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Tools for States to Address Crime




The public is concerned about crime and distrustful of the justice system

  • In recent polls, crime ranks as one of the top 3–5 most important issues for voters.1 
  • Just 14 percent of the public report “quite a lot” of confidence in the criminal justice system.2  
  • Between racial disparities and concerns about violence and disorder, people are worried the justice system is broken. 

State leaders need a plan to advance safety and justice.  

  • To be effective, any plan must be responsive to state-specific trends and research-based tactics.  
  • Governors and legislators are best positioned to bring together people and data from across their states to develop a plan that is effective, efficient, and fair. 

To equip state leaders, the CSG Justice Center has analyzed the most recent 50-state data on crime, arrests, and prison populations and has developed a list of 10 ways states can lower crime








Footnotes and Project Credits

1. Frank Newport, “Crime, American Public Opinion and the Election,” Gallup, November 18, 2022, accessed December 21, 2022, https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/405371/crime-american-public-opinion-election.aspx

2. Jeffrey M. Jones, “Confidence in U.S. Institutions Down; Average at New Low,” Gallup, July 5, 2022, accessed November 29, 2022, https://news.gallup.com/poll/394283/confidence-institutions-down-average-new-low.aspx.

Writing: Marshall Clement, CSG Justice Center

Data Analysis and Visualization: Matt Herman, CSG Justice Center

Advising: Dion Clark, Grace Beil Call, Jessica Saunders, CSG Justice Center 

Editing: Leslie Griffin, CSG Justice Center 

Public Affairs: Brenna Callahan, CSG Justice Center 

Design/Web Development: Catherine Allary, CSG Justice Center; eleventy Marketing Group