2025
Annual Report
Building Bridges to Advance Safety and Justice
The ACLU and CPAC sign a joint statement of justice policy principles?
Former attorneys general under Presidents Bush and Obama come together on stage to discuss the proper relationship between the White House and the Department of Justice?
A Texas sheriff, former district attorney, and corrections leader join formerly incarcerated people and other advocates on a task force to cut the number of women who land in prison and jail?
Maybe you think we’re talking about, say, 2012. But those are among the highlights of 2025 at the Council on Criminal Justice.
The tumultuous year was punctuated by division and a renewed willingness to draw crime and criminal justice into the center of national political conflict. Yet the forces of division only sharpened the urgency of CCJ’s fundamental mission—building common ground.
We’re proud to reflect on our work in 2025, countering polarization by establishing trusted facts and forging consensus on strategies that will make the nation safer and more just.
We’re deeply grateful for your support as we foster the authentic relationships and civil, robust, and rigorous discourse that drive progress—for the safety of our communities, the fair administration of justice, and the health of our democracy.
Adam Gelb
President & CEO
Diane Williams
Chair, Board of Directors
Timothy Head
Vice Chair, Board of Directors
Driving the National Conversation
CCJ is one of few organizations that maintains strong credibility across the political spectrum. From the Trump administration and Fox News to California lawmakers and The New York Times, policymakers, journalists, and advocates routinely turn to CCJ for data, research, and expert commentary to inform public debate, guide policy conversations, and illuminate facts amid competing partisan narratives.
In 2025, our work was cited in more than XX media stories, with coverage appearing in top national broadcast and print outlets as well as a broad range of state, local, and specialty publications.
After President Trump deployed the National Guard to several American cities, a wide array of media outlets leaned on the Council’s research to add context to their coverage. On one day alone (Sept. 5), four fact-checking sites—FactCheck.org, PolitiFact, Snopes, and BBC Verify—cited CCJ analyses in stories about crime trends in Chicago. At the same time, both the Chicago Mayor’s Office and the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security used CCJ’s crime reports to bolster their arguments about federal enforcement actions in the city.
"Just because the numbers are down doesn’t mean the numbers are good.”
The New York Times featured that line from CCJ President & CEO Adam Gelb as its quote of the day in August. Gelb also appeared on several broadcast outlets to discuss crime trends, including Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier, C-SPAN's Washington Journal, and NPR.
CCJ experts spoke at about 150 conferences, web forums, and other events, briefing more than 7,500 policymakers, researchers, and other criminal justice leaders across multiple sectors.
Council commentary appeared in more than 50 opinion pieces—one a week—in national and local media outlets, ranging from The Atlantic, Newsweek, and The Washington Post to USA Today, the Washington Examiner, Governing, Law360, Law & Liberty, The San Diego Union-Tribune, and the Lexington Herald-Leader.
CCJ is one of few organizations that maintains strong credibility across the political spectrum. From the Trump administration and Fox News to California lawmakers and The New York Times, policymakers, journalists, and advocates routinely turn to CCJ for data, research, and expert commentary to inform public debate, guide policy conversations, and illuminate facts amid competing partisan narratives.
In 2025, our work was cited in more than XX media stories, with coverage appearing in top national broadcast and print outlets as well as a broad range of state, local, and specialty publications.
After President Trump deployed the National Guard to several American cities, a wide array of media outlets leaned on the Council’s research to add context to their coverage. On one day alone (Sept. 5), four fact-checking sites—FactCheck.org, PolitiFact, Snopes, and BBC Verify—cited CCJ analyses in stories about crime trends in Chicago. At the same time, both the Chicago Mayor’s Office and the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security used CCJ’s crime reports to bolster their arguments about federal enforcement actions in the city.
"Just because the numbers are down doesn’t mean the numbers are good.”
The New York Times featured that line from CCJ President & CEO Adam Gelb as its quote of the day in August. Gelb also appeared on several broadcast outlets to discuss crime trends, including Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier, C-SPAN's Washington Journal, and NPR.
CCJ experts spoke at about 150 conferences and other events and hosted ten public webinars, briefing more than 7,500 policymakers, researchers, and other criminal justice leaders across multiple sectors.
Council commentary appeared in more than 50 opinion pieces—one a week—in national and local media outlets, ranging from The Atlantic, Newsweek, and The Washington Post to USA Today, the Washington Examiner, Governing, Law360, Law & Liberty, The San Diego Union-Tribune, and the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Grounding Debates in Facts and Data
Amid a highly politicized debate about the safety of American cities, CCJ began producing a series of crime fact sheets, equipping the public, media, and policymakers with the latest data on local trends. Along with the Council’s mid-year snapshot of violent and property crime trends in a sample of 42 U.S. cities, the fact sheets have provided critical context for assessing competing claims. The high volume of press references and requests for interviews with our team demonstrates CCJ’s value as a resource for trusted facts and spin-free commentary.
Our researchers and partners also continue to identify and analyze crime topics generating significant public concern. In 2025, these efforts included examining gun thefts and the divergence in national crime data sources, as well as reports on the lethality of crime at the national and local levels and a comprehensive analysis of arrest trends from 1980 through 2024.
When the Trump administration canceled federal justice grants initially valued at more than $800 million, analyses by our Justice in Perspective project, led by CCJ Senior Fellow and former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Amy Solomon, became an indispensable source of information for the nonprofit field, funders, and media, which cited the reports in more than 1,100 stories. The analyses found that DOJ grant cuts touched nearly every element of America's safety and justice system.
Journalists, policymakers, advocates, and others continue to turn to The Footprint to keep track of the latest changes in patterns of crime and victimization, arrests, incarceration, and community supervision. A series of interactive charts tracing long-term trends, The Footprint is a one-stop shop providing data on the changing size and scope of America’s criminal justice system. In 2025, Council researchers updated the resource to capture the most recent trends available and added new indicators for hate crime and identity theft.
Building Actionable Policy Roadmaps
The Women’s Justice Commission, chaired by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and advised by Oklahoma First Lady Sarah Stitt, released its first package of policy recommendations to stem the flow of women into the criminal justice system and improve success rates for women and their families. The report was featured on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. The commission also published a review of community-led responses to women in behavioral health, domestic violence, and housing crises and a research brief examining how drug use patterns differ for people with recent justice system involvement.
In June, CCJ launched the Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, chaired by former Texas Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, to develop evidence-based recommendations for the safe, ethical, and effective use of artificial intelligence across the system. With AI capabilities advancing at a rapid pace, the task force released a framework of five key principles to guide the responsible integration of AI across law enforcement, courts, and corrections.
In June, CCJ launched the Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, chaired by former Texas Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, to develop evidence-based recommendations for the safe, ethical, and effective use of artificial intelligence across the system. With AI capabilities advancing at a rapid pace, the task force released a framework of five key principles to guide the responsible integration of AI across law enforcement, courts, and corrections.
Following the Council’s Member Summit in September, Task Force on Artificial Intelligence members gathered for their first in-person meeting in Washington, DC.
Findings and recommendations from the CCJ Veterans Justice Commission are making their way into policy in Washington and in state capitals via briefings to the VA secretary and congressional leaders. Per the commission’s proposals, the VA issued a report detailing how to improve data systems to better identify veterans who are arrested and jailed, and three states (Virginia, Texas, and Arkansas) adopted legislation to improve veteran identification. The Senate appropriators approved $5 million to establish a National Center for Veterans Justice, as recommended by the commission, though the funding has not yet been enacted after Congress funded the government through a continuing resolution.
In June 2025, Brigadier General David MacEwen, director of the Veterans Justice Commission, testified before the Pennsylvania legislature on interventions for justice-involved veterans.
The commission also released a series of reports, including a study of the effectiveness of veterans housing units in jails and prisons, a brief about how community supervision agents identify veterans and make referrals tailored to the veteran population, and a report that assesses current practices of veteran identification in prisons, estimates incarcerated veteran populations, and makes recommendations to improve accuracy of identification.
The commission also released a series of reports, including a study of the effectiveness of veterans housing units in jails and prisons, a brief about how community supervision agents identify veterans and make referrals tailored to the veteran population, and a report that assesses current practices of veteran identification in prisons, estimates incarcerated veteran populations, and makes recommendations to improve accuracy of identification.
Fostering a Community for Collaboration
CCJ’s Centering Justice initiative reflects our mission in a nutshell, highlighting the power of bipartisan collaboration in strengthening public safety initiatives and promoting justice for all. Led by conservative analyst Marc Levin and progressive advocate Khalil A. Cumberbatch, Centering Justice in 2025 partnered with Princeton University and The Just Trust to forge consensus among 14 of the leading national advocacy organizations—from the ACLU on the left to CPAC on the right—on a set of four principles to guide criminal justice policy into the future. The agreement followed extensive facilitated negotiations and demonstrates that bridging divides for the common good remains possible, even in this era of stark polarization.
Also in 2025, Levin and Cumberbatch hosted eight live web forums engaging leaders with multiple perspectives on a wide array of topics, from the use of executive clemency power to prison conditions, juvenile justice, and bail reform. In addition, they collaborated on two dozen opinion pieces published in outlets ranging from The Hill to Newsweek, Governing, RealClear Politics, The National Interest, and Law360.
Also in 2025, Levin and Cumberbatch hosted eight live web forums engaging leaders with multiple perspectives on a wide array of topics, from the use of executive clemency power to prison conditions, juvenile justice, and bail reform. In addition, they collaborated on two dozen opinion pieces published in outlets ranging from The Hill to Newsweek, Governing, RealClear Politics, The National Interest, and Law360.
The election of new CCJ members in 2025 brought our membership number to nearly 350 of the top leaders from every corner of the criminal justice ecosystem. The Council’s Board of Directors also elected to the Board of Trustees former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, dean of Belmont University School of Law and former co-chair of CCJ’s National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice.
At the Council’s triennial member summit in September, more than 250 members and partners gathered in Washington, DC, for a day of candid dialogue and engagement. The summit was a powerful example of CCJ’s mission in action, convening leaders of all ideological perspectives to focus on data and evidence in pursuit of policies and practices that will have the greatest impact on safety and justice. It also served as an introduction of the Council to the “bridging movement,” a wide array of organizations seeking to reduce polarization and strengthen the muscles of democracy.
CCJ President and CEO Adam Gelb and Board of Directors Chair Diane Williams introduced the summit’s focus on bridge-building—as a foundation of the Council and a critical priority for the field in today’s polarized times.
Former U.S. Attorneys General Loretta Lynch and Alberto Gonzales reflected on the challenges facing the Department of Justice and the nation and how the rule of law can be strengthened in an era of heightened political division and pressure.
CCJ President and CEO Adam Gelb and Board of Directors Chair Diane Williams introduced the summit’s focus on bridge-building—as a foundation of the Council and a critical priority for the field in today’s polarized times.
Former U.S. Attorneys General Loretta Lynch and Alberto Gonzales reflected on the challenges facing the Department of Justice and the nation and how the rule of law can be strengthened in an era of heightened political division and pressure.
CCJ’s invitational membership serves as a center of gravity—a trusted, nonpartisan home for the respectful deliberation and consensus building that are vital to driving large-scale change. We strive for a membership that not only represents differing characteristics, beliefs, experiences, interests, and viewpoints but also includes the representation of professionals from under-represented groups, emerging leaders and innovators, directly impacted people, and victims and survivors of crime.
CCJ’s invitational membership serves as a center of gravity—a trusted, nonpartisan home for the respectful deliberation and consensus building that are vital to driving large-scale change. We strive for a membership that represents differing characteristics, beliefs, experiences, interests, and viewpoints, as well as the representation of professionals from under-represented groups, emerging leaders and innovators, and directly impacted people and victims and survivors of crime.
The Path Ahead
Women's Justice Commission
2026 will bring the release of a second set of commission recommendations focused on improving outcomes for women and their families in corrections and reentry, the “back end” of the justice system. Meanwhile, the Council will continue to drive awareness of the commission’s first set of findings and recommendations, focused on arrest through sentencing, across the field. Upcoming research will explore the current and future costs of women’s justice system involvement, summarize findings from a focus group with correctional leaders on behavioral health and wellness programs in women’s facilities, and forecast the size of women’s correctional population.
As our work exploring and explaining crime trends continues, 2026 will also feature a new focus on public perceptions and fear of crime. Researchers are focused on several key questions, examining the factors that influence perceptions, and how the relationship between political, economic, and crime perceptions has changed over time.
Crime Trends
Artificial Intelligence
In 2026, the Task Force on Artificial Intelligence will translate its governance principles into operationalized standards for the procurement and deployment of AI tools and identify best practices for implementing those standards for use by agency leaders, policymakers, and community groups. Through webinars, policy briefings, conference presentations, and other dissemination efforts, the task force will equip jurisdictions nationwide with credible guidance for navigating AI adoption in ways that enhance both safety and justice.
Thank You, Funders!
CCJ deeply appreciates our institutional and individual donors. They make our progress and impact possible. Our major investors in 2025 include:
Arnold Ventures
Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
Bank of America
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies
DLR Group
Ford Foundation
Fund for a Safer Future
George Kaiser Family Foundation
Georgia Power Foundation
Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation
Heising-Simons Foundation
J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation
The Just Trust
MacArthur Foundation
May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust
Microsoft
Ms. Foundation for Women
The NFL Foundation
The Navigation Fund
New York Women's Foundation
Public Welfare Foundation
Southern Company Foundation
Stand Together Trust
The Tow Foundation
Wilf Family Foundations
For media inquiries about this report, please contact: Brian Edsall at bedsall@counciloncj.org. For general inquiries, contact the Council at info@counciloncj.org.