In 2024, Missouri allocated $300,000 to increase access to birth certificates for individuals before release. 
• Six of Missouri’s 19 correctional centers adopted a process to obtain a written driver’s license examination before release.

I’m so excited that we’re to the point of reimagining reentry instead of continuing what we always have done. We’re challenging the status quo. I’m so proud of the support in Missouri to make our communities better. —Anne Precythe, (former) Director, Missouri Department of Corrections

Reentry 2030 in North Carolina

North Carolina has taken a whole-of-government approach to improve reentry outcomes. Since launching in January 2024, and with our support, the state developed a Joint Reentry Council consisting of cross-system and cross-branch stakeholders from each state agency, along with issue-specific working groups, to develop a comprehensive strategic plan to achieve their goals with key performance metrics to assess their progress. 

Key 2024 Milestones

• The strategic plan to improve reentry outcomes was submitted to the governor and approved in July 2024, which resulted in immediate action to improve reentry, rehabilitation, and education services in North Carolina. This includes:
  • $5.5 million allocated to expand the NC-FIT (Formerly Incarcerated Transitions) program, which offers health care services, housing, and transportation
  • A new program to help incarcerated individuals secure a commercial driver’s license
  • The creation of a hotline to help reentering people secure jobs, housing, and connections to vital services
• North Carolina allocated $1.9 million to expand local reentry councils statewide. 

Strengthening reentry services for formerly incarcerated people is both the right and smart thing to do. This executive order directs a whole-of-government approach to improve reentry services, strengthen our economy, make communities safer, and give people the second chance they deserve. —Governor Roy Cooper

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People with criminal records face an uphill battle seeking career advancement opportunities, particularly in higher-wage, middle-skill occupations. Since 2020, we have partnered with Arnold Ventures to position states across the U.S. to remove structural barriers to work for people with criminal records. 

In 2024, we continued educating state policymakers and other stakeholders on the negative impacts of collateral consequences. We also provided policy analysis, legislative history, messaging and communications support, tailored resources, and opportunities for states to make the case to their constituents that a multifaceted approach is beneficial to the entire state. 

Key 2024 Milestones

• We published a policy brief on fair chance licensing in the health care industry that identifies policy models and recommendations to expand access to work in the industry for people who were previously incarcerated.
• With our support, Oregon enacted § 44 of SB-1552, which allows people with criminal records to check whether they can get a professional license before starting education or training for that job.
• With our advisement, Colorado enacted the Ex-Offenders Practice in Regulated Occupations bill, which prevents applicants from being automatically denied occupational licenses due to a criminal history.

Panel from the first plenary of the 2024 Second Chance Act Conference—Building Human-Centered Reentry Systems and Creating a Whole-of-Government Approach. From left to right: Karhlton Moore, director, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice; Marsha Curry-Nixon, founder and executive director, Amiracle4sure; Lateisha Thrash, director of reentry services, North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections; Danielle Armbruster, assistant secretary, Washington State Department of Corrections; James Hodgkins, assistant after market manager, Goodwill Industries of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties; Cam Ward, director, Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles; Ronald Day, senior vice president, The Fortune Society. Photo by Courtney Fields, CSG Justice Center.

We hosted the 2024 Second Chance Act Conference: Celebrating 15 Years of the Second Chance Act in December to commemorate the bipartisan Second Chance Act (SCA) and chart a path forward to achieve better outcomes for people leaving prison and jail. 

The conference brought together hundreds of attendees, including current SCA grantees; people with lived experience; and leaders in corrections, courts, community supervision, behavioral health, education, employment and workforce development, housing, and family services. Attendees participated in peer learning; training on best practices; and discussions on emerging trends, innovations in the field, and new strategies. 

Key 2024 Milestones

• It was the first Second Chance Act conference in 9 years
• Over 430 organizations and agencies were represented at the conference from 48 states and Washington, DC.
• Nearly 700 people attended the conference.

To all of you doing this work, I hope you know it says something about the kind of people you are—people who care about other people. What you can do to help change someone’s life is incredible. —Karhlton F. Moore, Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance

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In 2004, we helped secure the passage of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA), which funds the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP). Since then, JMHCP has provided $358 million to communities in 49 states to divert adults and youth with mental illnesses from the justice system.

Through JMHCP, we have helped grantees establish over 800 diversion programs and initiatives nationally, including 92 alternatives to traditional law enforcement responses to people in crisis; hundreds of mental health courts; alternatives to arrest and detention; and other services. And, we have worked tirelessly on Capitol Hill to maintain and grow support for JMHCP. In 2024, we secured $40 million in funding for JMHCP for FY 2024.

Key 2024 Milestones

• We secured $40 million in funding for JMHCP for FY 2024.

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Working with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, we led the charge to create the Justice Reinvestment Initiative in 2009 and grew the federal investment threefold in the last 15 years while maintaining bipartisan support. 

Since the initiative’s inception, we’ve worked with 34 states to analyze data, assess policies and practices, and develop data-driven recommendations for policy and practice changes. Most of these states enacted reforms designed to reduce crime and recidivism, improve access to treatment, and increase collaboration across systems. States have saved or averted over $3.2 billion and reinvested over $850 million. 

This past year, we partnered with our members to maintain deep support for this important program. We secured $32 million in appropriations for the Justice Reinvestment Initiative in 2024.

Key 2024 Milestones

• We secured $32 million in appropriations for the Justice Reinvestment Initiative.

Panel at SCA Hill briefing in April 2024. From left to right: Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ); Rob Jeffreys, Director, Nebraska Dept. of Correctional Services and President, Correctional Leaders Association; Tammie Gregg, Principal Deputy Director, BJA; and Cam Ward, Director, Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles and Chair, CSG Justice Center Advisory Board. Photo by Courtney Fields, CSG Justice Center.

We helped pass the Second Chance Act (SCA) in 2008 and re-authorize it in 2019, securing nearly $1 billion for reentry services nationwide. We have not let up on our efforts—in April 2024, we hosted a congressional briefing underscoring SCA’s impact and emphasizing the need for continued support. 

Backed by a coalition of 175 organizations, congressional champions introduced bipartisan reauthorization legislation in 2024, which the Senate passed in December 2024. Additionally, our work on the Hill led to $117 million in appropriations for SCA for FY 2024.

Key 2024 Milestones

• In April 2024, we hosted a congressional briefing underscoring SCA’s impact.
• We helped secure $117 million in appropriations for SCA for FY 2024.
• To highlight SCA’s success, we published 50 States, 1 Goal: Examining State-Level Recidivism Trends in the Second Chance Era, showing 15 years of progress in reducing recidivism.

Sometimes when I see people and I listen to testimonies, I have to pinch myself and say, ‘Is this real? Is this the work we’ve been able to get done?’… We took the Second Chance banner, and we’ve flown it all across the country. To remind everyone what life can be, even for those whose life took a different track. —Danny K. Davis, United States Representative, Illinois