Although crime rates across the country are near all-time lows, each state faces a unique combination of public safety challenges, including increasing crime rates in some communities, growing numbers of people who have mental illnesses entering county jails and state prisons, spiking opioid and other drug-related deaths, high recidivism rates, rising correctional populations and costs, pervasive barriers to employment and housing for people with criminal records, and more. These challenges may appear overwhelming, but many states are using innovative approaches to tackle them and are achieving results.
The 50-State Report on Public Safety contains:
- Over 300 state-by-state data visualizations
- More than 100 examples of states’ public safety innovations
- 3 goals, 12 strategies, and 37 action items policymakers can select from to focus on the issues most relevant to their communities.
