COVID-19 Assistance for the Justice Community
Last updated: June 9, 2021 at 2:20 p.m. ET
The ever-changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic requires policymakers and criminal justice practitioners to rapidly adapt their day-to-day operations to the situation at hand. While the pace and scale of the crisis can be overwhelming, the CSG Justice Center is committed more than ever to supporting its members—state and local officials working in all three branches of government in criminal and juvenile justice, behavioral health, housing, and labor.
Since the start of this crisis, our staff have been speaking with hundreds of policymakers and practitioners across all 50 states to identify new challenges, share ideas, and partner together to develop innovative strategies at a pace that matches the rapid response required right now. Our assistance cuts across four key areas:
- Supporting successful reentry in the wake of COVID-19
- Helping communities safely divert people with behavioral health needs from arrest and release them from local jails
- Using data to improve safety and health for people living and working in prisons
- Safeguarding prior success in reducing juvenile incarceration rates and improving overall youth outcomes
As we develop new ideas and learn more from those on the front lines, we’ll be sure to share updates here. If you need assistance in your state, please send inquiries to [email protected].
COVID-19 Resources

This guide outlines need-to-know information about how state and local leaders can…
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State budgets are facing significant shortfalls as a result of COVID-19, a…
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Use this checklist as a guide for reentry planning as communities work…
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This webinar presents a checklist of considerations for jail release during the…
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To help these community-based organizations weather the storm, we compiled a list…
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The scale of COVID-19 is overwhelming, but there are a lot of…
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Take our new survey that seeks to capture how community-based reentry service…
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President Biden submitted his first discretionary budget request to Congress, which outlines…
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Delaware County, OH, has steadily reduced the jail population since March 2020.
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Biden released a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan that would have specific…
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Congress recently approved a $1.4 trillion omnibus spending package for 2021 and…
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State and local justice systems faced unprecedented challenges in 2020. We look…
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Mental Illness still remains prevalent in jails despite the pandemic.
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Watch the video of Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon's visit with men and…
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During COVID-19, telehealth has become an essential practice to connect people to…
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A less-than-four-minute video on ways criminal justice and education professionals can help…
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The latest in a series sponsored by the Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership…
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Share with us how you or your colleagues are stepping up to…
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Federal officials on Friday agreed to ease restrictions that blocked some people…
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House Democrats passed a $3 trillion relief package on Friday that features…
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From her time in prison to her years helping others reenter society…
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Many reentry operations reported concerns about keeping their doors open, reporting cash-flow…
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In 2019, a historic number of governors took office for the first…
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Coalition urges U.S. Small Business Administration to remove restrictions that prohibit people…
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While corrections leaders struggle to socially distance people in confined quarters, juvenile…
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As the COVID-19 wave rolls over hospitals throughout the country, state officials…
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Corrections leaders are facing unprecedented questions about an already challenging issue.
Read MoreData Updates

As daily COVID-19 cases hit record levels across the U.S. this week,…
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View up-to-date data visualizations on new COVID-19 cases among people living and…
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Data analyses visualize the state-by-state spread of COVID-19 in state prisons.
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New data analyses from The Council of State Governments Justice Center show…
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Conservative estimates show that rates of COVID-19 cases among people incarcerated in…
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